OVERCOMING BAD HABITS AND TEMPTATIONS THROUGH PRAYER!!

Have you ever had a habit or temptation that you deeply wanted to get rid of but found it hard to do and struggled to get rid of it? Is there a habit that you have that if you were told you have one week to live that you would eagerly try to get rid of in that week? We all at some point in our lives faced some type of temptation or have had a habit that we wanted to get rid of. It could be being tempted to eat junk food when your suppose to be on a strict diet. It could be being tempted to smoke when you’re in the process of trying to quit. It could be easily getting anger or losing your patience. It may also affect you differently than it could someone else. It could be a number of things. Well just like us  Jesus and the disciples dealt with those same things also.

Matthew 4:1- Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.

Luke 22: 39-46-39 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. 40 On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” 41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.45 When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. 46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”

Two things when I read this that stands out to me. 1- Jesus himself was willing to humble himself before God in prayer, asking that the fathers will be done and not his own. The only imperfect person in the world submitting to the father is deep to me. 2- Anytime someone usually stress something it’s usually something very important to them. Here Jesus tells the disciples more than once to pray that they would not fall in to temptation. Jesus must have known that they were dealing and struggling with something, and in order for them to be delivered from what ever it was they had to continue to pray about it until they were delivered. When we pray for deliverance we also must be ready to deal with that issue, because God is going to put us in a position to see how we handle it. For example if we pray for patience God will put us in a position that will see how we handle a situation that takes patience. So what good news we can look to when we are tempted?

1 Corinthians 10:13-No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” What does this verse mean to us? That no matter how or when your tempted or evening dealing with a bad habit that you want to get rid of. God will always provide you a way out of that situation. But it’s up to you to decide on excepting his way out.

Hebrew 4:15-For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin. What does this verse mean to us? It means that God knows what its like to be tempted and he understands how difficult it can be when we face our weaknesses. So what can get us through the bad habits and the temptation? So in order to truly be delivered from a strong hold you have to continue to pray about it.  Philippians 4:6- Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Praying one time is not going to do it. The shortest verse in the bible is also one of the most important verses in the bible. 1-Thessalonians 5:17-17 pray continually. Which means pray nonstop, including with that issue or struggle that you might be dealing with.  Here is the chorus of one of my favorite songs called Give Me Faith by Evolution Worship. “I may be weak ,your spirit strong in me, my flesh may fail, my God you never will.”  We can never do anything in our own strength because we are weak, but with him we can do all things because he strengthens us!!!!

I pray now that who ever reads this blog who maybe dealing with a bad habit or temptation, that God you deliver them through what ever issue it maybe and that they seek your word for guidance and direction in Jesus name I pray AMEN!!!! Lord you put this on my heart so I pray Lord if someone reads this blog and they don’t know you or have a personal relationship with you and not sure of their eternal fate that they repeat this prayer of Salvation. Romans 10:9-10- ⁹ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

Dear God in heaven, I come to you in the name of Jesus. I acknowledge to You that I am a sinner, and I am sorry for my sins and the life that I have lived; I need your forgiveness I believe that your only begotten Son Jesus Christ shed His precious blood on the cross at Calvary and died for my sins, and I am now willing to turn from my sin. You said in Your Holy Word, Romans 10:9 that if we confess the Lord our God and believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead, we shall be saved. Right now I confess Jesus as the Lord of my soul. With my heart, I believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. This very moment I accept Jesus Christ as my own personal Savior and according to His Word, now I am saved. Thank you Jesus for your unlimited grace which has saved me from my sins. I thank you Jesus that your grace never leads to license, but rather it always leads to repentance. Therefore Lord Jesus transform my life so that I may bring glory and honor to you alone and not to myself. Thank you Jesus for dying for me and giving me eternal life.

Amen.