IF YOU ARE NEW HERE

Welcome. This site has a ton of advice. But we all want something new to solve our problem. But the truth is, the fastest way to solve our problem is with something old. Advice you get from today's forum could be very helpful. But, you could fill up 50 pages in a google doc if you look at all the old stuff on this site. Plus, it will not take you very long to figure out which people are giving a lot of tips on how to quit. So you can read their posts back from the beginning of time.

Secondly, fill up a Google doc or Word doc with tips. Then study those tips daily and most importantly, start to implement them into your life daily. You can choose to read 20% or more of your new “book,” every day. You can delete tips that you thought were great (but aren't really great for you). You can start a top 20 tips for quitting and work at seeing which tips should be in your top 20. You can move certain things to the front and demote others to the back to make sure you are working on the best things first.

If you fill up your book and put in the work, life will improve.

 

Have a time and a place to work on addiction every day. Quitting starts to increase joy.

 

The Bible tells us to take every thought captive. (2 Corinthians 10:5) That means that I have a chance to do something about all thoughts that are not well-pleasing to God, before they enter my heart and become a part of me! “As a man thinks, so is he.” Proverbs 23:7. Who we are is shaped moment by moment by the thoughts we choose to let into our mind and heart. But how can we control the thousands of thoughts that enter our minds each day? What do we do with the thoughts that are not pleasing to God? How can we, in reality, take every thought captive?

Taking every thought captive – a battle
Every day, we can catch thoughts and attitudes that are contrary to God’s will and keep them from gaining control of our minds and heart. Paul explains how this is possible: “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.’’ 2 Corinthians 10:4-5. It is written that we need to battle to keep our thoughts pure, but it is also written that we have weapons to fight with!

Pray: “Father, take away this spirit of lust, and show me what to think about.”

God's Word is our weapon!
For example, if we know we are easily tempted to impure thoughts about the opposite sex, we can take Jesus’ words to heart: “But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.” Matthew 5:28-29.

Is it even possible to keep my thoughts pure? Click here for the answer!

If we are prone to anger, we can arm ourselves with James’ exhortation: “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” James 1:19-20. These words of God are our weapons, and will give us power to take all impure thoughts captive!

Read also: 20 Bible verses to use as a sword against impure thoughts

Transformation – by the Holy Spirit
By the Holy Spirit, we can get grace and power to bring the thoughts into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and in this process, we become transformed into the person He wants us to be. We have the wonderful hope that by overcoming sin in our thought life, we can become a little more like Christ as each day progresses. In this way, we become valuable tools in God’s hands. Allowing this inner work of God to take place in us is the greatest task we can take on in life.

Lastly, respond to wrong thoughts with a specific Scripture.

• Use your list of verses to respond to lustful thought with certain Scriptures. If you keep at it, it will at some point be automatic.

 

The Bible says: "Take every thought captive." If it tells you to do that, it means you "can" do it. The first step to success is to remind yourself to do it every day. Then, write out a list with 5 or 10 things that you should be thinking about. Include 1 or 2 of the quitting addictions things you are trying to work on.
Secondly, realize that satan will pop sinful thoughts into your head. But now you are prepared to take them captive. You reject his thoughts (that lead to destruction) and you look at your list and replace that thought with a good one.
If you make this into a permanent habit great things will happen!

 

“How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.” Psalm 119:9.

Some people read the Bible every day and still fall every third day. Some add to that, by reading a key verse about lust every day. Or 2, or 3, or 4. Taking heed means remembering what the Bible says at moments of temptation. It means knowing it, it means believing it.

I'm not above average at overcoming lust. But... I know exactly what the Bible says about it. And that knowledge gives me fear.

Fear of heroin is good. Fear of punching your annoying volleyball coach (who makes your daughter cry) is good. Fear of driving 130 mph is good. Fear of looking with lust is good.

Today, increase your fear of the bad things that are killing you.

Pray: “Father, fill me with Your wisdom.” Proverbs one says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Following that first verse can turn a life from sorrow and point it towards joy. Embrace wisdom, embrace purity – they will lead you to freedom.

 

The number 1 key to quitting is to study and pray until God shows you which permanent habits you must have to quit. Then it is just a matter of time.

 

Consider fighting lust as a war. Should we spend more time fighting this war? Joyce Meyer said, "If we let satan use our mind as a garbage dump, our life will end up as a stinking mess." Instead, consider praying, "Father, guide my mind." Pastor Colin Smith said to pray: "Jesus, by your Holy Spirit, keep my mind firmly set where you want it to be focused today."
Realize that satan will rarely give up in trying to control your mind. Take that as a challenge. If you insist that you will always oppose him, that you will always get the Word in you, that you will always fight him with prayer. Then he will start to look for easier prey.
Fill up your own Google file or Word doc with posts about how to change your thinking. If you change your thinking, your life will change as well.

 

We should consider focusing on not leaving our minds vacant. Because just like in the story of Adam and Eve, satan will fill it up with his trash. What Christian trait will you focus on improving and thinking about today?

We should consider not allowing satan to help us pick our music, TV shows, or movies. Instead, we should consider praying about our entertainment choices. Then choosing entertainment which will allow us to have long-term joy which is found in a healthy relationship with Jesus Christ.

Is it wise to hang out with people who talk about smut constantly? Consider praying:
"Father, give me the strength to find friends who won't drag me down."

However, what if we are forced into an environment where we are surrounded, but we have to work or go to school there? In this situation, we can consider praising the Lord or increasing our focus on the Christian trait we want to improve on instead of listening to their trash.

The path to success or to slipping is either littered with trash or paved with gold. In both cases, our path is going to be lit on fire when temptation is in full force.

If our preparation is hit or miss, our path may be littered with trash, and we may continue to burn with severe temptation until we give up.

When we have prepared for this temptation with prayer and with new thoughts we have a chance. Then at the moment of severe temptation, we fight back in full strength with the verses for quitting. Now we are fighting on streets of gold with the ever-increasing help of the Holy Spirit.

There will be a fire. With full preparation, the result will pure gold instead of ashes.

 

Welcome!

 

When I was young I looked at sin as something I wasn't supposed to do. Today, I realize that God created me with a purpose in mind. Am I supposed to be worshiping and praising God? Should I be praying about helping others? Should I be doing good works?

What does God want us to do? Consider praying:

“Father, show me the plans that You have for me.”

Genesis 39:9 “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”

When our lives lack purpose one sin seems like a simple negative. Then sin multiplies until it ruins us.

It is wise to consider one sin a great wickedness. It is wise to consider one look at sinful things as sin against God.

When we have wisdom, we avoid the trap. We stay free to be the shining light that God wants us to be. Consider praying:

“Father, give me the courage to be a shining light for You.”

Finally, today I look at sin as something that will cause destruction and keep me from joy.

Consider praying: “Father, show me the full destruction of sin?”

Consider praying: “Father, help me to hate sin.”

It is wise to love God and hate sin so that your life is filled with light.

Jesus is a spectacular light. Always work on the habit of running from sin so that He can shine through you.

 

I live in Michigan and am a fan of the Detroit Lions. They have a receiver (Brown) who catches 202 passes daily. He does this because he heard that great receivers catch 200 balls daily. He decided to do just a little bit more (202). He is a star and has helped turn the Lions around. He knows what it takes to get what he wants and he does what it takes to do it.

Many come to NoFap and read articles. Some go a step further and print out articles. Some set up notes in key places to remind them to do the new things that they have learned to do at NoFap. Some write out their top 15 skills for quitting and then pray over them all the time.

Others just try to implement one or two important skills at a time, but they make doing them a huge priority. They do these skills until they are habits. Habits they then do always until the end of time.

What if you find out what you need to do to quit, and then just do a little bit more than that?

 

Every time you have a lustful thought you should pray:

“Father, help me to run from lust.”

This shows satan that you are determined to “Take every thought captive,” which the scripture tells us to do.

#2 Consider praying:

“Father, not my will, but Yours be done.”

With this prayer, we are attacking, and changing our thinking.

#3 Quote a scripture that reminds you what is happening:

Romans 8:13 “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”

1 Corinthians 6:18 He who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.”

The Holy Spirit is desiring to live in us. Lust is war against our own bodies. Lust will beat the crap out of our bodies.

Consider memorizing this verse to remind yourself not to beat the crap out of yourself.

Note: During my last month of addiction, I was so aware that I was “damaging myself” that I literally said it out loud (when no one was home).

Lastly, you can make it. Always study prayers and scriptures that will set you free. It will be the best thing you ever did.

For the whole article https://forum.nofap.com/index.php?threads/if-you-are-new-here.324418/