Fight against masturbation

[lifelaidout]

I'm 23 and I've been struggling with masturbation. For a period of 2-3 months after I attended a camp, I was totally delivered from it. But for the last 4 months I've returned to it and it has been crippling my spiritual life. Every night is a struggle. i pray that I won't wake up in between and be forced to masturbate. I realize I'm in bondage and every morning I ask Jesus to cleanse me and resolve not to do it again. I'm tired of it.

I'm not addicted to pornography though I was mildly addicted a few years ago. Its only this masturbation, once or sometimes twice during the night. Its fantasizing with lust that leads to it. I've tried breaking this bondage by claiming victory in Jesus' name but obviously due to my lack of faith it doesn't work out.

Over the past year, I've been giving up a lot of things for Christ. I come from a strong Christian background but work and live in a totally anti Christian environment and this has involved giving up on love for money, my ambition, greed, pride. And the Lord has been good to me. In my church I'm looked upon as an example for the young. At the beginning of the year, when we picked lots for verses of the year, I got a verse 1 timothy 4:12

"Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe."

I feel i'm losing some of my spiritual gifts in the process, that of tongues and a lot more things.

I need help. I can't go on with this any longer. I believe I have a calling for the ministry and I need to get over this.

Someone please help !

[Slug1]

I just did my testimony concerning this exact bondage... it's in my signature as 'My Testimony'. Go ahead and read through it all and I'll be posting more later to address your post directly.

[Slug1]

I read this just this morning in a devotional:

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

In this present battle, if I was to ask you; Do you follow through?

Does this question make sense to you?

[lifelaidout]

Thanks slug1 for sharing your testimony and your words of encouragement.

For the first time in two weeks, I've got through the night without masturbating. Of course this has happened before, so I'm taking it one day at a time. I'll ask the Lord to keep my soul for tonight as well. The VIM ( Vision, Intention, Means ) methodology has helped.

Thanks for your help again.

[Victor]

The fight against lustful sin is a very hard and long road, just don't give up. What I've learnt is that sex is mostly in the mind, the physical action takes but only a few minutes. The mind is also satans greatest playing field, for this is where he can do the most damage with the least effort.
I've found that as soon as i start thinking of lust. doesn't matter what started the thought, i ask forgiveness and start concentrating on something els, reading the bible, changing the TV channel, for if you're not thinking of lust, you don't lust.
There is also a great site called setting captives free, they offer free courses on sexual sin, try them they are good and do help one to ubderstand the sin of lust and how to overcome it. www.settingcaptivesfree.com
Hope this helps a little, i'll also put you on our prayer list and also I'm answering this question more for myself ten to one.

[tt1106]

Amen, this is a tough one, especially with the prevalence of Porn on the internet. With the availability of pornography it is so easy to slip back into bad habits. Fortunately there are soooo many tools out there to help with this fight. Accountability groups and filters etc.
It's daily struggle, but I try to flood my mind with biblical messages instead of pornography. Especially when I sit down to the computer.
Which is where if I were to stumble I would.

[Ta-An]

lifelaidout, when you go to sleep, pray this :
LORD, You have called me to be holy as You are holy. And it is the desire of my heart LORD to serve You with clean hands... Wash me in mercy LORD so that I can stand clean before You.


Pray out loud :pray:

:hug:

[rom826]

I'm 23 and I've been struggling with masturbation. For a period of 2-3 months after I attended a camp, I was totally delivered from it. But for the last 4 months I've returned to it and it has been crippling my spiritual life. Every night is a struggle. i pray that I won't wake up in between and be forced to masturbate. I realize I'm in bondage and every morning I ask Jesus to cleanse me and resolve not to do it again. I'm tired of it.

I'm not addicted to pornography though I was mildly addicted a few years ago. Its only this masturbation, once or sometimes twice during the night. Its fantasizing with lust that leads to it. I've tried breaking this bondage by claiming victory in Jesus' name but obviously due to my lack of faith it doesn't work out.

Over the past year, I've been giving up a lot of things for Christ. I come from a strong Christian background but work and live in a totally anti Christian environment and this has involved giving up on love for money, my ambition, greed, pride. And the Lord has been good to me. In my church I'm looked upon as an example for the young. At the beginning of the year, when we picked lots for verses of the year, I got a verse 1 timothy 4:12

"Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe."

I feel i'm losing some of my spiritual gifts in the process, that of tongues and a lot more things.

I need help. I can't go on with this any longer. I believe I have a calling for the ministry and I need to get over this.

Someone please help !

I felt I had to ask you about the part I bolded because I have found that praying in tongues is something that is very helpful in overcoming. I have heard others say the same thing.

[thunderbyrd]

Lifelaidout: i hope you come back and see this post. what has helped me more than anything in this area is a book titled "At the Altar of Sexual Idolatry" by Steve Gallagher. i honestly believe this book can change your life, it changed mine.

this book is not a pleasant read. i got angry several times while i was reading it and put it down, but i realized he was telling me the truth whether i liked it or not, so i kept reading.

i hope you find victory in this area.

[Francois Marais]

Woke up this morning with the same problem. Prayed about it, took up the Word and started reading (and this was 3 am) feeling soon passed and I learned a lot more of God in that 10 min.

[tango]

Lifelaidout - it's important to remember that you don't have to masturbate. The devil will try to make you think otherwise, using all sorts of fine-sounding arguments. You might wake up feeling "in the mood", you might find yourself with physical signs of arousal and it seems like the easiest way to make it go away, you might feel that you're going to give in sooner or later anyway so you might as well get it over with now and go back to sleep.

Your best bet is to think about something else completely. Pray, pray for anything. Give thanks to God for your ministry, give thanks for all the good things in your life. Give your feelings over to God first, then give thanks for everything God has done for you. Keep a Bible beside your bed and read it, maybe bookmark a few verses that help you and read those.

Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

[lifelaidout]

Thanks everyone.

Its been on and off for the past few days. I know the recovery is supposed to be slow and gradual but this is kind of long. The truth is every time before bed, if i spend a fair amount of time, the night goes through peacefully. If i'm sleepy and just read a psalms quickly, i end up waking in the middle of the night.

The whole problem is waking up in the middle of the night. If I just don't wake up in the middle of the night, it'll be fine. I remember when I was free of masturbation, I never used to wake up in the middle of the night.

Its morning here and time for me to own up once again, ask for forgiveness. Please pray for me.

[lifelaidout]

Thanks for this. I did this once and it worked. But somehow I didn't do it later. Waking up in the middle of the night and when reminded, read the bible.

[welcomb]

Hi lifelaidout, I just wanna share that I'm having the same problem as you do. I agree the main problem is the waking up in the middle of the night. It's much harder to control your urges when you're drowsy and vulnerable. Last night was the first night in a few months that I gave in, but I believe it's an ongoing process and pray that the intervals will get longer.

I did think of reading the bible but when I get awaken I'm in such a drowsy state that I can't even get out of bed, not to mention reading. I pray and cry out to God but it only results in me tossing and not able to get back to sleep. It would seem giving in would grant me a peaceful sleep but I don't want to kick of an addiction.

Think I'll try what you do and spend time praying and seeking God before I sleep. It's nice to know that I'm not going thru this alone. I'll be praying for you too.

[lifelaidout]

Thanks welcomb, for your prayers. The past few days have been victorious and all praise to Him !! I get tempted occassionally, but somehow or the other I manage to get out of the situation. I'm keeping a Bible beside my bed, and I haven't had a problem ever since. If you have the gift of tongues, pray powerfully at all times. I know its going to be a long process. But the Lord is sure to take us through !

[RollTide21]

This is a tough one...especially if you are single and trying to practice abstinence. I have a stronger walk with God now than I ever had and I can honestly say that I am not sure I could refrain from that if I weren't married. I might even wonder if we should even be expected to refrain from masturbation in that instance...but anyway...

The only advice I can give is...if temptation gets the better of you, the WORST thing you can do is allow Satan to convince you that you are a failure and that you are unable to approach God. He knows you're struggling...and He knows you're repentant and that your relationship to Him is the most important thing. He's going to forgive you because He can't stand to be apart from you. Too many times have I slipped down a wrong path and allowed Satan to convince me that I was hopeless and that there was no way I could reconnect with God.

If you're a Child of God, Satan can't have you, but he can certainly do everything in his power to screw up your Walk with Christ.

[upton7418]

"13 ways to ruin you life", a book by Jarrod Jones...

it's FREE if you download it from the site!!!

since it's a book i'm assuming the link would be commercial...so the website to download the free ebook is the title of the book. If you want a hard copy you have to pay, so i'd say download it...

just a thought for you....

[lifelaidout]

Hey guys,

Thanks for your prayers and support. I've been free for some while now...by His grace. I don't wake up in the middle of the night anymore. One definite thing has been me aggressively using tongues as a combat weapon....I speak in tongues as I lie down on my bed. Its really been awesome...

[RoguePastor]

Lifelaidout,

I am a recovering Sexual Addict. This road you have chosen to take, the road of sexual purity is indeed long and filled with hazards. Here is the thing, You shouldn't walk it alone. I recommend you search your local churches to see is any have a sexual purity and recovery group. There you will be given texts to study to help you understand this addiction as well as a set of rules that, if you follow them will greatly help you in the recovery process. Mostly there are three things that are needed.

1. Daily journaling where you discover your triggers and make fire drill for when you are triggered. Also your journal will help you vent.

2. Accountablity to other men in the same situation. It one thing to recover it something else when you are recovering and helping someone else maintain sexual purity. Remember Iron sharpens iron.

3. Relationships/Disciplship are a huge key to getting healed. When you have good strong relationships, which you will form with the accountablity process then you have those that you can confide in and mentor too.

I won't promise you it will be easy but I will tell you it can be done. I am 2yrs and 7 months sexual pure and I can tell you it feels great to take the noose of sexual addiction from my neck.

[Tonton]

...There is also a great site called setting captives free, they offer free courses on sexual sin, try them they are good and do help one to ubderstand the sin of lust and how to overcome it. www.settingcaptivesfree.com
Hope this helps a little, i'll also put you on our prayer list and also I'm answering this question more for myself ten to one.

Lifelaidout,

please do go look at this website. It is really a good one, purely based upon scripture, and FREE.

Anton

[gringo300]

ADDED NOTE: I got a PM about a post in a similar forum AFTER posting in both of these. I'm not sure if this is exactly the same thing here or not. I think I'm taking a somewhat different approach than the deleted post in the other forum, but I'm still not sure.

First, to the moderators (and others) reading this:

I'm NOT saying I think this practice in and of itself isn't wrong.

BUT, I think a lot of people tend to see one tree and not the whole forest.

It appears to me this is often just ONE part of a larger problem.

People in this position should ask themselves: Could there possibly be other trees (metaphorically speaking) here other than this one tree?