Jesus explains the Parable of the Sower:
But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. (Luke 8:13).
Nature teaches us that change is a gradual process, not a magical one. In order to endure harsh weather and winds, seeds must establish roots and get nutrients first while in the dirt away from weather elements. In time, the small plant will be strong enough to resist.
The time we spent with porn has left us with hearts as hard as rock. Although we now seek Jesus, our efforts have failed, and we continually give in to temptation.
He can change our hearts, listen to David’s cries
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. (Psalms 51:10).
Then God answer:
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26).
After he does that, he will plant his seeds and only ask that you water them daily, keep praying, even if you don’t see results yet. In the same parable, he says the same thing.
As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience. (Luke 8:15).
If you want to change, you need patience. Change starts in the heart. If you’re trying to build a house, you have to set its foundation first, then start building. Soon, you will see the results of your prayers.
Same goes for medicine. Just because you don’t notice any changes in the first couple of days after taking doesn’t mean the medication isn’t working; it takes time to take effect.
In these two examples, the initial work is done internally before anything is visible externally, just like prayer. Initially, you may not witness immediate changes unless God sees fit to intervene, but you feel your prayers are having no effect.
Please, please don’t stop, be patient
In your patience, ye shall win your souls. (Luke 21:19).
Consistency is a way to show our enemies who we truly seek?
As we faithfully knock on God’s door every day just to say hello. If your enemy sees you doing that every day, he won’t approach you because he knows you’re under God’s protection.
By knocking on God’s doors daily for a 5-minute conversation, you’ll make Satin fearful and life a little easier with only one enemy. Now, you must confront the inner struggle, which is the toughest, but with God’s grace, you will have the strength to overcome.
Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one,
in your splendor and majesty!
In your majesty, ride out victoriously
for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness;
let your right hand teach you awesome deeds!
(Psalms 45:3-4).
The Dirty Bucket
A Wise man placed a dirty and rusty bucket in the barn that hadn’t been used for years. He then instructed his son to fetch water for the cattle using that bucket. Upon reaching the lake, the son filled the bucket with water. However, upon returning home, he discovered that the water had leaked out completely because of the bucket’s rust and many holes. The dirt on the bucket made it even more challenging to identify the holes for repair.
The next day, the father asked his son to repeat the task, but the son, not wanting to disappoint his father, attempted the bucket again. However, when he returned home, the bucket was still empty, leaving him feeling down and depressed, though he hid his emotions from his father.
However, to the son’s surprise, his father asked him the same question the next morning. This time, it did not convince the son, as all his work went to waste because the bucket couldn’t hold any water.
Then, his father told him to examine the bucket and asked what he noticed; much to the son’s amazement, the bucket was completely clean, and he could identify the exact locations of the holes. His father then commented, telling his son that although he might feel like he’s not accomplishing anything, every time he fills the bucket with water, it cleanses it. Even though the bucket can’t currently hold the water, they can use its cleanliness to locate the holes and plug them.
Your heart, dear fighter, is like a bucket with holes. These holes are hidden beneath dirty images and emotions from years of watching porn, leaving you feeling empty. Your prayers seem ineffective, causing frustration. But trust me, each prayer purifies your soul and cleanses your heart.
Then the LORD said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.” (Jeremiah 1:12).
so when you say
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
These are the words from the Bible. God said he will watch over them and make them happen. Your prayers become powerful through this.
One day you will look at your heart and find it clean and if there are any holes left, it will be easy for you to fix since you can see it now.
If you attempt to fix all the holes in this rusty old bucket first, you will soon feel discouraged. Therefore, we will not focus on the location of the bucket’s holes, nor will we attempt to clean the bucket ourselves.
Every night, we will pray and fill up that old bucket with as much water as we can from God’s source. He is delighted that you have taken this action and is determined to stay with you and offer help throughout the process.
Are you willing to be patient? This is the true battle.
This is god’s burden, as easily it might sound it leave many not convinced.
I spent years wrestling with this, trying to comprehend how certain words in a prayer could be the key to overcoming my addiction. How is it that certain words in a prayer can diminish the feelings and excitement my body goes through while watching porn? While writing these words, I remember this challenging journey. I’ve always felt that the first step to be clean is to resist my temptations and stay away from porn.
Until I realized how heavy that burden is, and that it can’t be what Jesus meant when he talked about his burden being easy, then I stumbled upon these verses.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2).
Transform your image by altering your mindset; this is the true battle – not abstaining from pornography, but allowing him to purify your thoughts that shape your actions.
Then and only then you will experience his word when he said
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:36).
No one cleans a dish in one stroke. They keep rubbing multiple strokes until it’s clean.
When I relapsed before, I would continuously get trapped in a cycle of darkness, discussing demons and sadness, repeating the same experiences you’re going through now, until it became a new routine.
Considering my occasional weakness, consistent prayer motivates me to rise quickly before falling into that cycle pattern. The more time I spend praying, the less power Satan has over me to trap me in that cycle.
Talk to God as if we’re talking to a therapist and say,
Oh, God, I am so sorry for relapsing again, and I wish I could promise you I’ll be a better person. Knowing how many times I’ve relapsed before, I can’t possibly make such a promise. Your first commandment demands my complete love and devotion, yet I struggle with conflicting feelings in my heart. I love indulging in porn and masturbation. I keep trying to get rid of this love, but it’s like an enormous tree now. The Bible says that whoever drinks from this water will always be thirsty, and I’ve been drinking for years and I still want more.
I need your power to help me overcome this, as I know you are a fair god who requires me to show my willingness to change. God, please accept the little I offer, my humble prayers. Purify my thoughts, cleanse my heart, and renew my mind to become the person you envisioned and created in your image.
keep praying for 5 minutes (step1)
soon, you will win this battle
