There are two aspects we need to clarify.
What are your present convictions? Where do they stem from? If they are from the church teachings in general, that is good, but not good enough. Write down the actual scriptural passages that you know of that are your guidelines in both behavior and attitude. We have supplied some through this site and will list them altogether at a later point. Remember we do not just want general guidelines but attitudes such as Joseph who ran from his boss' wife.
Why are you short of ten? What is keeping you back?
This is critical. Any weak area is a broken wall where the enemy can come in and ruin at his will. Although the enemy hasn't taken advantage of your weakness, is because of his design. He waits for those times you are going to step ahead in your spiritual life to drag you and your family down.
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Does the area of weakness reveal a lack of confidence in God's good standard? Or does it reveal that you really want or deserve certain pleasure from lusts?
Taking the last step toward fully adopting God's standards are not easy. This does not mean we will not grow in this area. God will reveal weaknesses even after we have done this. Remember the enemy only needs a small break in the wall to get in. He will greatly resist closing the last hole for then it is very difficult to get in.
Here are some ways the enemy (Satan) tries to hold you back. He can control events around you to some degree but mostly he plants suggestions in your mind.
• He will try to convince you that you deserve the pleasure.
• He will send a timely temptation by.
• He will convince you that it doesn't really matter.
• He the accuser will mock you by making you feel condemned from your past.
• He will distract you with some success or problem.
In summary, he tries every way to kick against your urgency for shooting for sexual purity or undermine your confidence. This is called spiritual warfare. You need the General Christ Jesus to protect and lead you. You need to pray this through with your confident. It is worth it! Here is a prayer you can pray by yourself:
Dear Lord and Savior, I have no Rock but You. I have no confidence in myself. I cannot successfully live a sexually pure life without You. I have failed. But as You know, I have also hidden them under the Almighty blood of Jesus Christ which takes away all my sin. I desire in my heart not to be run by my lusts but by your love. I need the Spirit of God to lead me on. I desperately need for you to be my Savior day by day. There are ______ areas I have compromised on. They are _______ and _________. I have not told others. I have even hidden them from my own life. I now confess them. I have not kept your standard. But now by Your wonderful grace in Christ Jesus, I fully intend to live fully devoted to pleasing You by keeping a 10 on my sexual standards.
I will be facing the enemy's army as I do this, but I know it is what pleases You. I want to please You. I am pleasing You. Tear down all the compromises in my life and build up the broken wall. I am pledging myself to be a faithful man of God. I desire for you to be my Strength, hope and all. By the blood of Christ protect me from the enemy's arrows. Speak daily to me through the Wordl Uphold me by Your mighty Word. Let me be holy for You are holy. In the Name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen
