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Written by Patrick Hawthorne for “SGM” @ http://servinggrace.com
Original post @ https://servinggrace.com/2018/01/27/lead-me-not-into-temptation-ive-been-there-too-many-times/
Lead Me Not Into Temptation…I’ve Been There Too Many Times!
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By Patrick Hawthorne
Raise your hand if you have ever had moments when you were tempted, tried, tested or tortured by a sin thought. It doesn’t have to be big. Maybe you had the overwhelming desire to thump your least favorite co-worker in the head.
Ok, keep that hand raised if you have ever thought of intentionally sinning today so you can ask for forgiveness tomorrow. No, it does not have to be a flagrant sin of sex, drugs, or rock-and-roll. It can be the desirous sin of yearning to talk to Sister Shame-a-lot about your concerns over the holiness of Sister Slutzy.
If you raised your hand – which hopefully everyone did – I have good news for you. I have found a tried and true method for dealing with such temptations. Instead of counting to ten, I recite my favorite Bible verses. One of them happens to be Psalms 103:1-5.
Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities,Who heals all your diseases,4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies,5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.(Psalms 103:1-5)
As I speak – yes speak – God’s Word, the thoughts of wrong doing begin to fade. I call this my, “Being transformed by the renewing of my mind so that I walk in the Spirit and do not fulfill the lust of my flesh,”method. What happens is that I allow God’s power, through His Word, to override the thoughts that are bombarding the confines of my cranium. Before you know it, I am a temptation free happy camper.
TAKE NOTE!! Notice that I do not pray and ask God to remove the temptation. He has already done that through Christ Jesus. I simply follow the example of Jesus by speaking the Word to the temptation.
Am I perfect at this? Awww heck no! Just ask the Jehovah Witness who dared tell me I was outside of the will of God because I did not go door to door preaching. Anywho…try this method before giving into your desire. Trust me, it works if you do it. And, if the temptation does get the better of you – which it will – ask for forgiveness, dust yourself off, and get back on the path leading to the end of your race. Be blessed.
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