need advice....desperately....please

[lostman]

Hi Everyone,

Right now i am having a very difficult time in my life. I am struggling with an addiction that i cannot kick and it is really taking a toll on me. It isn't a physical addiction like drugs or alcohol, but more a psychological addiction. I believe in the Lord and I believe everything that is written in the Bible. I want to please the Lord and do what he wants me to do in my life. Yet I always let temptation get the best of me with this addiction. I believe I am saved, but am not sure. I believe in the Lord and I believe that he sent Jesus to die on the cross for my sins. I also have asked the Lord for forgiveness many times. But my preacher tells that if you don't feel a change in your life from your sinful ways then you might not really be saved..I am very confused. When I am at church i get this amazing feeling like the Holy Spirit is in me..but when i am not there i don't feel it. I am just very worried and want to be sure i am saved.

I want so badly to get rid of this addiction. I pray about it and feel so guilty when I let it get the best of me. I always feel that i have let God down. I want to stop and i know the only way i can do it is with God's help. But i pray about it and still i let it get the best of me and give in to the temptation. That is why i am confused about my salvation. I mean, shouldn't i be able to give it up easily since i am saved? Or does the fact that i can't give it up make my salvation questionable..Someone please give me some advice and guidance..I am so desperate and sad about this..I would greatly appreciate anybody..thank you and God Bless

Edited December 29, 2009 by lostman

[priest4Him]

Hi Everyone,

Right now i am having a very difficult time in my life. I am struggling with an addiction that i cannot kick and it is really taking a toll on me. It isn't a physical addiction like drugs or alcohol, but more a psychological addiction. I believe in the Lord and I believe everything that is written in the Bible. I want to please the Lord and do what he wants me to do in my life. Yet I always let temptation get the best of me with this addiction. I believe I am saved, but am not sure. I believe in the Lord and I believe that he sent Jesus to die on the cross for my sins. I also have asked the Lord for forgiveness many times. But my preacher tells that if you don't feel a change in your life from your sinful ways then you might not really be saved..I am very confused. When I am at church i get this amazing feeling like the Holy Spirit is in me..but when i am not there i don't feel it. I am just very worried and want to be sure i am saved.

I want so badly to get rid of this addiction. I pray about it and feel so guilty when I let it get the best of me. I always feel that i have let God down. I want to stop and i know the only way i can do it is with God's help. But i pray about it and still i let it get the best of me and give in to the temptation. That is why i am confused about my salvation. I mean, shouldn't i be able to give it up easily since i am saved? Or does the fact that i can't give it up make my salvation questionable..Someone please give me some advice and guidance..I am so desperate and sad about this..I would greatly appreciate anybody..thank you and God Bless

Well my friend, I think that everybody had in one time the same problem, I was one of them, I had an addiction that was very difficult to let go and like you was not drugs or something like that.

I talked to pastors, I talked with Church family, went to different churches etc. But now recognize my error, instead going to all this people first I was suppose to go to God first.

Anyway to make the story short, one day I get in my knees and pray to my Lord for long time, and like never before, I pray from my heart, I ask for forgiveness and ask Him to create a new heart in me, I told Him my sins, and that I recognize the need of Him for strength and so on, I cry and I was I think for the first time very sincere. Anyway, after I finish I felt completely different, I knew that He heard my prayer and supplications, and I was convince that He will help me; And He did, the change was slow but sure, in a year or two I was walking in the right path.

But I have to make changes in my life, I change friends, now my friends were from church, giving me a good advice all the time, going for hackings to the mountains, or nature walks, and constantly reading my Bible, which by the way that is how God talks to you and gives you the strength that we need.

Hope that helps, please change bad habits, change friend if is possible, look for God all the time

Remember this; your senses are the doors to your soul; if what you see is not godly, that is an open door for the devil to get in you; but if what you see is godly (Bible, Christian movies etc.) then that is a close door for the devil, same with the other senses, what you heard, what you smell or touch etc. Please close all the doors for the devil by sealing them with God.

[notself]

First, I think you need to know that all addictions have a physical component which is caused by a mental component. For example, if you are watching porn, ( I am not saying you are, I use the word if) then your act of watching is stimulating the pleasure center of your brain. Now this process is not passive. Anything that one does repetitively trains the brain. In this example the brain is trained to respond to the visual stimulation. The way to un-train the brain is to either withdraw the stimulation and/or to substitute other stimulation for the first.

Withdrawing the stimulation can be done by waiting before you "give in" to your addiction. If you want a "hit", wait an hour. The desire may lessen or go away completely. The key is to continually increase the time between the onset of the desire and the satisfaction of the desire. Smokers who want to quit slowly increase the time between cigarettes. This is a weaning process for the brain.

Substituting other stimulation for the first is also effective. However one needs to properly pair the substitution stimulus to the addictive stimulus. Exercise works as a counteraction to many addictive stimuli.

Combine this advice with your regular prayer. If necessary get professional help. A life lived in shame is not a good one.

[O'Dannyboy]

Hi Everyone,

Right now i am having a very difficult time in my life. I am struggling with an addiction that i cannot kick and it is really taking a toll on me. It isn't a physical addiction like drugs or alcohol, but more a psychological addiction. I believe in the Lord and I believe everything that is written in the Bible. I want to please the Lord and do what he wants me to do in my life. Yet I always let temptation get the best of me with this addiction. I believe I am saved, but am not sure. I believe in the Lord and I believe that he sent Jesus to die on the cross for my sins. I also have asked the Lord for forgiveness many times. But my preacher tells that if you don't feel a change in your life from your sinful ways then you might not really be saved..I am very confused. When I am at church i get this amazing feeling like the Holy Spirit is in me..but when i am not there i don't feel it. I am just very worried and want to be sure i am saved.

I want so badly to get rid of this addiction. I pray about it and feel so guilty when I let it get the best of me. I always feel that i have let God down. I want to stop and i know the only way i can do it is with God's help. But i pray about it and still i let it get the best of me and give in to the temptation. That is why i am confused about my salvation. I mean, shouldn't i be able to give it up easily since i am saved? Or does the fact that i can't give it up make my salvation questionable..Someone please give me some advice and guidance..I am so desperate and sad about this..I would greatly appreciate anybody..thank you and God Bless

I know exactly where your coming from. It was my addictions as well that led me to ask God for help. Perhaps you are asking God the wrong question. Instead of asking God to free you from your addictions you should ask him to save you from...yourself. We are, in fact, our own worst enemies. Being sinful creatures we cannot even trust ourselves to do what is right. There is but one in whom we can trust to do what is best for us 100% of the time. Only once we have realized this do we find the willingness, even desire, to submit to his will.

[Trusting Jesus]

When we accept Christ we are covered by His blood. Does that mean that we are perfect in ourselves? No, it means that we are perfected by His blood. It isn't that we no longer sin, but that our sins are forgiven. Does that mean it is OK to keep on sinning? No it doesn't. You have an addiction which means there is a sin that you keep repeating over and over. Since you are aware that you continue to sin in this area I am sure that the Holy Spirit is convicting you. When you are tempted to give in to this addiction, choose to do something else....pray, pick up your Bible and read, call a Christian friend and chat or go out for some dessert. As Christians we aren't perfect, just forgiven. Our strength in in Christ and you need to keep looking to Him for help.

<>< ><>

Nathele

[Fez]

Relax, you are going through a season that many of us have been through in our walk, and it is a walk. Doubts will creep in from time to time, and sometimes you will feel far away from Him.

The very fact that you are concerned about your feelings is an excellent sign. Jesus knows your heart, He knows you love Him, and He knows that sometimes we try to push the plow, instead of putting on His light yoke and allowing Him to lead us.

Keep going to church, get involved in a home group if you are already not, and concentrate on prayer.

Satan loves a doubting believer, it gives him something to work with. But I sense your love of Jesus in your post, and Jesus knows you by name!

This will pass, and you will be the stronger for it. It is something to really look forward to, because you will be the stronger if you persevere, I can promise

Go to this passage of scripture when you doubt, and memorise it. Say it over and over to yourself when you feel far from Him.

Rom 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Rom 5:2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Rom 5:3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,

Rom 5:4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,

Rom 5:5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

[Rick-Parker]

Fruit of the Spirit is proof of salvation. Fruit never matures overnight. It starts out as a small bud and matures to full size, able to reproduce, after a period of time. Being able to overcome the power of sin only comes with maturity in Christ and God's word. Trust what His Word says is true, and all will be revealed to you; in God's time.

[Miss Elly]

Hi friend. Do not ever tell yourself you are not saved because you are. Satan wants you to be confused. Here's his gameplan:

1) Tell you do not belong to Jesus because you may not "feel" anything when you leave the church. He knows he is lying to you.

2) Bringing strong condemnation your way because of your struggles with your addition.

3) Causing confusion and doubt.

4) Anything else evil he can think of to cause you to forsake your heritage with the Lord.

Your gameplan attack strategy:

1) Tell him he is a liar, that Jesus does love you no matter what and he wants you to be free

2) Tell him that God is for you, not against you. Tormenting condemnation does not come from God.

3) Confess with your mouth that you have complete victory over this thing, whether you do or not at that moment. It is coming!!!!

4) Confess Jesus is Lord, he is strong and able to make you an overcomer.

[georgedrw81]

Fruit of the Spirit is proof of salvation. Fruit never matures overnight. It starts out as a small bud and matures to full size, able to reproduce, after a period of time. Being able to overcome the power of sin only comes with maturity in Christ and God's word. Thrust what His Word says is true, and all will be revealed to you; in God's time.

Right

[e lansing]

Hi Everyone,

Right now i am having a very difficult time in my life. I am struggling with an addiction that i cannot kick and it is really taking a toll on me. It isn't a physical addiction like drugs or alcohol, but more a psychological addiction. I believe in the Lord and I believe everything that is written in the Bible. I want to please the Lord and do what he wants me to do in my life. Yet I always let temptation get the best of me with this addiction. I believe I am saved, but am not sure. I believe in the Lord and I believe that he sent Jesus to die on the cross for my sins. I also have asked the Lord for forgiveness many times. But my preacher tells that if you don't feel a change in your life from your sinful ways then you might not really be saved..I am very confused. When I am at church i get this amazing feeling like the Holy Spirit is in me..but when i am not there i don't feel it. I am just very worried and want to be sure i am saved.

I want so badly to get rid of this addiction. I pray about it and feel so guilty when I let it get the best of me. I always feel that i have let God down. I want to stop and i know the only way i can do it is with God's help. But i pray about it and still i let it get the best of me and give in to the temptation. That is why i am confused about my salvation. I mean, shouldn't i be able to give it up easily since i am saved? Or does the fact that i can't give it up make my salvation questionable..Someone please give me some advice and guidance..I am so desperate and sad about this..I would greatly appreciate anybody..thank you and God Bless

Hey friend i just prayed for you!

In the book of James 1:14 it tells us that temptation comes from the inside. Ask your self do i still desire those thing from my past? Be honest, if you said yes take it to the Lord and confess it, you will never suprise God. It will take time and you will over come, faithfulness always pays off. If there are prople or things or places that hinder you stay away from them, this will show the Lord that you really want victory. If you dont have a Gods promise book get one and learn to speak Gods word that pertain to you as a Christian and your mind. The point in doing this is found in Psalms 119:11 and Romans 12:2. this will help with your spiritual transformation and in time produce a new mind set and a new mind set will produce new habbits and new habbits will propel you into a nwe place in life!

FEELINGS!!! they will lie to 90% of the time! friend christianity has little to do with feelings. however what we tend to focus on can often have feeling with it. if you spend a lot of time focusing on you and how you feel your christian experince will amount to how you feel and what happens when you dont feel like doin christian things like prayer, bible study, church ect.? i serve God because i want to not because i have to and some times i dont feel like it, and its ok because what i do matters more then how i feel. do you understand repentence? it so important to understand this. it helps us with our perspective in our relationship with Jesus and to know Him as King.

Your salvation, well this has to do with that repentence thing, do some home work on repentence. Let me encourage you with one other thing. The fact that you even care about your relationship with Jesus lets me know that you are on the right path. You are a wimmer because you are a child of the King!!

e lansing