I can just hear some of you saying in your mind; “Come on John … do I really need to be praying for purity every single day?” My short answer is; “Well, yeah!!!” There are many things we do on a daily basis and think nothing about it.
- We breathe everyday … or we die.
- We drink fluids everyday … or in about a week we die.
- We need food regularly … or in about 2 months you go to heaven.
- We need shelter from the elements or the 2 things above are needed more frequently.
Some of you believe that you need to have an orgasm every day but that is not true. In fact, do you even need to have an orgasm at all in order to live? Here’s a theological question I have yet to hear asked; “Did Jesus ever have a nocturnal emission?” Ok, stupid question and I am getting way off subject.
Many times, it is the environment in which you live that determines what you need to do daily to survive. If you are in the desert you are going to need more water more frequently. If you are surviving in the jungle and occasionally having to run for your life from wild animals, you are going to need more food more regularly to keep your strength up.
So, the real question we need to ask before determining how often we need to pray for purity is this;
“In what kind of environment are we living?”
Here is a quick overview of the environment we live in based on Scripture.
1 Peter. 5:8 – “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
Ephesians. 6:12 – “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
James 4:7 – “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
In case you haven’t noticed we live in a “fallen world.” That world has figured out a way to put pornography into the hands of anyone who has a connection to the internet in a matter of moments. So, it is accessible almost anywhere at any time.
Also, there are demonic forces in this fallen world who are real and really want to tear your life apart. I currently know a number of men who are experiencing this as their wives have decided to divorce them. Sometimes that is necessary and sometimes not but regardless everyone in that family will be deeply wounded.
Lastly, inside of us is something the Bible calls our flesh or sinful nature. It is rotten to the core, never gets better, always grows worse and will be with us till we die. So, I can say with ALL confidence that we all have;
- An Internal Enemy – our flesh or sinful nature.
- An External Enemy – demonic powers of darkness.
- And – we are behind Enemy lines
So, what should we conclude about our environment? It is dangerous as hell!!! What makes matters worse is that it doesn’t often seem like it until you have become addicted to porn and sex. Now, let me ask you; “Do you really think you need to pray for purity daily?” It would be dumb to not pray for purity daily. You can add to that spending time in God’s Word daily AND be connected to a team of others helping one another … daily.
Monday, I will begin teaching you the 7 prayers that I have found in Scripture that we need to be praying. Three of them are crucial to pray daily … if you want to find the freedom from sexual sin that you so deeply want to find.
Let me leave you with this encouraging thought;
“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)
God has provided all that we need to be able to live a life of purity. He says that clearly in 2 Peter 1:3;
“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”