Hey OP, please define
"demons and bad spirits from within"... Are you being literal, or is there something you haven't shared ? Also, what's your prayer life like ?
Prayer is done collectively to "our Father in heaven":
"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Mt. 18:20)
The gift of the HS:
"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things..." (Jn. 14:26)
@Reborn1977 has some interesting points, about
sane and generational sin. But the prayer advice is quite a broad scattershot of details.
We're taught to pray tersely per the Lord' Prayer prescribed
specifically for us in Matthew 6 since our Father in heaven knows our every need
before we ask.
In general,
repentance as a concept is simply
turning, to change one's heart, mind, and behaviour
towards God and his righteousness. To turn around, from wrong to right (see Don Stewart's article,
What Is Repentance?), and by the sounds of your other posts it looks like you've (sort of) already started doing so.
However, on the other hand judging by your flirtatious writings I would guess that you've perhaps got a big mouth, self-control issues, and impulsivity issues in general. Would that be fair ?
You've mentioned asceticism / self-control before, and the Lord in Matthew 5, presents an ascetic principle, relating to our earlier discussion:
"Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell." (Mt. 5:28-30,
Bible Gateway passage: Matthew 5 - King James Version)
To 'cut off' areas that cause you to sin, areas the Devil may be at work at. --
'The spirit is strong but the flesh is weak.'
This may very well be a
literal self-control (self-dismemberment), but myself and others prefer to think that the Lord is speaking
figuratively.
(Please do not dismember or maim yourself)
In personally practice, I simply
avoid certain places, activities, workplaces, groups, situations, and certain churches altogether. I try to eat minimally and sleep sufficiently, prioritising Scripture as often as I can.
E.g. I used to be good at athletics and love running but I
cannot run at certain waterfront areas in Sydney because of the kind of young ladies who go there, and the uncomfortable image of someone in skimpy clothing in front me for 3-7 kms tends to get burnt into my memory...
I've also quit the gym for similar reasons (see history of gymnasiums in Ancient Greece, training nude, orgies, etc) since the women I know tend to wear full make-up, flirt, and stare while you just want to train, pump out a final set, eat, and leave. Most the staff, trainers, and pros I know have similar issues at gyms. In general I also find that too much muscle disturbs sleep and hormone balance, so I avoid muscles. Instead I do calisthenics and cycle locally, then pouring my energy into studying Scripture, reading theology, church history, learning languages, etc. More intellectual and spirtual pursuits, less physical.
"Physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things" (1 Tim. 4:8)
Here in Australia office workers tend to binge drink, and some employers encourage this behaviour, so for several years I detested alcohol and stopped drinking altogether. I stopped frequenting city bars, especially after work, special parties, functions, etc. I cut out large social groups and networks this way, for the better I believe.
A fellow brother mentioned to me once that he doesn't allow women into his car, in particular the passenger seat, where a lot of problems start, extra-marital affairs, emotional affairs, etc, innocently after 'giving someone a lift home'. I've found his advice helpful. I also ride a motorcycle and bicycle and take public transport, further limiting this issue. -- While these are of course temporary fixes, for the most part it
has worked.
The dilemma however being a single person is that I've avoided and rejected several female friends, probably too abruptly, impolitely and rudely, without explanation etc, even when they're nice people, so yeah, that's something you need to decide for your self. For me, I've got enough problems, loss of salvation is a real possibility if I'm not careful.
"Let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil." (Mt. 5:37)
