Perseverance and Devotionals

strelok0017 · Jun 7, 2012

Hello. The title may be misleading so I'll restate it as best I can. I've been wondering today about some things. I managed to get an idol of video games out of my life totally. It's been tough, mostly because in my weakness I was prone to forget that the Lord is faithful, but now I'm wondering what's next.

I'm having my own little devotional program, for a lack of better term, daily and I have decided to seek the Lord more in prayer but today I have felt strangely exhausted. The closest I can explain this is like trying to get water from a dried up well with a wooden bucket that's leaking.

Something feels wrong with me and I don't know what is it anymore. Games were definitely a huge stumbling block but now that they are out I'm not sure if what was supposed to happen actually happened.

Even sometimes when I'm praying my mind feels like a dried up river bank. There should be water flowing but there ain't any.

Anyway, I just wanted to ask for some advice.

My plan is to seek the Lord, pray diligently and I want to seek wisdom, I really do. I'm loving the book of Proverbs.

What should I do? Any help?

CounselorForChrist · Jun 7, 2012

Your doing good so far. How I stopped gaming (my idol too) was slowly backed off playing and made sure I did things like go to church regardless of any game I felt I "had" to play. Every morning I read devotions and read about three chapters in the bible (nearly finished the NT currently). I spend more times at places like this too. And helping others in real life.

I feel great now, sure sometimes I get a urge to play a game and I do for maybe 30 minutes but I could care less in the end! As it I've been selling my games and by the end of the year I'll get of my 360 possibly. Its all worth it through to have a stronger relationship with Christ!

BFine · Jun 7, 2012

You can act justly, show mercy and walk humbly with God.

I encourage you to learn to manage your time wisely, that's how
other stuff become "idols" in our lives...we failed to set limits
and keep the Lord first.

James 1:27
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

strelok0017 · Jun 8, 2012

@xfreakazoidx
Absolutely true. Those games were the devil in my life. My conscience would keep poking me but for some reason it still does it sometimes. That's why I said I was feeling strange. I promised to God that I would not just get rid of my video games but take them out of the house but my parents managed to mess that up. Their argument was that they gave a lots of money for those games so throwing them to trash is not an option. And what can I do? I'm jobless, just a student unfortunately, so I decided to give those games to them and let them sell it. I'm not sure tho if I'm accountable if those games make someone else addicted now.

@BFine
My goal is, and I hope it's a good one, to seek wisdom daily. I've been going through the book of Proverbs for some time and it's really deep. You can spend an hour on some verses. Humility is also something I lack so I really have a lot to learn.

God bless!

CounselorForChrist · Jun 8, 2012

Their argument was that they gave a lots of money for those games so throwing them to trash is not an option. And what can I do? I'm jobless, just a student unfortunately, so I decided to give those games to them and let them sell it.

Yeah my mom had that view where as my dad said throw them away. In the end I sold some and gave some to friends so they could use them. I still have a few games left and my system. I may keep it for those rare occasions of a quick game session or because 360 also has other things like Netflix to use.

I'm not sure tho if I'm accountable if those games make someone else addicted now.

Nah, whoever gets them next is accountable for their own actions.

My goal is, and I hope it's a good one, to seek wisdom daily. I've been going through the book of Proverbs for some time and it's really deep. You can spend an hour on some verses. Humility is also something I lack so I really have a lot to learn.

Thats a great goal. I always look for some wisdom in my devotions and my bible reading. Even after I finished the NT I will read it again and again like I did as a child. God always applies what you read to something usually going on in your life.

strelok0017 · Jun 8, 2012

Well I'm sort of working on my own devotion program. I read a chapter of Proverbs and write notes. If a verse isn't clear enough then I check on multiple Bible versions (KJV, ESV and my native language Bible) for clarification and sometimes I even write down the verse because I notice stuff better if I write them down myself. I also check commentaries and sometimes even find a sermon on something that I don't understand too well. So far, the book of Proverbs has provided me with great insight. It totally gives a new view on the entire Bible and all that Jesus said. Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are gold.

gideon123 · Jun 8, 2012

dear strelok

well that's a remarkable coincidence

this week I just said to myself ... "why don't you try the online devotionals again. and my new rule is - i will read this each day before going to any discussion forum!"

So i found this list of devotionals, and there are actually some quite good teachers. you might want to give it a try.

Daily Devotionals and Bible Devotions, Free Online, Christian Study

good luck!
hope it works for you.
gideon123

strelok0017 · Jun 8, 2012

Thanks.

I'm loving my devotions. I never thought I'd come this far because I started really poorly but my next objective is, I think, to strive and pray that God makes my devotions fruitful. I don't want to just be in them intellectually but entirely engaged and apply what I learn and of course be able to filter out mistakes in my Bible study.

goldengirl34 · Jun 8, 2012

I applaud you its not easy to kick out a bad habit.I think your at atransition.Your aim is to kick out an idol(games) and replace it with another idol God.So you've kicked out that idol and yiur in the process of replacing it with God.Thats why you feel so empty.Because your heart knows there is a voud.IT is an on going process.It is not a one day affair.While your heard has come to terms with the change your heart has not.So now grace comes in.To help you retain your self control.For ones heart needs to luv but what it loves might not be the best for it.So keep praying.Its not easy i knw.

strelok0017 · Jun 9, 2012

To be honest it was sort of easy. I believe God worked in me. I'm quite convinced that all those "It's gonna be hard." thoughts were nothing but a bunch of lies from the pits of hell.

I'm wondering tho, how can we make sure that our devotionals are fruitful? Because if I only managed to apply 10 percent of what I learned from the book of Proverbs I'd be a super-saint and obviously I'm not. Any clues?

Ark100 · Jun 9, 2012

Do you have the infilling of the Holy Spirit?

StoneWater · Jun 9, 2012

strelok0017 said:
Hello. The title may be misleading so I'll restate it as best I can. I've been wondering today about some things. I managed to get an idol of video games out of my life totally. It's been tough, mostly because in my weakness I was prone to forget that the Lord is faithful, but now I'm wondering what's next.

I'm having my own little devotional program, for a lack of better term, daily and I have decided to seek the Lord more in prayer but today I have felt strangely exhausted. The closest I can explain this is like trying to get water from a dried up well with a wooden bucket that's leaking.

Something feels wrong with me and I don't know what is it anymore. Games were definitely a huge stumbling block but now that they are out I'm not sure if what was supposed to happen actually happened.

Even sometimes when I'm praying my mind feels like a dried up river bank. There should be water flowing but there ain't any.

Anyway, I just wanted to ask for some advice.

My plan is to seek the Lord, pray diligently and I want to seek wisdom, I really do. I'm loving the book of Proverbs.

What should I do? Any help?

Yeah, so, I am not God, but just Fyi... not much into video games... sorry...

strelok0017 · Jun 9, 2012

@Ark100:

Ehm... this is; I'm embarrassed to admit; something I was fearful of until mid April. Right now I've got some stuff left to clean up in my life. I decided to leave those video games to my parents and my brother to do with them whatever they do but that's not the point since that phase of my life is over forever and I never even think about video games anymore; something I thought impossible but by the grace of God that old demon left me.

I'm not sure if I'm Spirit filled. To be honest I have no idea at all.

I am a Christian so I suppose that I am. And I've been sort of scared to ask. Don't ask why because I've got no idea. I heard one preacher talking to a congregation full of worldly people that because of their worldliness if the Spirit of God was present they'd be dead. So I guess that being spirit filled comes after repentance?

I'm embarrassed to admit but this is something I've never worked on or researched. I suppose we are automatically Spirit filled when we get saved.

What should I do?

Perseverance and Devotionals

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