Struggling with Masturbation

[Centrifuge04]

Hello everyone,
About 2 weeks ago now I was at Centrifuge praising God and thinking maybe this time I will finally not be able to do this sin agian but it happened. Masturbation has took control of me I hate it sooo bad, also porn hurts the problem also. All i'm asking for is some prayer.

 

[songz777]

The best way to begin to nullify the desires, is to simply spend a lot more time with Jesus, the more you pray and worship, the more He fills you with such love that you say I dont want to do it, because what I have now is so precious, I wont exchange this pleasure for it. But you need to stop all food of lust, ie: magizines, films cinema, news papers, hanging arounbd where temptation is, deal with that 1st in Gods power and He will start to break the habit, it may be never totally broken beacsue we all have weak moments, but the definate addiction can be dealt with..Bless u john

 

[pamincincy]

I am going to pray for you.
Posting lets me know you keep the faith.
As one learning about sin and love and the difference, it is a process.
Thinking there will be no pain leads to even more pain.
If you are having difficulty, this may be a necessary part.
We also tend to put unrealistic expectations on ourselves; then we fail.
At times we do not even see the good we do; it leads to doing things that make us unhappy or to belittle the gifts of God. It is all a part of Satan trying to control.
Just follow God. He gives great instructions!

 

[FaithfulServant]

I am praying for you, and I also recommend the site http://www.settingcaptivesfree.com/course

That site is It's a 60-day online course that aims to help people get over sexual addictions by turning their focus towards God.

 

[bliz]

First, get rid of the porn!! Dispose of it in the trash where neither you or anyone else can retreive it. If you view on computer, buy a net nanny that will eliminate a great deal of it and have someone else set the password. Do not go to movies or watch videos or TV that will create more of a problem. Have extra time on your hands? Service to others is always a geat choice. Habitat for Humanity, food banks, hospitals, churches... Keep yourself busy and, frankly, tired. Go running or swimming if you need to.

It sounds like you are pretty seriously addicted and that is a problem. You know when and where you do it... change you life to keep you away from those situations and locations as much as possible. Change your room - rearrange it, put up some spiritual posters (www.churchads.com has some great ones!)

Arrange for prayer support. Ask specific people if they will pray for you with a struggle you are facing. You do not need to go into detail or tell them what you are struggling with, just ask them to commit to pray for you. Check in with them from time to time. You can simply say, "I appreciate your prayers for me. I'm still struggling, so don't quit now!"

Having said all of that, there is usually a lively debate going on somewhere on this site about mastrubation and if it is a sin or not. It sounds like it has a hold of you, and that is clearly wrong. Many Bible believing Christians do not think that ocassional mastrubation is a sin. ( I have no doubt that others will soon present their arguments.) but I feel I would be remiss if I did not mention this to you. I am one who feels that countless people feel tremendous guilt and pain and frustration over something they need not feel guilt about. (Remember, I'm talking occasional.)
I am not trying to persuade you to change your mind or encourage anyone to mastrubate, simply to mention that this is an issue about which Christians disagree.

 

[Polycarp1]

Sexual desire in guys peaks in the late teens -- the age when in years gone by you began to seriously consider marriage, but today it needs to be put off until after college and such. Any man who is reading this thread went through pretty much what you're experiencing at about the same age, so we can easily understand.

I want to say nothing in this post that goes against the teachings and belief of your church. But a wise old priest I once knew had a very sound comment that he gave kids concerned about it: "Masturbation is a bad habit. There is a difference betwen succumbing to temptation occasionally when the pressure is too great, and encouraging and gratifying the habit. God made you with a sex drive to seek out and marry a woman; He knew what He was doing when He made you that way. So don't feel inordinately guilty about feeling what He created you to feel. Just exercise healthy self-discipline, and be merciful to yourself when you occasionally give in and get sexual release."

 

[bnkessler]

Like everyone else said, get rid of the porn! Having temptation around you, will not help you in the least. It's like putting alcohol in front of an alcoholic and saying "ok. Don't drink." It ain't gonna work like that! Keep praying to God and trying to read in the bible, as to what he has to say about this. He knows you are doing your best, and he will guide you through it. Best of luck.
Love,
Briana

 

[Laurel Crowned]

Hello everyone,
About 2 weeks ago now I was at Centrifuge praising God and thinking maybe this time I will finally not be able to do this sin agian but it happened. Masturbation has took control of me I hate it sooo bad, also porn hurts the problem also. All i'm asking for is some prayer.

Lord? I ask that you would enable C04, to walk away from the porn. It's got it's claws in him and isn't letting go. Free his mind so that he no longer wants to view the porn. You say in your word to comfort others out of the comfort that we've received from you. Lord? Thank you for freeing me from a porn addiction that started when I was 9. Letting people here on CF know and getting prayer and support from people I trust broke me of this sinful addiction. I still struggle with the porn father... so I understand some of what C04 might be feeling. Let him know that he is not alone. He is not the only one... but you are greater than this struggle and you WILL give him victory.

I pray against feelings of guilt, self-loathing, and condemnation. You would not throw stones at him Jesus. As for guilt? It is a pale shadow of conviction born of the Holy Spirit. Self-loathing? We are to love others as we love ourself. Break any self-loathing in him so that he might be fully filled with your love and the love of friends and family.

Whatever void that exists in his deepest heart of hearts that he is trying to fill with porn and masturbation? Shine your light on that void and then begin to fill it with your spirit.

In Jesus name I pray, Amen and Amen.

Peace to you C04,

LC

 

[DUV]

Hello my Brother.

Heavenly Father,

I come to you in the name of our precious Lord and saviour's name Jesus and I command all porn addictions to go out of my brothers body NOW IN THE NAME OF JESUS OF NAZARETH! Jesus name is above all sickness, addictions and anything else that is not of you Father. We thank you father for setting my brother free, because you are the greatest love we know! Thank you Father because I know that you have answered this prayer. PRAISE GOD!

God Bless you my Brother!
JESUS LOVES YOU!

DUV

 

[CRitabe]

An addiction is an addiction is an addiction. Even though I have not had the same addiction that you have; I have had my struggles with an addictive personality too. In fact, if we look around us, most of the residents in our country are struggling with some addiction or another; be it sugar, food, sex, drugs, alcohol or relationships. To me, the only hope to recover from an addiction, is not to FIGHT it or ignore it or to "give it to God", whatever that means, but to be educated about it.

One of the things that I have found in my own recovery work is that "pulling myself up by my bootstraps" and saying "I will never do this again", "I should be able to beat this myself", etc... does not work. Hiding things, throwing things away, burying the behavior is not going to work; why, because the harder that you push something down "suppress it", the more momentum you give it to resurface. We have to learn to face things and embrace things. Learn why we have the pain, insatiable needs and desires, the emptiness, etc... When we try to bury something, wish it away, etc.. it doesn't go away. It only fuels guilt and shame which causes the addiction cycle to continue.

At one time I thought that all we had to do was "pray" and "be delivered". That, however, did not work for me - not that I don't believe that God has the power to do that if he chooses, but my personal experience is to realize that God usually rescues us by sending us a boat and it is our responsibility to get on it. We have many treatment centers around the country, recovery programs available for every kind of addiction imaginable, and I had to have the courage and willingness to help myself.

I can tell you that I know there is hope. My addiction led me to a total break-down and a 30 day hospitalization 15 years ago. I believed that it was the darkest day of my life, however, I realilze today that it was only me falling down and breaking open so that God could really come into my life and make me whole. God seems to heal from the inside out; not simply removing the problem so that you don't have to do the work. The addictions are in our life to teach us something and we have to get to a place where "the pain of remaining the same is greater than our fear of change". We have to walk in, unfortunately, humble ourselves and say: I need help.

Hope this helps. My prayers are with you. There is help, hope and lots of joy, peace and happiness in the World. Thank God, today, I can live my life without the need to be consumed by addictive thoughts and behavior and life gets sooo much better. We are all created by God to be beautiful creatures: male and female, and God called us good. I'm sorry that there are so many women out there willing to use their bodies for the purposes of creating pornography. Just remember when you look at those women - they have no more respect for themselves than you have for them. They are totally lost and feel valueless and powerless in their lives too. The only way they know power is by controlling men with their bodies.

I've worked in the addictive field for years - if I can help, please feel free to pm me.

 

[Etienne]

I am a girl but I still know what you are going through. Before I was saved in March, I was horrible. But once I was saved, I told myself that I would never do it again. And since that say in March, I have only failed myself and God once. I was very disgusted with myself. But if I can change for the better, I know you will be able to too. I will be praying for you.

 

[Elrond52]

i am also haveing the exact same problem as Centrifuge04

 

[Richard]

Don't you love to see fellow christians helping out others ??? ITS WONDERFUL !!

 

[Richard]

as do I

 

[ChristianMusicDJ]

Hello, people. I myself have struggled with this issue in the past in my life, and I will tell you that it is only by the grace of God and his faithfulness to be my strength when I am weak that I can tell you the good report that I am about to embark upon.

I've been where you are right now before (and where all but one other of my male companions in my youth group are right now) in my life, and let me tell you, Jesus is strong enough to defeat your battle for you, as long as you're willing to let him do it. I just turned 22yrs. old on July 26th, in the sexual pinnacle of my life, yet (again, it is all by the strength God has given me) it has been almost 1 year and 9 months (500+days!!!) that I have given in to masturbation or pornography. You want to know the secret to overcoming sexual lust? THERE IS NONE!

The devil is absolutely relentless with young guys when it comes to sexual impurity (can I see a show of hands if you know what I'm talking about! ). Erego, we as Christianis must be willing to be as equally relentless in our defence of our bodies and minds if we are ever going to conquer this desire. The key to overcoming masturbation (and everything else it entangles) is prayer, prayer, prayer, prayer, prayer, and MORE PRAYER!

Pray to God for deliverance from filthy thoughts the very second they enter your head (literally; it should be a knee-jerk reaction, if it isn't, make it become one!). Then when the thoughts come back 5 minutes later, pray again! When they come back again 3 minutes later, pray again! When they come back 12 minutes later, pray AGAIN! When they come back WHILE YOU'RE STILL PRAYING! KEEP ON PRAYING!!! Ask Jesus for strength over your fleshly indulgences. Ask him for liberation from the thoughts entering into your mind and plaguing you day and night! Come before him in all humbleness admitting that you cannot defeat it yourself (because, frankly, you can't (I know this because I know I STILL CAN'T MYSELF!), and trust in his omnipotence as your shield and sword to the enemies attacks! And above all! Never, never, never, never, NEVER let down your prayer as a counter-attack to sexual impurity. Don't ever think to yourself "Wow, this is working, it's been 3 days and I haven't given it to anyth... *woops*, here's another attack. Well, I've abstained for a bit now, I've got the whole prayer routine down now, I'm stronger than I was before, I can handle this one. Come on, devil. Give me your best shot..."! It's instant death!!! You'll find yourself right back where you started and feeling even more worse about your circumstances and weaknesses than you would have imagined after you've had some success. NEVER STOP PRAYING when temptation captures your heart! And always remember, the rest of the Body Of Christ is in the same boat you are. We're all wretched sinners saved by grace. We don't all have the same sin... (though many of us do), but we are supporting each other nevertheless. You are never alone in your struggles!

I pray (<-- no pun intended) this has been a blessing to you. God Bless you, bro!

 

[SH89]

If you want to stop masturbating think about the pain and suffering Jesus went through for your nasty sins.

 

[APKingBlue19]

I am going through this same problem and will take the advice that everyone has given

 

[bravado]

Please know that you are not alone in your fight. It has ruined my testimony and has made me more reluctant to attend Church for 5 years. Please know that you are forgiven! DON'T BE DISCOURAGED! DON'T LET OTHERS JUDGE YOU. Do your best in life and don't ever let this pull you away from God. Jesus has said that 'there is no sin which you may not overcome'. I'm still overcoming mine as well but you can succeed with God's help!

 

[JoshuaWorth]

I need lots of prayer too I'm going through the same thing and have pretty much given up(on everything).Please pray for me!

 

[VivDaGurl]

Centrifuge04 and the rest out there,

Sexuality is a gift from God and it's not to say that it's something dirty or not. God gave us the desire in performing sexuality activities. So, there's really nothing wrong with it at all but, we have to know how to practice it correctly.

Exposing yourself to masturbation, phonorgraphy, other forms of sexuality such as cyber sex, phone sex, etc. ain't right. God doesn't like it at all but we should pray to ask God to help us through such times. Throwing away the phonorgraphy magazines as described by some of the forumers out there is a definate thing but, we have to have the willpower to change our habits.

We can be praying for you but then again, if your willpower isn't strong enough, you'll fall back into the Satan's trap. You need to corporate with God to have Him help you deal with your problems.

I'll be praying for you...