Prayers Against Lust are important for Christians seeking to live holy lives free from sexual sin. Lust is a strong desire for something, often of a sexual nature. As Christians, we know that lust can lead us into sinful thoughts and actions that go against God’s plan for sexuality and marriage. Though temptation is inevitable, we can fight against lustful desires through prayer and drawing closer to God. In this post, we’ll explore why prayers against lust are important, provide sample prayers, and offer tips for overcoming lustful temptations.
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Why Pray Against Lust?
The Bible warns us that lust leads to sin. In Matthew 5:28, Jesus said that looking at someone lustfully is equivalent to committing adultery in your heart. Unchecked lust distorts God’s gift of sex and intimacy into something selfish and forbidden outside of marriage. It reduces people made in God’s image into objects for gratification.
Though we may try to justify lustful thoughts as harmless, Christ makes it clear this is not the case. We must take lust seriously and fight it through prayer, Scripture meditation, and fleeing from tempting situations. Praying against lust keeps us mindful of our weakness and dependence on God’s strength to resist temptation.
Bringing lustful thoughts and desires to God reminds us of the purity and faithfulness to which we are called. It aligns our hearts with His standards rather than the world’s. Through grace and the Spirit’s help, prayers against lust empower us to take every thought captive and find freedom from sexual sin.
Sample Prayers Against Lust
Here are some sample prayers to pray when asking God for help in fighting against lust:
- “Lord Jesus, I confess my struggle with lustful thoughts and desires. I acknowledge this is sin, and I repent. Please forgive me and cleanse my heart and mind. When I am tempted, help me to flee from lust and look to you as my satisfaction.”
- “Holy Spirit, empower me to reject lustful thoughts when they enter my mind. Help me to see people as you see them – made in your image, worthy of honor and respect. Strengthen me to bounce my eyes away from tempting sights.”
- “God, replace my lustful desires with passion for you and your Kingdom. Remind me that pursuing holiness is better than fleeting sinful pleasure. Create in me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me.”
- “Lord, guard my eyes and my heart. Help me to avoid situations where my lustful temptations are inflamed. Give me wisdom to set healthy boundaries. When I want to indulge my selfish desires, turn my eyes to Christ.”
- “Heavenly Father, supply me with grace to flee youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace. Help me refrain from sexual immorality and live purely and faithfully.”
Tips for Overcoming Lust
In addition to praying, here are some practical tips for overcoming lust:
- Memorize Scripture – Have key verses like Philippians 4:8, Job 31:1, Ephesians 5:3 readily available to fight lustful thoughts.
- Avoid tempting media – Be wise about what you watch, read, listen to, and browse online. Set filters and boundaries.
- Bounce your eyes – When you encounter a lustful image, immediately divert your eyes elsewhere. Don’t linger or fantasize.
- Flee temptation – Recognize and remove yourself from situations that inflame lust like unhealthy relationships or environments.
- Accountability – Share your struggles with a trusted, mature believer who can pray for you and keep you accountable.
- Take radical action – If necessary, take dramatic steps like getting rid of a smartphone or internet access if it’s causing you to stumble.
- Draw near to God – Spend time daily in prayer and Scripture study. Pursue intimate worship and fellowship with Christ.
- Avoid idleness – Fill free time with wholesome activities. Idleness often leads to wandering thoughts.
- Confess immediately – Bring lustful thoughts into the light quickly through prayer and confession to God. Don’t let sin take root.
Conclusion
Lust is a real and present threat to living a holy life, but we are not helpless or hopeless against it. Through Christ, His Spirit within us, prayer, and practical wisdom, Christians can find victory over lust. Turning to God in prayer at the first hint of temptation keeps our hearts aligned with His, empowers us to reject lust, and enables us to embrace His righteousness. By making prayers against lust part of our daily spiritual habits, we can walk in sexual purity and faithful relationships that honor God.