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Intention

To pledge ourselves to train our eyes and mind, so that we live out a complete commitment to sexual integrity.

Scripture

“But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed should not even be heard of among you, as is proper for saints. Obscene and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks.

“For know and recognise this: Every sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.”

– Ephesians 5:3–5

Reflection

God’s word makes it clear we need to stand strong in the battle for sexual purity. Often the consequences of sexual impurity are difficult to recognise – but they’re there nonetheless. Every lustful glance away from our marriage partner damages the marriage bond.

Most likely, as a Christian, your life is under control. You live a very moral life by most standards. Sure, you struggle here and there, but God’s done some great things with you over the years. And for that, you’re grateful. When you read about a sex addict, you’re grateful that you’ve not sunk to the depths of sexual sin and perversion that have befallen so many and beheaded the ministries of the mighty.

However, there’s probably still a battle within you between pure thoughts and impure ones. To win this battle, you must decide to be God’s person – completely and fully – and not your own (1 Corinthians 6:19–20). You’re sexually pure when no sexual gratification comes from anyone or anything but your spouse. That’s God’s undeniable and unchangeable standard that He expects us all to uphold (Hebrews 13:4).

When we’re living out an incomplete commitment to our spouse, we draw wrongful sexual gratification from two places: the eyes and the mind. Therefore, a successful battle plan must blockade the gratification of these two areas.

We need to nurture healthy, positive, affectionate relationships with our spouses. In other words, we want our hearts to be right. That requires establishing two perimeters of defence with your eyes and mind.

The first perimeter – your eyes – is the outermost defence where the enemy must “keep out”. Job did it. He said, “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman” (Job 31:1). Like Job, you must train your eyes to pull away from objects of lust.

The motivation to do this will come when you’re convinced it’s completely off-limits to look at whatever crosses your visual path – just as it’s completely off-limits to pick up and keep a 10-dollar bill that falls out of someone else’s pocket. The money isn’t yours – and neither is the image that has distracted you. God wants us to leave alone anything that isn’t ours.

The second perimeter – the mind – must be trained to recognise and capture objects of lust. 2 Corinthians 10:5 says, “We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

You must train your mind to take thoughts captive (1 Timothy 4:7). Commit to identifying these impure images and cleanse them out of your mind, letting them go for good. Replace them with memorised Scriptures. Your renewed mind (Romans 12:2) will then take a conscious role in capturing rogue thoughts.

Over time, the mind will wash itself and work naturally for you. In your desire to be pure, your renewed mind will capture your thoughts – before your thoughts capture you.

But none of this will come quickly or easily. Old habits are hard to break. You may even fail miserably in the beginning. Don’t give up. Repent, resubmit your life to God and return to the process of becoming holy and feeling right about yourself.

If you commit and pay the price, you can finally honour God with your whole being.

Video

Prayer

Lord, so often I allow my human nature to override my desire to walk in your ways.

Lift me above my humanity and cause me to live a life of sexual integrity for Your sake, my sake and for the benefit of all those I love and share my life with.

Amen.

Author Bio

Brian Pickering is the National Coordinator of the Australian Prayer Network, Australia’s largest prayer network of around 7000 members from all Christian denominations. One of the main aims of the APN is to see spiritual renewal and revival of the Church, and the spiritual and social transformation of the nation.

Prayer Points and Purpose for October 2024

1. Revival and restoration of sexual integrity to renew the individual, revitalise marriages, restore families and protect children. Hebrews 13:4
2. Revival, repentance and reformation of Australia. 2 Chronicles 7:14
3. Revival, repentance and reformation of America. 2 Chronicles 7:14
4. The Lamb that was slain may receive a reward for His suffering. Revelation 5:12

We invite you to support this prayer campaign by ordering your FREE copy of Break Through: 15 Keys to Supernatural Breakthrough, a book on prayer written by Warwick Marsh. Reading this book will multiply the effectiveness of your prayers. You can make a donation to the Canberra Declaration to help pay it forward and bless someone else to receive a free copy of Break Through.

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