When tempted, and when preparing for temptation, we should practice mindfulness. Instead of thinking, “I want this,” we should think about the whole experience. The whole experience includes:
#1 Destruction: Consider Googling/studying, “Verses destruction,” and “Verses destroy.”
#2 Loss of contentment. Consider rating how important your loss of contentment is.
#3 Loss of peace. Consider rating how important your loss of peace is.
#4 A decrease in our ability to have great relationships.
#5 A loss of Joy.
#6 Decreasing faith.
#7 An inability to find full purpose.
#8 An increasing space between us and God
#9 Becoming dead inside. Losing the ability to enjoy other things.
#10 List your top three losses that are part of the experience.
Rate your top three “losses” that are part of falling. Now go to war this week with researching new ways to fight back. Let’s say that a “Loss of contentment” is one of your top three. With this information you could plan to pray:
“Father, take away this spirit of drinking/drugs, and help me to be content.”
You can pray this prayer 500 times this week if you have identified, “Loss of contentment” as a key loss for you.
Second, consider taking your top 3 losses and changing a few words in that prayer until it fits your exact situation. Then repeat it (With full sincerity) until you know it.
Third, when I fell I hated the darkness and felt so separated from God. Late in my addiction, I would think when tempted: “This will ruin my week. This will cause destruction. This will take away my favorite thing, “Praying at night before I go to sleep.” Then… I would fall and later feel really dumb.
Fourth, if you really add up all the bad things… They are way worse than the sinful thing was fun (Short-term fun with added destruction).
Fifth, we need to put all of the bad things in the spotlight before temptation. We need to know them inside and out. We need to think about them and pray about them.
Today, consider rating the “losses” that are part of the experience. Then think about them, pray, and use them to plan a more effective way to fight.
.
