Quit Porn, Live FreeSample

Step 7: Meditate on God’s word

Have you ever walked into a dark room where there was no light and you couldn’t see a thing? Did you start feeling around to grab hold of something that could orient you in the room and give you some reassurance? Next time you find yourself in a dark room, stand there and wait. What will eventually happen is, sure enough, you will start to see and your eyes will adjust. You won’t see as well as if you turned on a light, but your eyes will adjust enough to make sense of where some things in the room are.

We live in a world where often things are not good for us. You could even say that darkness and evil are sometimes celebrated. It can be like we are living in a dark room sometimes and we just let our eyes adjust rather than turn on the light so that we can see. Jesus said in John 8:12, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’ Jesus came into the world so that whoever follows him will NEVER walk in darkness. One of the key ways we get to know Jesus is through the Bible, God’s word.

God’s word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. If we never read God’s word, it will be like walking around in the darkness. His words show us the dark places in our lives and draw us back to the right path. So often when people watch pornography, it is on their own, in secret, alone, and ultimately in darkness. Reading God’s word keeps the truth close to us and in our hearts and it is the number one way God wants to speak to you.

It’s super helpful to have scriptures memorized in your heart and mind, storing them up. Like David said in Psalm 119:11, 'I've stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.' We want to encourage you to have a bunch of Bible verses that you have memorized, to help you stand firm in these challenges and temptations.

Finally, the Bible is full of stories of people who had done the wrong thing, made a mess of their lives, and were living in darkness. The beautiful thing is that when God meets them, they are never met with shame, but with forgiveness, grace, mercy, and a second chance. In the powerful story of the woman at the well (John 4:1-26), Jesus meets and connects with her, treats her with kindness, dignity, and love, and encourages her to walk in freedom. Just like Jesus met that woman, we believe He wants to meet you today, through His Spirit and His word. So pick up your Bible today and walk in the light as He is in the light.

What are the lies that you’ve believed about porn and what truth could counteract that? Some common lies are (truth in brackets):

• In the grand scheme of things, this is pretty harmless (Porn is toxic to me, even a little bit can make me sick) 1 Peter 5:8
• This will be the last time (What you feed grows and what you starve dies)
• I feel tired/angry/stressed/alone etc...so I deserve this (I deserve good self-care, my needs are important) Psalm 23:1-3
• I can’t defeat this, it’s too hard (I can’t do this perfectly, but I can do this) Hebrews 4:16
• I can figure this out without asking for help (I need others to get free. The enemy wants me to stay alone) James 5:16

Question: What Bible verses could you memorize and store in your heart, to help you in times of temptation?