Nothing feels more hypocritical than approaching God in prayer after falling for lust.

Guilt, shame, condemnation and hopelessness. I felt that too many times. It is a terrible feeling, but at the same time, it is misleading. You shouldn't listen to its reasoning.

Your freedom from lust depends on it.

Let me explain why.

Guilt Tells You You Don’t Deserve Him

Guilt produces shame, and shame brings a desire to withdraw. When you feel ashamed, you feel like you are not worthy of a deep and meaningful connection with someone. Especially with someone who is as holy as God!

God knows everything. He knows you messed up, and He knew you would mess it up long before you did. If your heart desires to overcome lust, there is no reason for you to draw away from God. You seek what He wants you to walk in!

Your freedom is found in Him.

Jesus died while we were still sinners to show us the extent of His love.

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8, ESV)

Feeling that you don't deserve Him is just a feeling. Don't accept it or act according to it. Jesus has paid for your deserving rights because you could never do enough to earn them. Embrace Him and receive freedom and don't give up pursuing freedom from lust.

Your Belief in the Seriousness of Sin Scare You Away From God

Although we will have to give an account for every word and deed when we face God, there is a powerful principle of repentance.

Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. (Ezekiel 18:27, ESV)

There is a clear cut from the past. It's not about how much you've fallen, but it's more about how you finish. We can fall and never stand up again. That is a defeat. But if you fall, you know you've fallen, and you pursue God in your way.

Instead of loving sin, you are in a place of repentance. Your heart is a repentant heart that seeks righteousness, even though your body struggles with lust. Also, remember, pornography is not a bad habit, it's an addiction. Addiction is much harder to break than just a bad habit because your brain has been hijacked.

Be serious about sin, but don't allow that to keep you from pursuing God, who is ready to forgive and receive a repentant heart.

You Can’t Approach God Before Cleaning Yourself Up

Have you ever taken a wet wipe and wiped your body before taking a shower?

Probably not, because that's the shower's job, to clean you.

You don't have to prepare yourself for a shower. The same is true with God and forgiveness. He said that even our righteous deeds, what we think our righteous deeds were, were as filthy rags.

We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. (Isaiah 64:6, ESV)

He knows we are dirty. He knows we don't deserve His love, forgiveness, and righteousness. And that's why Jesus had to come and pay for it.

We had no hope and no ability to do it on our strength. We were like fish, unable to run a marathon. Don't worry, Jesus ran the marathon to get the medal for you.

You don't have to clean yourself up before you approach God, because He's the one who cleans you with His Word, with His grace, love, and forgiveness.

Last Thoughts

For as long as we live in this fallen flesh, we will have the battle between flesh and spirit.

It's a sign of God's work in you because if you were so far, you would never feel bad for the wrong things you did. You feel bad because you know you failed His perfect standard. But Jesus fulfilled the standard so you can approach God. It honors when we believe what Jesus did.

Let us leave behind our works and our feelings, and pursue God, standing in faith of the finished work of the cross.

Thank you for taking the time to read this! It means a lot to me!

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