Week 11 C
Guidelines and Assignments for you
For best results:
Do these assignments on the last 5 days of Week 11 after you’ve read through the material in section A and B
DAY 1
Make a Choice
Make a choice: Are you ready to give up these desires?
Joshua 24:15 (NIV)
But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
We always have a choice: God gave us free will
So think about it for a few minutes, your future depends on it…
If you are not serious and still want to toy around with both the desires of the flesh and the Spirit, the enemy have you on a leash.
Imagine the evil desire in your heart is like a hook you have in your heart. Temptation is a rope that the enemy throws your way, and it only sticks because there is a hook for it to attach onto. So every time you are tempted, you will find it hard, if not impossible, to resist, because of desires in your heart that is not surrendered to God.
So I guess I have to ask if you have had enough of falling for temptation?
Did you have enough of living a fake Christian life with no fruit and no joy?
If you make a decision to start a real relationship with God today you will feel it in your heart.
See, real decisions always prompt real Repentance.
You will start to feel the sorrow for the sin, not for the consequences of sin.
You probably felt sad about being overweight, having no clothes that fit, having bad skin or rotting teeth, or any of the consequences of your sin many times. You might even have lost your health, your marriage, or your kids due to following your own evil desires. Yet, if you are still not ready to give up those evil desires, even this will not necessarily bring you to repentance.
True repentance only comes when we see the true state of our sinful hearts.
If we feel the sadness and pain for being a sinner flood our soul, we have to fall to our knees and beg God to forgive us. Believe me I know!
This kind of forgiveness also bring forth fruit – we change – we don’t go back to the old playing church and pretending, and we want to get rid of our evil desires and we actually take the steps to do it.
So today…
If you know that the reason you’re still stuck in bondage is because you can not let it go of certain desires, then it is time to make a choice.
You are on this site to get free form eating disorders and I will not be honest if I don’t tell you that it is totally and absolutely impossible to break out of food addiction and eating disorders if you still cling to the desire for food, the perfect body, and all the things that keep your eating disorder going.
If you really wish you were at the point to lay down these evil desires, but you honestly are not there yet, then you can ask God to bring you there.
He can bring you to the end of yourself, and it is always easier to give Him the green light to take us there than having to go through “hitting rock bottom” (as it’s known in some circles). God knows how to get you to that place of deep sorrow about your sin and ready for true repentance. So ask today and keep asking Him to change your hard heart and make it soft and receptive to the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
I invite you to join me in this prayer if you experience deep sorrow for your sin and you want the evil desires out of your heart:
Lord, I know I am a sinner. I have given my life to you, but somehow I turned away from You, my first love. I am so sorry for the years of pretending to be okay, yet sinning against you. I am so sorry for not being truthful about my relationship with you all these years. Please forgive me for sinning against you when I really nurtured my evil desires and neglected the desires you placed in my heart.
Please help me from this day forward to starve those evil desires and start living for you, nurturing and caring for my time and relationship with You.
I can not do this without you Lord, please help me. I accept your love and forgiveness.
Amen
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Tip: Please read this post to better understand the difference between true repentance and sorrow for the consequences of sin. Only one of these will bring CHANGE and FREEDOM |
PLEASE STOP! DON’T GO ANY FURTHER TODAY!
To get the most out of this course, please apply it to your life in the bite-size pieces that I recommend. Take AS LONG AS YOU NEED, but be sure to take at least ONE DAY.
DAY 2
Find joy in your walk with God
Psalm 33:18 (AMP)
Behold, the Lord’s eye is upon those who fear Him [who revere and worship Him with awe], who wait for Him and hope in His mercy and loving-kindness
Isaiah 40:31 (AMP)
But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.
From the above Scripture you can see that it is so worth waiting in the presence of God. He can restore your strength, your energy level, your endurance and your joy!
If you’re in such a close relationship with Him you realize that He sees and rewards the little things you do that nobody else even notice, let alone appreciate. He watches you like a caring mother, a very attentive husband, or a true best friend.
Let me ask you something important: Do you ENJOY God’s presence?
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QUESTIONS FOR YOU:
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Please be honest, these questions are not meant to condemn you at all. I’m asking because I’ve been there, and it is a clear indication whether we really enjoy God’s presence or not. It indicates whether we truly believe that in certain situations no human can help, the only answer is to get alone with our God.
Maybe you force yourself to pray and then pretend that you get a lot out of it, or maybe you just avoid His presence because you know that you don’t actually enjoy it that much.
God doesn’t want you to do either: He wants you to have fun in His presence
Have a look at this verse:
Psalm 37:4 (NIV) Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.
You can be honest with Him, you know. If you don’t find any joy in your relationship with God, do you honestly believe that He doesn’t know about it? Believe me, you can have everyone else fooled, but God knows you all too well.
Look at the above verse again: If we delight us in Him, He will give us the desires of our hearts
Now you probably heard this one, but I’m going to say it anyway: Once we enjoy God and fall head-over-heals in love with Him, our desires change! His desires becomes our desires, and we are sure to get the desires that line up with God’s ultimate purpose for our lives.
Some people see it as a form of blackmail: “Oh okay, I guess I will have to do this prayer and Bible thing or I will never get what I want”
They are totally missing the point! Have a look at this verse:
John 15:10 (AMP)
If you keep My commandments [if you continue to obey My instructions], you will abide in My love and live on in it, just as I have obeyed My Father’s commandments and live on in His love.
See how it works?
- If you obey Him because you want to love Him >>
- You start to love and know Him more, because you obeyed Him >>
- The more you love Him the more you enjoy His presence >>
- The more you come into His presence the more you change >>
- The more you change, the more your desires change >>
- You desires for God’s purpose over your life become stronger >>
- You don’t want to be thin, to be perfect, to be rich, and to be famous anymore >>
- You want peace, joy and love and above all you want Him to be glorified in you >>
- And … HE WHO CAN SEE YOUR HEART WILL SURELY GIVE YOU THE DESIRES OF YOUR HEART!
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It once again boils down to one little word – OBEY – just do it even if it doesn’t feel like fun just yet.The REAL fun part doesn’t happen in church, it doesn’t happen at conferences, or youth camps. |
Just you and Him: One you come before the King of all kings, the Creator of the Universe, with your whole heart, out of obedience, and without any ulterior motives something amazing happens. It’s like the heaven starts opening up, you become aware of things you’ve never experienced and something in you changes: It starts as a smile on your lips, then it reaches your eyes and moves down to your heart and it makes you want to cry like a baby and laugh out loud at the same time. Can it be joy? You’re not sure, but you want to come back for more, maybe even tomorrow, just to make sure.
And before you know it you are hooked girl: Hooked on Living Water, hooked on The Bread of Life, hooked on manna from heaven, and totally devoted to the One you now call “Jesus, lover of my soul”.
Come on dearest woman of God, try it out for yourself, there is nothing like truly loving God!
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Tip: I’ve often been asked why some ladies who go through my program break free and others don’t. Please read these very important posts that deals with the issue of OBEDIENCE ONE difference between the FREE and the CAPTIVE Why is it so hard to obey and show-up? |
PLEASE STOP! DON’T GO ANY FURTHER TODAY!
To get the most out of this course, please apply it to your life in the bite-size pieces that I recommend. Take AS LONG AS YOU NEED, but be sure to take at least ONE DAY.
DAY 3
Live by the Spirit
Galatians 5:16(NIV)
So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
2 Corinthians 3:17-18 (NIV)
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect[a] the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
Here it is: clear as crystal. If we live by the Spirit, we will not bend towards the desires of the flesh, and we will actually be changes. So if we want those desires changed into desires that line up with God’s desires, we better start living by the Spirit.
We talked a lot about living by the Spirit. We made some note cards that makes us aware of not grieving the Holy Spirit. We also spoke about keeping the channel of communication open between us and the Holy Spirit by making sure we have forgiven everybody that sinned against us.
Let’s have a look at it one more time:
How do we live by the Spirit?
Ephesians 5:18 (NIV)
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
By asking every day to be filled with the Spirit of God and by listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit as he leads us through our days.
Ho do we get the fruit of the Spirit in our lives?
John 15:5 (AMP)
I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.
Live in Him?
- Sounds like relationship to me
- Sounds like spending time with Him to me
- Sounds like everything we’ve been talking about:) STOP, WAIT, LISTEN, OBEY Him!
If you have a daily ongoing relationship with God you can asked to be filled with the Holy Spirit daily and as a result the fruit of the Spirit will become evident in your life, and you will hear the Spirit’s voice guiding you to shun the evil desires.
Sometimes all we need to resist temptation is:
LOVE
JOY
PEACE
PATIENCE
KINDNESS
GOODNESS
FAITHFULNESS
GENTLENESS
SELF-CONTROL
Self control alone is one of our most powerful weapons against the enemy’s temptations. If we can be in control of our minds, mouths, and bodies, we can also resist those desires that are not of God.
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Here is a very important verse for you note cards: Proverbs 25:28 (NIV)
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The only way to get self control is to “remain connected to the Vine” dear sister!
Obey God by spending time in His presence every day – and be sure to ask the Holy Spirit to fill your whole being.
PLEASE STOP! DON’T GO ANY FURTHER TODAY!
To get the most out of this course, please apply it to your life in the bite-size pieces that I recommend. Take AS LONG AS YOU NEED, but be sure to take at least ONE DAY.
DAY 4
The last frontier: The mind
Prepare your mind for action: be self controlled
Peter 1:13-15 (NIV)
Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;
Romans 8:5 (NIV)
Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
Peter instructs us to prepare our minds for action; to be self controlled and obedient.
If If we Live by the Spirit, as discussed in day 3, we will find the fruit of self control in our lives.
We need the fruit of self control especially when it comes to our minds.
I believe that we have to be extra careful of what we set our minds on. If we can stop certain things from entering our minds in the first place, we can stop the evil desires from reigning in our hearts and so be victorious over temptation.
Take a look at this verse:
2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Be in control of your own mind!
Your thoughts control your feelings
Your feelings control your actions
Your actions shape your life!
Scary…isn’t it?
Let’s have a look at your thought-life for a minute:
Do you still believe the enemy’s lies?
John 8:32(NIV)
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
It is very important that you start using your note cards if you’re still struggling with negative thoughts and believing lies of the enemy. It doesn’t help to only make the note cards – if you want your thoughts to start changing you will actually have to carry it around with you and proclaim the truth of God over your life daily. Start with the truth of God’s Word every morning and meditate on the Word of God throughout the day to counteract the lies of the enemy.
Do you think about other people’s gossip and problems that they dumped on you?
Philippians 4:8 (NIV)
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Refuse to let other people use you as a trashcan to dump their problems. Be selective to whom you talk. Use your answering machine to screen calls and also to put boundaries on your time and privacy. People are not suppose to be able to get a hold of you day and night. If you allow this they will abuse you. Even email – you don’t have to check your emails ten times a day. Do it once a day, ask the Holy Spirit to give you self control in this area and don’t let this master you. If you are talking to people and reading their emails all day long, your mind is not set on Christ and you can get stressed out and depressed. Believe me, this has been a huge lesson for me to learn, in fact I still have to guard against wanting to please people instead of God daily.
Do you constantly think about all your problems and worries?
Only one way to counteract worries and clear our minds: PRAYER
Philippians 4:6 (AMP)
Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition ([a]definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.
Make a list of worries and things that bug you during the day. Refuse to think about it again, tell yourself every time it comes up in your mind: “I will pray about it later, worry accomplishes nothing”
Then make a time before you go to bed at night to pray about all the issues that’s on your lists, lay them at God’s feet and get a peaceful night’s sleep.
Do you think about that perfect body, clothes and appearance you desire?
Isaiah 26:3 (NIV)
You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.
There is not much good in the media today. You will have to make a very definite decision about this. Whatever we take in through our eyes get stuck in our minds. What is stuck in your mind? It might be time to get your eyes off those movies, magazines, TV programs, adds, or strolling through the mall (drooling over things and desiring to look different and dress differently)
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There’s no easy way to say this: If your mind is still attached to any kind of evil desire, you will not be protected against the temptation of the enemy, and you will keep sliding back into eating disorders. You want to be protected – You want to be free – So get that mind under control!
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PLEASE STOP! DON’T GO ANY FURTHER TODAY!
To get the most out of this course, please apply it to your life in the bite-size pieces that I recommend. Take AS LONG AS YOU NEED, but be sure to take at least ONE DAY.
DAY 5
Starve some and feed some
2 Timothy 2:22 (NIV)
Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Colossians 3:5 (NIV)
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
We actually have it in our power to put to death these desires or to flee from them.
I believe the fleeing takes place when we are still in the process of “killing off” some of these desires.
How do we starve evil desires?
You have to literally stop giving these desires food!
What does that mean?
- Starve the desire for lots and lots of food: Stay away from food: including places where food is sold, prepared or served (that includes your kitchen) Also follow a food plan that will teach you to eat food in moderation and lay down all the food you “desire” – Take Shape for Life became such a food plan for me – I had to learn on this plan to be satisfied with only a small amount of food at a time (all my body really needs) and also learn to be satisfied with healthy food that wasn’t necessarily as tasty and rich as what I was used to. It helped so much in removing the “desire for food and lots of it” from my heart.
- Starve the desire to escaping reality : Stay away from mind numbing activities especially when you feel the desire to just “zone out” – It is important for you to identify those times when you just want to numb yourself with certain activities so that you can binge. I still have to be careful about evenings: When I’m tired I always want to sit in front of the TV and eat. I’ve learned through trial and error that what I really need is a bubble bath, a book or Bible study that keeps my mind engaged and set on God, and going to be early. Going for a walk or to the gym has also proved to be a much better choice than the TV or computer.
- Starve the desire for control: Surrender control of your life to God every day on purpose, early in the morning, and during the day as many times as you have to. Finding a quiet time with Him is the first step in learning to surrender. Remember it’s a simple process of WAIT, LISTEN, and OBEY.
- Surrender your desire for a perfect body: Stop watching shows and buy magazines that makes you discontent with your body
- Starve you desire to be perfect and keep everyone happy: Avoid places and people where you tend to please others instead of being truthful. This could be certain famous friends’ party or having people of “position” over to your house: STOP
- Starve your desire to portray the perfect image: Have people over to a messy house with normal kids who all eat normal food
- Starve the desire to control others: Leave everybody else alone and take care of you
- Repent from other “evil desires” that have latched onto the Eating Disorder: “Misery loves company”God knows about those, you can’t hide it. It is time to starve those too.
Do you have other desires that is impure and ungodly? What do you need to remove or put in place to starve these desires?
As long as the desires of the flesh still gets fed every day, chances are that they will stay the strongest and will always reign over your spiritual desires. We live in Satan’s kingdom here on earth. Just look around you; the sin, perversity, immorality, and violence are getting worse by the day. We can’t be somewhere in the middle with this. If there is ever a place where you want to be radical then it is in chasing and keeping evil out of your house, your mind, and your desires.
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Would you ask the Holy Spirit in the coming weeks to help you:
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Scripture quotations are from the following versions with corresponding abbreviations:
AMP= THE AMPLIFIED BIBLE, EXPANDED EDITION. Old Testament copyright © 1965, 1987 by the Zondervan Corporation. The Amplified New Testament copyright © 1958, 1987 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Words in brackets [ ] and parentheses ( ) are those of The Amplified Bible translators, not the author.
NIV= Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
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