I need prayers

[The Last Bard]

I'm just lost right now. I've messed up my life pretty bad and I still can't get it turned around no matter what I do.
I really don't know...It's not an easy thing to talk about but I'd like to talk someone if they're willing.

[Jasdero]

You're trying to get your life changed, and that's what matters. I can't say that I can give much advice, or even that much comfort, really. But I'm willing to listen to someone who wants and needs to talk. ^__^

[holysoldier5000]

I have recently been dealing with the topic of 'guilt and discouragement' in my youth ministry and I have done a great deal of research into the matter. I thought I would share my research with you, hoping that it may prove to be a blessing to you as well as be a positive encouragement.

The Breastplate of Righteousness

Jesus said the devil is a liar and a murderer whose aim is to destroy, to wreck, to distort and pervert human life. But, this need not be. God gives us the very passage we are to implore as an adequate defense against the wiles of the devil. We are urged and encouraged to use it. "Be strong in the Lord," the apostle says, "and in the strength of his might," (Ephesians 6:10). It is possible to stand; it is possible to overcome. This word is very encouraging to us. But that alone is not enough. That tells us there is an answer but it does not tell us exactly what it is. Our question always is, "How do you do this?" How, exactly, do you become, "strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might?" The answer is, "Put on the whole armor of God," (Ephesians 6:11). Paul says,

Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace; above all taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:14-17)

Now look at the second piece of armor, the breastplate of righteousness: Have you put that on? "Having put on the breastplate of righteousness" -- what does that mean? Well, that is Christ as the ground of your righteous standing before God, your acceptance before him. If you have that on you can rest secure that your heart, your emotions, are securely guarded and adequately protected against attack. This is perhaps the most frequent ground of attack against Christian faith. Christians, by one means or another, through one circumstance or another, often feel they lack assurance. They feel unworthy of God. They feel they are a failure in the Christian life and that God, therefore, is certain to reject them, that he is no longer interested in them. They are so aware of their failures and shortcomings. Growth has been so slow. The first joy of faith has faded, and they feel God is angry with them or that he is distant, far off somewhere. There is a constant sense of guilt. Their conscience is always stabbing them, making them unhappy, miserable. They feel God blames them. This is simply a satanic attack, a means of opposing and destroying what God intends to do.

How do you answer an attack like this? You are to remember that you have put on the breastplate of righteousness. In other words, you do not stand on your own merits. You never did. You never had anything worthwhile in yourself to offer to God. You gave all that up when you came to Christ. You quit trying to be good enough to please God. You came on his merits. You came on the ground of his imputed righteousness -- that which he gives to you. You began your Christian life like that and there is no change now. You are still on that basis.

This is why Paul begins his great eighth chapter to the Romans with the words, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus," (Romans 8:1). No condemnation! You are believing a lie when you believe that God is angry with you and that he rejects you. Remember, you stand on Christ's merits, "accepted in the Beloved," (Ephesians 1:6). Further on in that chapter he asks, "Who can accuse us?" (Romans 8:33). It is God who justifies. Christ, who died for us, is the only one who has the right to accuse us, and he loves us. Therefore there is no separation. "Who can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus?" (Romans 8:35). Who can do this?

Now this does not mean that God puts his hand on the things we know are wrong in our lives and says, "Oh, well, these things do not matter. Don't worry about these." Of course not. But it means he sees them, and he says, "Oh, yes, but he hasn't learned yet all that I intend to teach him." And he deals with us as a father, in love and patient discipline -- as a father, not as a judge.

See how the Apostle Paul himself used this breastplate of righteousness when he was under pressure to be discouraged and defeated. Have you ever thought of the struggles he personally had in this realm? Here was a man who was small of stature, unimpressive, in his personal appearance. In fact, there is very good evidence to indicate that he was even repulsive to many. He had a disfiguring physical ailment which made him unpleasant to look at. The last thing he had was what is called a commanding presence. His background was anti-Christian and he could never get away from that completely. He had been the most hostile, brutal persecutor of the church they had known. He must constantly have run across families with loved ones whom he had put to death. He was often reminded by many people that he was not one of the original twelve apostles, that his calling was suspect, that perhaps he really was not an apostle at all. Writing to the Corinthians about these very matters, he says of himself in Chapter 15, "I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God," (1 Corinthians 15:9).

What a ground for discouragement! How easy it would have been for him to my to himself, "What's the use? Here I am working my head off, working my fingers to the bone, making tents and trying to preach the gospel to these people, and look at the blessing God has brought them, but they don't care. They hurl recriminations back into my face. Why try anymore?" But that is not what he does. The very next verse says, "By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain," (1 Corinthians 15:10). There he is using the breastplate of righteousness. I don't care, he says, what I have been, I don't defend what I am. I simply say to you, by the grace of God, I am what I am. What I am is what Christ has made me. I'm not standing on my righteousness, I'm standing on his, I am accepted by grace, and my personal situation does not make any difference at all. So his heart was kept from discouragement. He could say, "Sure, all these things are true, but that does not change the fact that I am Christ's man, and I have his power. He is in me and I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," (Philippians 4:13). Thus he reminded himself that when he became a Christian he had put on the breastplate of righteousness and he never allowed himself to be discouraged, for he did not look to himself for anything at all. He looked to Christ.

Have a good and Godly day
God Bless
HS5000

[Syreth]

Hey bro, I added you in my contacts in my msn messenger. Talk to me if you would like. I'm an open ear. I'll be praying for you

[The Last Bard]

Thanks, sorry I haven't gotten back sooner but I've been a little busy lately.
I'll be able to talk more tomorrow.

Thanks again,

Aaron

[The Last Bard]

Great time to write again, huh? 2:00 A.M. (You must love Fridays)

Ok, I've gotten caught up in the temptations of this world and have been struggling for around a year now.
I'm %100 sure that I'm saved, so no need to worry there.
It's just that I'm throwing the best years of my life away. And for what?
I can assure you that's it's not a good trade.

I'm just lost right now because I don't know where to go from here.
I don't know what else to try...I just need to know what I must do!
I'd rather not talk about what it is, so let's just compare it to drugs, ok? Because most temptations can compare to drugs.

Any support or advice would be great guys! And please, keep me in your prayers!

Thanks a lot! And God Bless,
TLB

[Syreth]

Do:

Focus on Jesus
Read, meditate on and memorize the Word of God
Sit at the Lord's feet in worship
Look for ways to serve God
Ask to be filled with the Spirit

Don't:

Focus on your sin
Condemn yourself because you fail
Listen to the lies of the enemy
Become prideful when victory comes
Think that God can't use you

My prayer for you is that you would recieve the power of the Holy Spirit to resist temptation, submitting to God. I pray that you would be covered with His blessings as He works in your life. Be strong and of good courage. Be on the Lord's side and He will give you victory.