When I was initially in counseling with my pastor, I remember asking him, “How do I stop gorging myself on food during my layovers?” Do you know what he said? “Ask God about it.” At the time, I thought, “What? No, really, how do I stop?”
And yet, I realize now that his statement to me contained the seed of true freedom. All the freedom from habitual sin in my life has come directly in answer to earnest prayer. I would pray, and then God would provide a solution to me that, when implemented, released me from the prison and set me free.
I could offer you a list of things I’ve done to be free, and it might be of some help, but God may be calling you to do something different. We both need “the wisdom from above” (not from below), which is “first of all pure…” (James 3:17), and we only get this by going to God for it and seeing it in His Word.
Suppose we only start a popular exercise program that everyone else is doing or try to adopt a special diet that someone else designed. In that case, we might leave an opportunity to return to overeating. We can be sure the evil one will exploit that weakness until we learn, like King Jehoshaphat, that we studied in lesson five, to go to God and get a plan for victory directly from Him.
Question 1. How is your battle plan going? Does it need adjusting, or is it bearing the fruit of freedom in your life?
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If you developed your battle plan with God and implemented it, then, by now, you should be experiencing victory over gluttony. If you are still stumbling and falling, then your plan needs adjusting. Change it, patch the holes, lock the door! Think of ways to better plan your eating schedule, listen to God about how to eat, and exercise each day. We aren't ignorant of Satan's schemes, so let's thwart His efforts by seeking the Lord and following His plan for our freedom.
Please remember that the Lord's ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). Our natural inclination will be to balk at this prompting from the Holy Spirit. He might tell us to do things that seem impractical, illogical, or unreasonable to us; however, we must remember that God will not call us into foolish or reckless behavior in the area of diet and exercise. It is wise to check with your local health care provider before starting any new exercise or eating plan.
Because of this tendency we all have to lean to our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5) rather than submit to God's Word, I will take the next few lessons to share with you how I learned to pray for freedom.
Right away, I will say that if you do not earnestly seek the Lord for freedom from overeating, you will not receive it. You cannot work your way to freedom through self-effort or logic. Freedom comes through following the Lord as He gives us the plan to win. And we only receive the approach we need as we seek God wholeheartedly in prayer.
Question 2. Have you been praying earnestly for Jesus to set you free? Please share your thoughts.
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