MY PRAYER REQUEST IS MULTI-FACETED. THE THINGS THAT ARE ON MY HEART TO ASK FOR ARE:
1. MY WIFE - SHE IS THE MOST WONDERFUL PERSON I HAVE EVER HAD THE PLEASURE TO KNOW. BUT, I HAVE MADE HER LIFE SO MUCH HARDER BECAUSE OF MY ISSUES WITH MASTURBATION. SHE HAS STOOD STRONG FOR THE ENTIRE THREE YEARS OF MARRIAGE, BUT I JUST WOULD LIKE IF YOU ALL JOINED WITH ME IN PRAYING FOR HER STRENGTH. IT SAYS IN THE WORD, "THSOE WHO SOW IN TEARS, WILL WEEP IN JOY." THAT VERSE GIVES ME PEACE! PRAISE GOD!
2. THAT RIGHTEOUSNESS WILL BE MY STANDARD AND THAT I WILL DO NOTHING THAT IS BENEATH MY STANDARD. AND I PRAY THAT I CAN PURSUE GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR HIS GLORY AND NOT MY OWN.
3. MY STRUGGLE WITH MASTURBATION. I USED TO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM WITH VIEWING PORNOGRAPHY. PRAISE GOD, HE AND I HAVE PUT A STOP TO THAT. I AM STILL TEMPTED FROM TIME TO TIME, BUT I AM NOT CHASING THAT DISGUSTING SIN. ANYWAY, I KNOW IN MY HEART THAT MASTURBATION IS SINFUL! IT IS SINFUL, DUE TO THE LUSTFUL THOUGHTS THAT ARE NECESSARY, AS WELL AS THE FACT THAT I BELONG TO MY WIFE AND SHE DOESN'T LIKE IT. IN FACT, SHE IS VERY, VERY HURT BY IT. AND SHE HAS BEEN HURT BY IT FOR OUR ENTIRE RELATIONSHIP.
4. TAKING MYSELF OF THE "THRONE" OF MY LIFE - I AM NATURALLY VERY INSECURE. I DO A DECENT JOB OF HIDING IT WITH MY HUMOR AND PRETENDING TO BE CONFIDENT. THROUGH PRAYER, I REALIZE THAT I MAY BE INSECURE, BUT I AM INCREDIBLY SELFISH AND SELF-CENTERED RIGHT NOW. I HAVE, IN ESSENCE, TAKEN GOD OFF THE THRONE AND REPLACED HIM WITH ME. PLEASE JOIN ME AND PRAY THAT I WILL PUT GOD BACK IN HIS RIGHTFUL PLACE: ON THE THRONE OF MY LIFE.
5. HUMILITY - I WANT TO BE HUMBLE, ESPECIALLY IN THE SIGHT OF GOD. BUT, I WANT TO EVEN BE HUMBLE IN THE PRESENCE OF OTHERS--FOCUSSING MORE ON LOVING THEM AND SHOWING THEM THE LOVE OF CHRIST, THAN ON PUFFING MYSELF IN THEIR EYES.
6. MORE OF A SERVANT'S HEART - I ASK YOU TO JOINT ME IN PRAYER THAT I CAN HAVE MROE OF A SERVANT'S HEART. I UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO SERVE. I JUST DON'T ENJOY IT VERY MUCH. I PRAY THAT I WILL ENJOY IT MORE. BUT, MORE IMPORTANTLY, THAT I WILL SERVE BECAUSE IT IS WHAT GOD INSTRUCTS ME TO DO.
THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE THINGS THAT I AM REQUESTING PRAYER FOR. I AM OVER-JOYED AT THE THOUGHT AND KNOWLEDGE THAT GOD IS MORE THAN CAPABLE OF HEARING MY PRAYER AND LEADING ME THROUGH THE SIN "WHICH SO EASILY ENTANGLES [ME]."
