The Mended Rib: A 27-Day Devotional for Men Battling Lust and InfidelitySample

You Can’t Do This Without Prayer

Prayer is one of the most powerful weapons in the battle against temptation. Jesus urged His disciples to pray because He knew temptation would come. Prayer aligns your heart with God's strength, allowing you to resist the pull of the flesh. It connects you with the wisdom and power you need to flee from temptation. The more you make prayer a daily practice, the stronger you become in the face of temptation.

After confessing my secret life to my wife and beginning our healing journey, I realized that prayer couldn’t be something I only did on Sundays or when I wanted something from God. It had to be a daily, intentional act. Every day, I prayed for the strength to get through each moment, asking God to keep His hand on me and not let go until I reflected His character. I would ask for His love to shape my interactions and relationships, guiding me to love others as He loves.

Over time, prayer transformed from something I turned to only in times of crisis into a daily lifeline, my constant source of strength and connection to God. It became my first response, not my last resort. Prayer gave me the power to fight temptation, realigning my heart and mind with God’s will, helping me to grow stronger each day in my walk toward healing and restoration.

Without prayer, I would have continued to rely on my own strength, which always fell short. But in prayer, I found the strength to persevere, to resist, and to keep moving forward.

Challenge

Whenever you feel tempted today, stop and pray. Don’t rely on your own strength; ask God for help in that moment. Make this your first response to temptation.

Prayer

Father, I know that I am weak, but You are strong. When temptation comes, help me to rely on Your strength through prayer and not on my own ability. Amen.