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Day 12: Threefold Cord

Every temptation we face on this side of eternity can be traced to one of three things: the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, or the pride of life. But what exactly is temptation? Temptation is a seduction to do evil in order to ruin you. All sins fall into one or more of the three categories mentioned above.

The Lord Jesus gave us three weapons to use against these temptations in Matthew 6 in His Sermon on the Mount: prayer, giving, and fasting.

1. Prayer fights pride.

Prayerlessness is a result of pride. Often, we think we can make it ourselves without Him and find prayer unnecessary. When we take time to seek God in prayer, we are hitting our pride.

2. Giving crushes greed.

Greed is not acquiring money; it is when money has acquired you. The only cure for greed is giving; you can even try sacrificial giving. It is giving what hurts to give away, not giving your leftovers.

3. Fasting starves lust.

And thirdly, lust is about the cravings of the flesh and the desires of the body. When you fast, you voluntarily deny yourself what your body actually needs, thus preparing the body to be controlled by your spirit. Train the flesh to submit to the spirit through seasons of fasting.

Practice prayer, giving, and fasting to grow stronger spiritually and be victorious against temptations.

Let's Pray:

Heavenly Father, forgive me for the greed and pride in my heart. I ask that You give me a generous heart to help and freely give to those in need. I want to depend on You in everything I do, so please remove any pride I have within me. Give me a love for prayer, giving, and fasting.