Finding Your Fighters: How to Strategically Find Community During Porn AddictionНамуна

Who should you confess to?

God gives us clear instructions on what should follow the confession: prayer.

This answers not only the “how” of confession, but also the “who.” Confession should be between believers who can lovingly pray to our Father after the confession is made. Confessing to non-believers, even if they are your best friend or sibling or mother, can often leave you feeling unheard, confused, and isolated simply because their beliefs are different from what we are taught in God’s Word. We also wouldn’t recommend confessing to someone of the opposite sex, unless it is your husband, a Christian man with whom you are intentionally pursuing marriage, or a church leader.

This verse also answers the big “why” of confession. What was God’s original purpose for confession? Healing. Oh, how the enemy has twisted this!

What lies have you heard the enemy whisper to you regarding confession? "They won't want to be my friend anymore." "They'll think I'm a hypocrite." "I am the only girl struggling with this." "They'll gossip about me to others." "They'll leave me."

Do any of these sound familiar? The enemy is not creative. He just does what works. Chances are, every one of you reading this has heard at least one of these lies. It's because he knows you have fighters out there who will draw you out of isolation and love you like Jesus does, and he sure as heck doesn't want you finding those people.

Remember that this person you confess to will have sins of her own. Vulnerability often leads to vulnerability. Be prepared to meet her with as much grace and understanding that she extends to you if she ends up confessing something herself.

In Christ, you are righteous! Take this time to pray over confession. Pray that God redeems the word itself so that you no longer fear it. Pray that God puts a person or people in your life that will meet you with grace and love and understanding. Pray that He will push you to take that first scary step to confess your sins so that you may pray and be healed.

• Take a moment to think about the godly women in your life. Write down at least 5 names God places on your heart, and think about why you would share with them. Write down the things about them that make you feel safe. Keep this list and pray over it until you're ready to be vulnerable with one of them.
• Choose one of the ladies above. How do you think she would react if you confessed your sins to her? What leads you to believe she would react this way? (Good or bad!)
• Do you believe that you have been made righteous through faith? How have you noticed the enemy trying to convince you otherwise?

You’ve gotten to the end of this devotional! How do you feel? The enemy is probably working hard to convince you that you are dirty, that people will treat you differently, that you are a hypocrite, among so many other lies. Don’t listen to him! We hope that this devotional has reminded you of God’s purpose for community and confession. We hope that you have more faith in your beautiful sisters in Christ and maybe even feel comfortable enough to reach out to one of them today with a simple text message that says, “Hey, I need to tell you something.”

This plan was adapted from the e-book, “Finding Your Fighters: How To Strategically Find Community During Addiction.” Our e-book includes four additional devotionals, testimonies from real women on their journeys to overcoming porn, and three printable worksheets! Get your copy here!

For more resources and a supportive community, follow @the_victory_collective on Instagram!