Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States
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Again, I have fallen. I have fallen to the same lustful sin. I feel empty. I feel lost. I am so weak and worthless. I have been praying in the Agpeya, fasting, reading the Bible, and I even partook of Holy Communion the same day I fell again. I struggled against this sin for a short while, and I prayed to God to help me, but in the end, I failed again. My desire for doing this sin has become a bad habit. I really want to stop! Really, I do! But whenever I am tempted, I fall. I tried really hard to get rid of these bad thoughts (I exercised, I prayed, I sang hymns), but they just kept coming back to me over and over again, until the temptation became a desire and I allowed myself to fall again. I don't have Christ in me. The devil is too strong for me, and I feel that the Lord is not helping me. I am ashamed and depressed. I don't feel worthy and I'm too shameful to stand up and pray to God anymore. I'm embarrassed to confess because I've confessed about this so many times before, and I feel too dirty and unworthy to partake of the Holy Communion anymore. I feel that I have gone too far in my path of sin, and that I will never fully get rid of this sin. I know that these are all tricks from the devil, but it is just how I feel. How can I return to God when I want to be cleansed and renewed, but still have these sinful desires in me? I want to get up and fight again, but I am so worried that I will fall again. I feel so empty. I am lost. I am scared. I don't value my life anymore! I hate myself because of my sins! I am nothing. I am not even worthy to live. I turn to you because God loves you and He is with you. Please have pity on me. I know I am weak. Please pray for me. What should I do? Am I going to perish? Has the Lord left me?

The Lord never leaves His children who cry out to Him. The devil is very powerful but God gave us the authority to overcome him "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you" (Luke 10:19). You need a strong will to oppose Satan. Do not loose hope or faith, you can overcome this sin "For a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again, But the wicked shall fall by calamity" (Prov 24:16).

Once thoughts of lust start in your mind, chase them away immediately. Do not give them the chance to grow and control you. Do not put yourself in a position or in contact with the source of sin. Think instantly of the Lord, pray or start reading the Holy Books of Proverbs or Psalms. Keep repeating to yourself 'I must resist and do not give in' as the Holy Bible says "Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4:7).
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