{"id":1331,"date":"2014-06-18T12:29:05","date_gmt":"2014-06-18T16:29:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/prayerplainandsimple\/?p=1331"},"modified":"2014-06-18T12:35:30","modified_gmt":"2014-06-18T16:35:30","slug":"screwed-by-screwtape-a-prayer-for-purity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/prayerplainandsimple\/2014\/06\/screwed-by-screwtape-a-prayer-for-purity.html","title":{"rendered":"Duped by Screwtape. A Prayer for Purity."},"content":{"rendered":"

“Never forget that when we are dealing with any pleasure in it’s healthy and normal and satisfying form, we are, in a sense,on the Enemy’s ground. It is His invention, not ours. He made the pleasures: \u00a0all our research so far has not enabled us to produce one. All we can do is to encourage the humans to take the pleasure which our Enemy has produced, at times, or in ways, or in degrees which He has forbidden. Hence we always try to work away from the natural condition of any pleasure to that in which it is least natural, least redolent of its Maker, and least pleasurable. An ever increasing craving for an ever diminishing pleasure is the formula.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Your affectionate uncle,<\/em><\/p>\n

Screwtape *<\/em><\/p>\n

Modern men and women of all ages have been duped by the devil to believe that sex outside of God’s boundaries is better. Research has proven this premise false. Monogamous married couples are the most fulfilled sexually. If we want to grow in the favor that God wants to bestow on us, our families, our businesses, our churches, and our communities, we need to repent, turn from our bent ways, and rejoice in the perfect plan God has for our lives and our sexuality. His commands are not burdensome; in fact, they relieve burdens. Let’s leave those burdens at His feet today and walk away.<\/p>\n

My\u00a0Father,<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Your ways are best. When I deviate from\u00a0them, the pleasure diminishes, dissolving into pain. I repent of each time I have strayed from your path. I have bought the lies and paid for them with my guilt. Please forgive me. And replace my busted, broken heart and tendencies with gifts from Your hand.\u00a0Thank you.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

In Jesus’ Name and because He suffered so that I can go free,<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Amen<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

*Screwtape is a fictional demon writing to his nephew, a demon-in-training in the brilliant book,\u00a0The Screwtape Letters<\/span> by C.S. Lewis<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“Never forget that when we are dealing with any pleasure in it’s healthy and normal and satisfying form, we are, in a sense,on the Enemy’s ground. It is His invention, not ours. He made the pleasures: \u00a0all our research so far has not enabled us to produce one. All we can do is to encourage…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":478,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1331","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nDuped by Screwtape. A Prayer for Purity.<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/prayerplainandsimple\/2014\/06\/screwed-by-screwtape-a-prayer-for-purity.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Duped by Screwtape. A Prayer for Purity.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"“Never forget that when we are dealing with any pleasure in it’s healthy and normal and satisfying form, we are, in a sense,on the Enemy’s ground. It is His invention, not ours. He made the pleasures: \u00a0all our research so far has not enabled us to produce one. 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