Delivered from Internet porn

[Mijoy2]

Hey please don’t put doubt onto this persons mind. Congratulate them, uplift, if you can’t it is usually because you have not had the same healing.

Look at the saints were then not cured of much, were they not as we are, humans, sinners, was St Mary Magdalen cured and stayed this way, was not Paul a murderer and God changed him, Peter a lier, and Thomas a doubter.
Then why can our brother not be healed to?

Is our God not that strong that if He wishes he could not do this.
Look at St Therese who changed like that after God healed her, in a second.

God bless.

I couldn’t agree more.
Lust is something (I think it is safe to say) virtuall everybody experiences. Internet porn addiction is the running away of the ability to handle this lust. I beleive one can learn again how to handle thier lust. Will the temptation of lust ever completely go away? I believe not. Can ones reason and love of thier faith help them to better handle this temptation, most certainly.

I do not buy into an “addiction” (term used loosley) to internet porn being a disease that can only inflict certain predisposed types. I think it is a horror that can get the better of many (if not most) people if they fall into this habit. We are all vulnerable. If we fall, we can all recover.

just my opinion.

 

[liberational]

Thank you for your honest replies,

Humility is the key thing here, and I would completely agree that I could slip back into my old ways with this particular vice. That being said, I do believe that God has permitted the desire to subside (for now). Spiritual warfare isn’t easy and there are elements our finite minds cannot comprehend, for such is only in the infinite mind of God.

I’m glad you are well aware that the war is far from over. When your spiritual high subsides, you will have to resist the temptation even more!

 

[Matthias123]

Grace on to you, and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

[KingAlfred]

God has officially delivered my body mind and soul from the desire of viewing porn, especially the filth on the internet, and acting with impurity. I am in tears of joy and my heart rejoices with great hope! After recently partaking in the Sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion, God has granted me the strength to turn away from this sin and embrace our Lord Jesus. This is a tremendous first step, for there is much more to be converted in issues of purity, but God has proven to me with the action of His Spirit, that all things are possible. My dear brothers and sisters… I stand now by His grace as living proof!

Congratulations. I’m glad to hear this. I hope your commitment can withstand the test of time. Sexual desire is one of the most challenging sins to overcome, because it’s rooted in our mating instinct.

 

[littleone]

The beauty of God’s grace cannot be understood or seen by humans until we see those who God has set free. It is then that others can follow the works of our Lord Jesus through the signs of others, if they need to be shown signs.
There are those who do not need sign and will gain their freedom from sin by following the Word of God , ether way it is ALL Glory to Our Father in Heaven through the Son the Spirit for all eternity.
God bless you all

 

[Cam-masta]

The beauty of God’s grace cannot be understood or seen by humans until we see those who God has set free. It is then that others can follow the works of our Lord Jesus through the signs of others, if they need to be shown signs.
There are those who do not need sign and will gain their freedom from sin by following the Word of God , ether way it is ALL Glory to Our Father in Heaven through the Son the Spirit for all eternity.
God bless you all

Amen, and the Saints are a prime example of heroic virtue in the face of the spiritual forces of darkness. They gained complete union with Christ by co-operating with the grace of the Spirit. It’s a difficult path and often a heavy cross.

 

[Cam-masta]

**Hey please don’t put doubt onto this persons mind. Congratulate them, uplift, if you can’t it is usually because you have not had the same healing.

Look at the saints were then not cured of much, were they not as we are, humans, sinners, was St Mary Magdalen cured and stayed this way, was not Paul a murderer and God changed him, Peter a lier, and Thomas a doubter.
Then why can our brother not be healed to?

Is our God not that strong that if He wishes he could not do this.
Look at St Therese who changed like that after God healed her, in a second.

God bless.**

There will be more remarkable people of faith in the Church recognized as examples of heroic virtue. Any one of us could respond in this way to God, but not without darkness first as you have mentioned. There are times of testing in order to reach a greater spiritual maturity and reliance on God. St. James said, “a man who doubts is like the waves thrown up in the sea by the buffeting of the wind.” We all struggle with weakness and doubt which is why Jesus comes “not for the righteous, but for sinners.” Together, we carry our cross to Calvary and meet our Lord to be crucified to our sinful nature.

I still struggle and believe pride played a role: “I’m o.k now, nothing to worry about!” My prayer life has always struggled. I am still fairly new to the Faith, having been an evangelical for many years until 3 years ago, and need to utilize the spiritual wealth expressed through the living Tradition the Church. God g

 

[Cam-masta]

**Hey please don’t put doubt onto this persons mind. Congratulate them, uplift, if you can’t it is usually because you have not had the same healing.

Look at the saints were then not cured of much, were they not as we are, humans, sinners, was St Mary Magdalen cured and stayed this way, was not Paul a murderer and God changed him, Peter a lier, and Thomas a doubter.
Then why can our brother not be healed to?

Is our God not that strong that if He wishes he could not do this.
Look at St Therese who changed like that after God healed her, in a second.

God bless.**

There will be more remarkable people of faith in the Church recognized as examples of heroic virtue. Any one of us could respond in this way to God, but not without darkness first as you have mentioned. There are times of testing in order to reach a greater spiritual maturity and reliance on God. St. James said, “a man who doubts is like the waves thrown up in the sea by the buffeting of the wind.” We all struggle with weakness and doubt which is why Jesus comes “not for the righteous, but for sinners.” Together, we carry our cross to Calvary and meet our Lord to be crucified to our sinful nature.

I still struggle and believe pride played a role: “I’m o.k now, nothing to worry about!” My prayer life has always struggled. I am still fairly new to the Faith, having been an evangelical for many years until 3 years ago, and need to utilize the spiritual wealth expressed through the living Tradition the Church. I am blessed to be in the Church.

 

[littleone]

There will be more remarkable people of faith in the Church recognized as examples of heroic virtue. Any one of us could respond in this way to God, but not without darkness first as you have mentioned. There are times of testing in order to reach a greater spiritual maturity and reliance on God. St. James said, “a man who doubts is like the waves thrown up in the sea by the buffeting of the wind.” We all struggle with weakness and doubt which is why Jesus comes “not for the righteous, but for sinners.” Together, we carry our cross to Calvary and meet our Lord to be crucified to our sinful nature.

I still struggle and I as much as you my friendand believe pride played a role: “I’m o.k now, nothing to worry about!” My prayer life has always struggled. I am still fairly new to the Faith, having been an evangelical for many years until 3 years ago, and need to utilize the spiritual wealth expressed through the living Tradition the Church. God g

It is when a person’s eyes have been opened that the TRUTH becomes the light of our life, we are as St Paul was, thrown from his mount a human mount that in his past gave him prestige, a position and possession.
In front of Paul’s officers God showed how the things of the earth are only dull, and the horse became as a donkey to take Paul to a new position in life. A new life exactly the way you have noted my friend. You only know this because it has been shown you.

My prayer for you is…
May the glory and power of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Power of the Holy Spirit always be the center of your spirit and heart, and may God bless you for ever more and may you be strong when the adverse wind begins to blow Amen
Godbless.

 

[moosears]

Dear brother Cam-masta. Internet porn is an abyss that draws you in and becomes an evil master. It is as a parasite that lies dormant for a while waiting for the write moment to strike it’s victim. I know because I too have been there. Be sure you pray your Rosary daily without fail. I would also recommend the exorcism prayer on a weekly basis. Also having someone to be accountable to would be a good idea. Your confessor is good for this but have you thought about finding a good spiritual director. This may take a healthy amount of inquiry to find the right one for you, but they could help your prayer life to grow and point you in the direction that God wants you go. Just some extra food for thought.

 

[colliric]

This is a good first step, and it is a battle that is on going.

You have to regulate your internet usage somehow, such as using it only in Public Places(Not having it at home is a good idea, but perhaps not practical for everyone), Putting a Net filter/blocker on it(AND getting someone else to put a Password! if you know the password yourself, it isn’t going to work!) and other such measures.

 

[beckycmarie]

My prayer life has struggled since I can remember, however, when I first became Catholic this was not so. I would pray the Rosary often and sense God’s presence. Now I feel dry and long deep in my soul for God, yet there is nothing. This is a dark night of sense, something I never wentt through in my Pentecostal/charismatic phase. This is a test and trial of my faith and it’s like walking through an endless desert. Please pray for me.

Cam-masta, this dryness is a wonderful thing not to get discouraged over. God is calling you into a closer relationship by teaching you through the dryness how to love Him with a pure love instead of a self-interested love that seeks the rewards you get from Him.

When the time is right, God seems to pull back so that prayer seems dry and without the sweetness (sometimes called “consolations”) it had before. This is a test for you to continue the prayer and living the Christ life even though there is seemingly no reward.

It may feel like God is far away, but in reality, you are closer to Him than ever before when you continue your spiritual walk even though the consolations are gone. It is during this time that you really prove your love for God.

You might find this link from **EWTN **helpful in explaining what’s going on. Scroll down to the section on “The Way of Proficients or The Illuminative Way” to read more about the night of sense.

 

[JB2VI]

Cam-masta, this dryness is a wonderful thing not to get discouraged over. God is calling you into a closer relationship by teaching you through the dryness how to love Him with a pure love instead of a self-interested love that seeks the rewards you get from Him.

When the time is right, God seems to pull back so that prayer seems dry and without the sweetness (sometimes called “consolations”) it had before. This is a test for you to continue the prayer and living the Christ life even though there is seemingly no reward.

It may feel like God is far away, but in reality, you are closer to Him than ever before when you continue your spiritual walk even though the consolations are gone. It is during this time that you really prove your love for God.

You might find this link from **EWTN **helpful in explaining what’s going on. Scroll down to the section on “The Way of Proficients or The Illuminative Way” to read more about the night of sense.

This absolutely correct! I join in this statement. I was about to type something similar.

I have gone through similar periods of “dryness.” But you must persevere in praying. In fact, pray more if you can. Additionally, do not feel as though your “prayer” has to be filled with official prayers. When you pray, spend time actually talking to God and opening your heart to Him. While in prayer, do not be afraid to pause at moments in silent contemplation.

I don’t agree with cutting internet access, filtering programs, or other forms of supervision. Now, be aware, if the only reason you have internet access is to access porn, then cut it. These measures don’t help you to overcome the problem. They shift responsibility. They just delay the solution: learning to resist the temptation and to change your thought processes. Thus, even if you cut the access, you will still suffer horrific temptation whenever you venture into public because you never faced the real issue. A note needed here, public computers are some of the worst computers available. People look at all sorts of websites on public computers that they would not view at home. Plus, we have the added danger of “porn bombs,” which are viruses that cause the rapid displaying of pornography on a computer screen. Such viruses are often found on public computers. Of course, this is just my opinion. I overcame my addiction to porn without changing my internet status. I cleaned my “temporary memory,” deleted tons files, and changed my viewing habits. When tempted, I pray and think of the Virgin Mary.
See post #17 in this thread for my advice.

I continue to pray for you, myself, and others overcoming this problem. Our society does not make it easy, but with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, we can win our battles one at a time, until the war is won.

 

[beckycmarie]

I don’t agree with cutting internet access, filtering programs, or other forms of supervision. Now, be aware, if the only reason you have internet access is to access porn, then cut it. These measures don’t help you to overcome the problem. They shift responsibility. They just delay the solution: learning to resist the temptation and to change your thought processes. Thus, even if you cut the access, you will still suffer horrific temptation whenever you venture into public because you never faced the real issue.

I think that’s good advice on attacking the problem at its root, rather than putting a bandaid on the symptoms with filters and blockers.

The thing that really needs to be dealt with is how to resist temptation and avoid sin. Learning to stifle the temptation at the thought is a big help here. All sin begins at the thought, and if we entertain that thought we quickly find ourselves in sin. Recourse to prayer is also key. Prayer, especially the Hail Mary is effective when one realizes the temptation may be more than he can bear without God’s help.

I have gone through similar periods of “dryness.” But you must persevere in praying. In fact, pray more if you can. Additionally, do not feel as though your “prayer” has to be filled with official prayers. When you pray, spend time actually talking to God and opening your heart to Him. While in prayer, do not be afraid to pause at moments in silent contemplation.

Perseverance is the key. Thought I’d throw in a link to another thread where dryness and what to do with it is being discussed in detail here.

 

[Cam-masta]

Your responses are very helpful in giving me some insight into the problem. My spiritual advisor has said, concerning the dryness, that I will know God was closer to me than ever before, when it subsists. Right now, however, it seems hardly the case. Occasionally my evangelical/fundamentalist past haunts me because this dryness was seen as sin, not as a result of sin as can be the case, but as sin in and of itself (especially in most pentecostal circles). I am wrapping my head around the fact that it can be part of the spiritual walk and conversion and a blessing in leading one closer to Christ.

As for the porn thing, it remains a struggle. I think censoring myself from the net will be a band-aid solution to the deeper issue which I have lately discovered - anger. I noticed I am angry a lot at work and have acted unreasonably in the past. Resorting to physical violence hasn’t occurred yet, but if left the way it is, could potentially become a problem. So I’ve inquired about it and decided to register in anger management in order to find solutions in how to be self assertive and expressive in a positive way, without building frustration inside.

 

[Cam-masta]

This absolutely correct! I join in this statement. I was about to type something similar.

I have gone through similar periods of “dryness.” But you must persevere in praying. In fact, pray more if you can. Additionally, do not feel as though your “prayer” has to be filled with official prayers. When you pray, spend time actually talking to God and opening your heart to Him. While in prayer, do not be afraid to pause at moments in silent contemplation.

I don’t agree with cutting internet access, filtering programs, or other forms of supervision. Now, be aware, if the only reason you have internet access is to access porn, then cut it. These measures don’t help you to overcome the problem. They shift responsibility. They just delay the solution: learning to resist the temptation and to change your thought processes. Thus, even if you cut the access, you will still suffer horrific temptation whenever you venture into public because you never faced the real issue. A note needed here, public computers are some of the worst computers available. People look at all sorts of websites on public computers that they would not view at home. Plus, we have the added danger of “porn bombs,” which are viruses that cause the rapid displaying of pornography on a computer screen. Such viruses are often found on public computers. Of course, this is just my opinion. I overcame my addiction to porn without changing my internet status. I cleaned my “temporary memory,” deleted tons files, and changed my viewing habits. When tempted, I pray and think of the Virgin Mary.
See post #17 in this thread for my advice.

I continue to pray for you, myself, and others overcoming this problem. Our society does not make it easy, but with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, we can win our battles one at a time, until the war is won.

Thanks for sharing. I will check out the link.

 

[Filius99993]

God has officially delivered my body mind and soul from the desire of viewing porn, especially the filth on the internet, and acting with impurity. I am in tears of joy and my heart rejoices with great hope! After recently partaking in the Sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion, God has granted me the strength to turn away from this sin and embrace our Lord Jesus. This is a tremendous first step, for there is much more to be converted in issues of purity, but God has proven to me with the action of His Spirit, that all things are possible. My dear brothers and sisters… I stand now by His grace as living proof!

Congrats! There are soooo many people I know who have addictions to pornography… my generation has just accepted it. But thank goodness for conscience!

 

[beckycmarie]

Thought I would share this link for those reading this thread who may find it helpful:

Catholic Support Group for Sexual Addiction Recovery

 

[Mark_Robert]

As for the porn thing, it remains a struggle. I think censoring myself from the net will be a band-aid solution to the deeper issue which I have lately discovered - anger. I noticed I am angry a lot at work and have acted unreasonably in the past. Resorting to physical violence hasn’t occurred yet, but if left the way it is, could potentially become a problem. So I’ve inquired about it and decided to register in anger management in order to find solutions in how to be self assertive and expressive in a positive way, without building frustration inside.

If you’re going to use the internet, it is ESSENTIAL that you use an effective filtering device. Otherwise you don’t stand a chance at recovery. A recovering alcoholic doesn’t keep a stash of beer or wine in his/her refrigerator. A recovering cocaine addict doesn’t keep cocaine powder around. You remove the addictive substance/option from you as far as you are able. If you don’t, then there is an unwillingness to abandon the sinful behavior. I’d go as far to say that using a filtering device or eliminating internet usage altogether is an absolute prerequisite to genuine repentence from pornography. It’s necessary for a firm purpose of amendment.

 

[colliric]

As for the porn thing, it remains a struggle. I think censoring myself from the net will be a band-aid solution to the deeper issue which I have lately discovered - anger. I noticed I am angry a lot at work and have acted unreasonably in the past. Resorting to physical violence hasn’t occurred yet, but if left the way it is, could potentially become a problem. So I’ve inquired about it and decided to register in anger management in order to find solutions in how to be self assertive and expressive in a positive way, without building frustration inside.

If you’re going to use the internet, it is ESSENTIAL that you use an effective filtering device. Otherwise you don’t stand a chance at recovery. A recovering alcoholic doesn’t keep a stash of beer or wine in his/her refrigerator. A recovering cocaine addict doesn’t keep cocaine powder around. You remove the addictive substance/option from you as far as you are able. If you don’t, then there is an unwillingness to abandon the sinful behavior. I’d go as far to say that using a filtering device or eliminating internet usage altogether is an absolute prerequisite to genuine repentence from pornography. It’s necessary for a firm purpose of amendment.

yes, It needs to be reaffirmed that if you take that action, that it’s best that you allow someone else to be the “Administrator” and set the password, etc.

Because if you know the password, it’s less likely going to be effective in the end.