Pray for my soul. I am struggling with masturbation

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apndh

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I am struggling with masturbation. I relapse after a week. I feel ashamed because I just relapsed today. I went to confession 2 times in past 2 weeks. I feel like I have been beaten. Please pray for me to gain strength and not to sin again.
 
Not saying you need to, but I have made it a habit to go to confession every two weeks anyway. Sometimes every week. You should never be ashamed of saying “I’m sorry” to Jesus, he loves you.

I would say that you should meditate on how this makes you feel when you fail in a positive way. That feeling of doing something you wish you had never done, try to remember that next time you are tempted. Remember that the reason you are doing this is probably because you are not at peace with something in your own life. Masturbation is never going to make you feel loved, and its not going to solve your problem.

Its kind of like cigarettes. They may take the pressure off for a little but, maybe in the moment, but its only going against you in the long run. I would pray the rosary, try to do one every day. Start small, like a decade a day, then move to two decades, and so forth. Meditate on what Jesus did for you with the Mysteries. You’ll find that masturbation isn’t worth it.
 
I pray every night. I pray Lord’s prayer, Hail Mary, Prayer to my Guardian Angel, Apostoles Creed and then talk to God and Jesus
 
Try to get to Daily Mass or Adoration and pray the rosary. You will see a huge difference. 🙂 Prayer is essential, the more grace, the easier to overcome temptation. 🙂
 
I will certainly pray for you! I struggle with a pornography addiction so I can understand what you are going through. Don’t be too hard on yourself. I second the Adoration. It will make a huge difference!
 
You can do this!!! It is wonderful that you get back up and go to confession when you sin. Do not get discouraged. Many people struggle with this.

Try praying a rosary when you are tempted or just pick up doing that daily. The divine mercy chaplet is wonderful too
 
MasterHaster said:
I wonder if all the torment, guilt, and misery people have experienced trying to resist such a normal urge hasn’t had a net negative overall spiritual effect.
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It has a positive spiritual effect.

Catechism
1809 Temperance is the moral virtue that moderates the attraction of pleasures and provides balance in the use of created goods. It ensures the will’s mastery over instincts and keeps desires within the limits of what is honorable.
…
To live well is nothing other than to love God with all one’s heart, with all one’s soul and with all one’s efforts; from this it comes about that love is kept whole and uncorrupted (through temperance). No misfortune can disturb it (and this is fortitude). It obeys only [God] (and this is justice), and is careful in discerning things, so as not to be surprised by deceit or trickery (and this is prudence).75
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75 St. Augustine, De moribus eccl. 1,25,46:PL 32,1330-1331.
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I would get into a habit of regular prayer. Try morning and before bed. Trust that this is a journey and you will fall, but eventually God will get your heart to a place where you don’t want this anymore. Ask God to pour his love and grace into you, and give you the strength to help you on this journey. I will pray for you too. Don’t beat yourself up when you fall - that is Satan’s voice! Listen to God and allow Him to pick you back up again. Maybe you could find a short prayer for purity and focus on a line that you could repeat to yourself when you are tempted. It is all about slowly changing your heart. God will help you if you co-operate!

Also check out The Chastity Project - a brilliant Catholic website which helps with issues of purity etc
Not sure of your gender, but this is an article for women about masturbation from the website:


I am sure they have stuff for men too although some of this article applies. It is a brilliant resource to help you see the bigger picture!

Love this paragraph at the end: ‘ The New M word.
If you are like me and have this secret “M word” in your closet, there is another M word to remember: Mercy . Christ comes and his love is stronger than death itself (Song of Songs 8:6). Do not believe the myths. Just turn to sisterhood, accountability, and grace. The freedom of Christ awaits you.’
 
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I pray that you are able to overcome your struggles. May you find strength in God when you feel like you are going to give into your temptations. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

My best advice (as someone who has struggled with this as well) is to keep praying. Pray, pray, and pray some more. Remove the source of temptation or do something else at that time (read a book/Bible until you fall asleep, pray the Rosary when you feel tempted, etc.). Ask the saints and Mary for their intercession. It might help too to have someone help keep you accountable, someone to be honest with even though it might be uncomfortable at first. I pray that you are able to overcome your temptations.

My last thing I will say is that it is a constant and daily battle. You will have both good and bad days. But just know that it does get better. It gets easier. There are days where your temptations will come back and seem stronger than ever, but you will be able to resist. Stay strong and God bless!
 
apndh said:
Please pray for me to gain strength and not to sin again.
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That you even ask for prayer shows that you are indeed on the right track. I assume that you are relatively young (at least compared to me 🙂). Recognising your weakness, praying for strength and asking for prayer is an inspirational witness of your faith.

We are not supermen/women! We all fall short of the glory of God. What matters is that we dont place any limit on our God’s mercy. I am reminded that confession not only delivers the immediate comfort of forgiveness but it also delivers “grace” - that supernatural gift that strengthens us against sin. Stay faithful, pray - and witness Gods wonderful work in you.

God Bless
 
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amazingcatholic said:
I will certainly pray for you! I struggle with a pornography addiction so I can understand what you are going through. Don’t be too hard on yourself. I second the Adoration. It will make a huge difference!
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I’m sure you’re aware of it but I would try Covenant Eyes software. I’m over a month now free of pornography and masturbation, which I’ve done for over 40 years. I believe that things I’m doing on the spiritual side are a huge part of it of course but it sure helps that I don’t have the easy access to porn on my phone.
 
I go to confession once a week. I would go more often if it were reasonable for me. So don’t let that be a mental block.

My standard advice on this:

There are monitoring programs (like Covenant Eyes) that can help with controlling electronic media. You could try using that with a trusted friend or mentor. Other than that, you need to put distance between yourself and the occasion of sin - keep windows and doors open, take cold showers, reduce (or eliminate temporarily) alcohol use around certain people/in certain situations, etc. Laughing more is also helpful, especially in the moment of temptation (rational delight filling the body - so watch more comedy!) as is fasting and other mild discomfort which distracts the body (holding your breath, biting your tongue, etc.)… just getting up and walking around can also give the space and time necessary to get a grip. Exercise also helps, in various ways, also in the moment… distracting and exhausting the body. Instinctively praying a decade of the rosary (meditating especially on one of the sorrowful mysteries) or singing a verse of a pious hymn will also create the time and strength of will you need to do what is right. Meditate also in the moment on the imminence of death, and always ask for the help of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph… and ask the Lord always for the help you need. Go to confession as needed, then return to receiving Holy Communion.

And DO NOT DESPAIR!
 
Thanks for the tips. I don’t have enough money for Covenant Eyes as I am 16, but I’ll start taking colder showers and when I’m tempted I’ll hold my breath. I started going to mass every Sunday for about a month now. I usually go a week without then relapse, then I go to confession (3 times in last 3 weeks for the same sin). So you can see how it can feel discouraging.
 
A priest who I watch on youtube regularly said that young people are not as culpable, because they’re freedom is impeded by hormones.

Of course, it is still a serious sin, but the main thing is that you do not want to do it and wish you could change. Do not let the devil or your own conscience discourage you.

Maybe as another poster suggested, go to confession every week whether you have committed that particular sin or not. It will give you grace to resist.
 
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Develop a devotion to St Joseph, he as a Virgin and the greatest saint other than Mary, is very powerful in helping men to chastity. He is also known as the Terror of Demons so is quite capable of making the demons flee. Here’s a novena to him and I’d advise consecrating yourself to him if you have the means of getting the book or at least looking into it (Consecration to Joseph - Fr Donald Calloway). I agree going to confession frequently in order to obtain sanctifying grace to help you remain in a state of grace whether you’ve committed that sin or not. Also keep away from the things which tempt you toward it.

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