Paul Miller and his son John, along with their friend Tim, discuss the power of confession and prayer in overcoming sexual temptation. They share personal experiences of seeking accountability, texting prayers, and the importance of creating new habits of grace. The podcast explores the power of evil, the significance of prayer and accountability, and the challenges of overcoming cynicism and doubt in prayer.
Repentance and prayer are crucial in addressing and overcoming struggles.
Confession and absolution in prayer convert shame to guilt, allowing for repentance and forgiveness.
Inviting Jesus into moments of temptation and engaging in prayer sustains lasting change and offers hope to others.
Deep dives
The importance of repentance and prayer in overcoming struggles
Repentance and prayer are crucial in addressing and overcoming struggles. The speakers discuss the difficulty of learning to repent in prayer, acknowledging the size of one's problems, and being open and honest about the struggles faced. They emphasize the need for continual repentance and the importance of inviting Jesus into moments of temptation. Prayer is seen as a lifeline, with the speakers encouraging the practice of texting prayers in real time. They also emphasize the need to match the size of one's struggles with the size of God's love, understanding that Jesus sees the whole picture and still chooses and loves individuals.
The role of confession and absolution in prayer
The speakers emphasize the importance of confession and absolution in prayer. They discuss the equivalence of guilt and the conversion of shame through confession, making it possible to repent and receive forgiveness. They highlight the power of confession in the presence of others, experiencing forgiveness, and understanding the depth of God's love through the gospel. They recognize confession as a basic rhythm of the Christian life, urging individuals to maintain the habit of confession and absolution in their prayers.
Taking prayer beyond confession
The speakers urge individuals to go beyond confession and explore the different aspects of prayer. They emphasize the need to invite Jesus into moments of temptation and to seek forgiveness in prayer. They highlight the importance of humility, acknowledging the constant need for Jesus in all areas of life, and recognizing prayer as the foundation for sustaining change. They discuss the power of prayer in developing a closer walk with Christ, expanding prayer walks, and engaging with others in prayer for their needs.
The journey of climbing Mount Everest
The podcast episode unfolds as a journey of climbing Mount Everest, with the struggles of besetting sexual sin serving as the entry point. The speakers highlight the need for a deep understanding of theology and the power of prayer in overcoming this struggle. They encourage men not to get stuck in accountability but to actively engage in prayer, envisioning a journey of transformation. The journey involves inviting Jesus into the moment of temptation, seeking change, and finding hope in Christ's love and power to break free. They emphasize the importance of humility, recognizing the need for Jesus and the power of prayer to sustain lasting change.
Offering hope and guidance to others on the journey
The speakers highlight the importance of offering hope and guidance to others on their own spiritual journey. They discuss the value of sharing personal experiences, providing encouragement, and helping others discover Jesus in their struggles. They mention the significance of prayer cards and the power of praying for oneself and others. They view the journey of overcoming struggles as an opportunity to extend grace and guidance, closing the loop by supporting others on their own spiritual transformation.
In this episode, Jon Hori talks with Paul Miller, Paul's son John Miller, and John's friend Tim Bogertman about how to pray through sexual temptation.
"I approached my dad and about a problem that I couldn't let go off, specifically with looking at online pornography. Tim is my best friend and he’d confided in me back when we were in college, and I would go to him for help and he would go for to me for help… we invited dad into the conversation just to try to help us a little bit. That's when we really started to change and our eyes started opening up to the journey.”
"One of the main habits of grace is confession. Confession converts shame to guilt. You can't do anything with shame – it just makes you feel yucky. But confession would convert shame to guilt and guilt could be covered by the blood of Jesus."
"I knew I wanted them to pray because I wanted to create new habits of grace. I knew the power of shame, of wanting to hide. I actually said something like: Guys, I want you to prepare for five years of this. It’s like you’re two totally out of shape guys who’ve told me that you want to climb this little hill outside of Philly called Mount Pocono, which is kind of a bump compared to a real mountain, but what you really want to climb is Mount Everest...”
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