Episode 357
Trusting God's Plan in Uncertain Times
"Every single time you are tempted, you must pray. Not once a day, not once a week, not once a month. Every single hour you pray and you rebuke that temptation."- Wesleyne
Word of the Day
Luke 17:1 (NLT)
"One day Jesus said to his disciples, 'There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting.'"
Summary
In this episode, we explore the inevitability of temptation and the importance of resisting it through prayer and faith. Jesus' warning in Luke 17:1 reminds us that temptations will always exist, but there is sorrow for those who lead others into sin. Temptation often targets our areas of weakness, and the enemy uses these vulnerabilities to derail us. The key to overcoming temptation is constant prayer and reliance on God's strength. By rebuking temptation in Jesus' name and praying whenever we feel tempted, we can stay on the right path. It's not our role to punish those who tempt us; instead, we should focus on our spiritual resilience and trust that God will handle the consequences for those who lead others astray.
Takeaways
- When feeling defeated, remember that God is not a God of defeat.
- Negative emotions are tools of the enemy and should not be embraced.
- Letting go of control and surrendering to God allows Him to work in our lives.
- Fully surrendering to God means taking our hands off the situation and trusting Him completely.
- Continually release worries and anxieties to God, trusting that He will take care of them.
Chapters
- 00:00- Understanding Temptation
- 00:43 Recognizing Vulnerabilities
- 01:30 The Importance of Prayer
- 02:15 Consequences for Tempters
- 03:00 Resisting Through Faith
- 05:11 Trusting God's Justice
What questions are you struggling to answer? Wesleyne would love to answer these questions for you personally. Send any questions or prayer requests to hello@askwesleyne.com
Follow Wesleyne on Instagram @wesleynewhittaker
Transcript
One day Jesus said to his disciples, there will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting? Luke 17 verses 1 and I read out of the New Living Translation.
We will always be tempted. There are always going to be people that are dangling carrots in front of our eyes. There will always be people who tell us to just, it's okay, just drink this one time. It's okay, just step out on your marriage this one time. It's okay, just take an extra $5 out of the cash register or...
Don't be honest when you're at the doctor's office or don't be honest when you're filing your taxes. Whatever the temptation to sin is, it will always be there. And remember, the enemy tempts you in the places where you struggle. So if you've never struggled with drinking alcohol, then you're not.
going to have those temptations, they won't really be temptations for you. You'll see it and you'll just say, no, thank you over and over and over again. No matter how many times it's presented to you, you will say no, thank you. But if you struggle with gambling and someone offers to take you to the casino and you just ride with them and you don't have to gamble, you don't have to do anything, just ride with me, I need some company.
your inclination to say, yeah, sure. What's the harm? Then you get to the casino and you are playing slot machines until you have spent up all of your paycheck because the devil knows our areas of tenderness. He knows those areas that God is continuing to work in us through us on. And those are the people that
Wesleyne (:He will send to you.
He will send you people that are close to you, that know those parts of you that you're trying to heal. And the devil at times puts it into them to challenge you, to test you. But what this verse says is there is sorrow for the person that does the tempting. There is sorrow.
for the person that allows themselves to be used by the enemy to tempt you, to take you off of your path. And so in those moments when you are tempted, in those moments when you feel the enemy is coming up against your soft and tender places,
Rebuke it. Rebuke it in Jesus' name. Say, Lord, I have been working a lot on being faithful to my spouse, and I continue to be tempted by this person. They continue to show up, and Lord, I don't want to step out on my spouse. So I rebuke this in your name, Lord. I ask you to take this away from me. And every single time you are tempted, you must pray. Not once a day, not once a week, not once a month.
Every single time, if you're tempted every hour of a day, then every single hour you pray and you rebuke that temptation. And remember, while you're rebuke that temptation, God is working. The person who is tempting you, they will reap their own consequences from their actions. It's not for you to punish them. You pray and you rebuke. That is the only thing that God is calling you to do.
