Your Lust May Be A Father Issue …

And the Lord said, "You know what, Michael? I need you to deal with some internal conflicts that you're still dealing with that you haven't navigated through." I said, "What are you talking about? I don't got no problems with my dad. I love my dad. I respect my dad. I honor my dad." What do you mean? I don't possibly have an issue with my father. That can't be the reason. How is the father wound so deep? How is a father womb connected to all of these things? And the Holy Spirit, the comforter, the counselor, the true counselor started to reveal it.

[Music] [Music] And so it was to my surprise when I realized I got a father issue. And mind you, I love my father. >> Thank you, Jesus. Hallelu. My leaders, listen. listen. You've been battling with lust. It's been heavy. It's a weight that's been on your back. This season right now, the lust has been so heavy. It's like a steak that's been on top of the oven and legitimately you're cooking it and it's well done. And it's beyond well done. There's smoke that's coming out of the air and the fire detector right now legitimately is going off because right now you need some help.

So this video today is specifically to help you that's dealing heavy with lust is strong on you today. God has sent me to deliver word for you to help you. Let's get into prayer. Hallelujah. Glory to God. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Heavenly Father, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Father, right now we come to your throne and we honor you. We glorify the name of Jesus Christ. Father, I'm here with your leaders. Your leaders right now who are dealing, they're dealing with this temptation and they're dealing with this lust. And father, we come into agreement right now that when two or three are gathered, you are here in the midst.

Father, I'm asking and I'm praying that this word will help your leader who is battling with lust. Father, give me a word to speak. speak. Help this individual in their time of feeling like they're being tormented. Heavenly Father, they're being tormented. Some of them are opening up about it. Others, they're being tormented in the dark and it's affecting them. Heavenly Father. So Lord, I'm just praying that we need your help. Heavenly Father, Holy Spirit, as I'm speaking this word, Father, I pray that the Holy Spirit would impress on this individual the areas in their life that they need to hold accountability for.

Let them reach out to me if they need somebody to hold them accountable. Let them reach out to somebody else if they need some help. Heavenly Father, Holy Spirit, show them the areas that they've been dealing with trauma and what the root cause. Father, I want to deal with the root cause today, Heavenly Father. And then I'm praying that after this video, individuals will have a method, a strategy, not not just physically practical, but spiritably. I said spiritably. Hallelujah. Not just physically practical, but a spiritual method in order to fight off this spirit of lust that is so heavy right now, running rapping.

Lord God, we believe that right now you have the ability to take this lust. And so we give it to you today. We're watching this video because we say, you know what? We need some help with this. We're watching this video to its entirety because we want to be delivered from this. We need a method. We need a strategy. We need some wisdom. So, Father, we're asking for wisdom right now. May this video be the wisdom and the advice that they've been seeking, that they've been searching, that's going to deliver them not only right now, but for generations to come. So, Father, do your perfect will in this video.

We love you. We thank you. And it's in Jesus mighty name that we pray. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. my leaders. This video that I'm going to upload upload today today comes because right now is the time. I've been praying. I've been asking God, God, what do you want me to speak about? I haven't been on this platform for a while now, but now we're coming with so much word because lately, my ladies, I'm going to be quite honest. This season, especially this week and a little bit of last week, for whatever reason, reason, a lustful spirit has been on me so heavy. heavy.

If you don't know my testimonial, part of my testimonial that I share is my battle that I've dealt with with pornography for over two decades. decades. Over two decades of dealing with. And the majority of those years, my leaders, I didn't even recognize that it was a bad thing until I came into the faith. When I came into the faith, I started to realize how it was controlling me, how it was manipulating me, how it was making me view women in ways that I shouldn't be viewing women. And when I'm talking about lust, my leader, I'm talking about pornography. That was my thing. That was my place of comfort.

That was the space that I went to in order to escape my leadership. And recently, recently, what's tried to take place is the same desires desires strong like a filet minion that's cooking over a pot. And I've been having to cast thoughts out. out. And I asked the Lord, I said, "Lord, man, what's the root of this? I need the root to this. Why do I feel like I'm about to go back into a another season of warfare? I ain't trying to go back there. I've been delivered from that. So Lord, help me remain delivered. And here's what the Lord revealed to me.

And it's a method that I'm going to share with you. It's the APR method. And the way I got to the APR method is I asked the Lord, "Lord, give me something that I can share with your leaders." And the Lord said, "You know what, Michael? I need you to deal with some internal conflicts that you're still dealing with that you haven't navigated through." And he what he revealed to me was iniquities. Iniquities of my forefathers. and not only the iniquities of my forefather, he made me write a letter on a blank sheet of paper for the forgiveness of my father. I said, "What are you talking about?

I don't got no problems with my dad. I love my dad. I respect my dad. I honor my dad." What do you mean? I don't possibly have an issue with my father. That can't be the reason. But what he revealed to me is, "Hey, Michael, many of the individuals that you you're getting the opportunity to serve and getting the opportunity to coach, many of the individuals this season, ironically, it's a theme. We're dealing with father issues, father wounds." And I and I was in the kitchen one day and I said, "Lord, could it be that all of these individuals are dealing with the same thing?

How is the father wound so deep? How is a father womb connected to all of these things? And the Holy Spirit, the comforter, the counselor, the true counselor started to reveal. And so it was to my surprise when I realized I got a father issue. And mind you, I love my father. My father has done every single thing that he could possibly do that he knew reasonably to do in his own will to raise a family of four my little brother, my two older sisters. I felt his love. I felt and I began to see his work ethic. All of the things that you can think about.

I that I I literally view my father as somebody that one of the most positive, motivated individuals on the planet, the most patient individual on this earth. And so I said, "No way, father." father." But what the Lord revealed to me wasite quite striking. As I began to write this letter, I started to write the letter. I'm like, you know, Dad, I'm I'm doing this exercise. And as I'm doing this exercise, I'm I'm very surprised that right now that the Lord is saying, I need to forgive you because I believe that you did everything.

And then what the Lord began to reveal was those areas that I unfortunately those areas that I was hurt. And it may be simple, but it was areas that I was hurt. And the areas that I was hurt, my leaders, were the areas of sports. Hey, Father, Father, you did everything you did to provide for me. We never went without shelter. We never went without clothes. We never went without food. But father, when I grew up playing the game of basketball, something that I love, you know, you were you weren't you weren't able to show up to the games.

Now, mind you, my leaders, he wasn't able to show up to the games cuz he had to provide for the family. He was doing what he needed to do to take care. But there was something in me that wanted my father to be at the games. games. Hey father man, you raised me and I had a fear of you in a way. I had respect. I had reverence of you. But father, I never I never had the opportunity to speak to you on an emotional level. Like I never knew your weaknesses. So I I began to think that, hey, Father, I I couldn't have weaknesses growing up.

Father, I never seen you shed a tear or cry. Even to this day, I began to think that, hey man, strong men don't cry. They don't shed tears. We don't talk about our feelings. We don't express our emotions. That's not something that we do. do. Father, I love you. And I had to come to realization that hey father I actually wanted more intimate time with you. I wanted more intimacy deep intimacy just to be time spend time in your presence. But I understand you had to work. You had to provide for the family and whatever free time that you did have you made sure that you gave it to us.

And as I'm writing this this letter, I'm like, Lord, what why you showing me all this? What the Lord began to reveal even deeper is like, Michael, as you develop this deep relationship with me, I'm showing you just how much as your heavenly father that these areas that I'm taking care of that you really feel that you need me in affirmation, presence. I'm showing you that when you grew up, the reason why you went to pornography was because in the absence of these things, you numbed the pain in which you were experiencing because you did not communicate with your father.

The areas in which you were experiencing pain because you didn't think you could communicate with your father. You numbed it with You numbed it with pornography. I can't get no intimate time with my pop. So, I'm going to get the intimate time with pornography. I want more time and presence with my dad. I want more affirmations. I don't know how to speak about my emotions. And as a kid and as a teenager, I'm going through all these emotions, all these hormones. I'm going to numb it with communicating with porn right now, not having a relationship with God at the time. I need something that's going to make me feel good.

And so, this became a cycle year after year after year after year. I didn't know what I was doing. I was just going towards porn. Then it became a father figure in a way. This is very strong language because the first way to have a breakthrough is to admit that there's an addiction. I I began to develop an addiction for lustful content. It didn't help the music that I was listening to. It didn't also help the movies that I was watching and the shows that I was watching.

But the root of the issue came because I did not communicate the areas of pain, the areas of frustration, the stuff that I was dealing with as a teenager. I didn't express that to my father. How was he to know what I did not express? So, it's me taking accountability, accountability, but also recognizing that he's only given me all the love that he can give me because that's what was given to him. At some point, when we get into these cycles of lust, it it's a generational thing. thing. And at some point, we have to become the generational curse breakers.

There's a lot of things that I could talk about that go down the family line that I had to now be the individual. I'm going to break this stronghold and I'm going to release the areas of pain that I felt that I never expressed to my father. I'm going to release it and I'm going to do it in a letter. I'm going to just write. Even if I don't give it to him, I'm going to write. And as I finish writing, I'm going to release him and I'm going to say, "Father, I forgive you.

I forgive you for these areas that you probably never even knew offended me, that you probably never even understood would affect you. You did the best that you could possibly do. But I forgive you and I forgive myself. And father I release my leaders. After I did that release of my father and my forefathers, there was a sense of peace that surpassed my understanding. There was a peace that legitimately I needed. It was a true release to now realize that no longer can I allow the past past of what I didn't receive or thought I should have received affect my future. Now I I now hold the key of responsibility.

responsibility. And this is the beginning of today's message because now here it is where the Lord revealed to me. This is what you're going to begin to do now moving forward. You're no longer going to allow yourself to be in a cycle. And here was my cycle. My cycle was arousal, porn, shame, and guilt. Arousal, porn, shame. That was a cycle. So here today, I've come to talk about the APR method. A stands for alertness and awareness. The first thing first is to get us out of this cycle of what we understand arousal to be.

So I share that beginning story because God showed me that hey now that you're aroused I need you to realize that hey your arousal is actually me signaling to you I want to spend time with you. Remember that's where you you felt like you didn't have enough you didn't have enough time with your father. Well, hey, I actually want to spend intimate time with you. I want you to be in my presence. When you are aroused, Michael, from this day moving forward, I want you to recognize that this arousal is a signal to come connect with me. Let's let me talk. I want to talk to you.

So, Michael, when you arouse, come to me and let's pray. Let's talk. Let's have a conversation. That's the P. The P is for prayer. And the R after we finish praying is to redirect. I want to give y'all some scriptures. Okay. So, a why must we be alert? Here's why we got to be alert, my leaders. If you open up your Bible to First Peter 5:8, 5:8, it reads this. It says, "Be sober, be viligent." That means be alert because your adversary, check this out, the devil as a roaring lion walking about seeking whom he may devour.

My leaders, we got to be alert on on high alert because now when we get these triggers of arousal now, hey, one person that wants to talk to you is God. Jesus wants to spend time with you. But the next person who's looking for ways to devour you in your moment of weakness, okay? And in your moment of vulnerability is the devil. And the devil's roaring around like a lion looking for who he can devour, who he can eat up. So now what happens now? We get that arousal. We try to go to the last cycle that been happening for generations. We try to go to the last cycle.

The last cycle for me, what did I say? It was arousal. Be devoured by the enemy. Watch the porn. And now I'm feeling shame and I'm feeling this guilt cuz I knew better. Versus when I'm alert now and I feel the arousal. I have the decision to make at that point. Hey God, I know you're calling me. I know that this is a signal to go spend time with you. Hey, I'm about to go there. Let's go spend some time, God. Because I know at your right hand there's pleasure for forever more. Uhhuh.

It says, "Thou will show thee the path of life and in his presence there's fullness of joy." Okay. Be sober. Check this out. Prayer. Prayer. Now, the reason why we can come to God during these moments when he's signaling us is in James 4:8. James 4:8 reads like this. It says, "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you doubleminded." There's never been a time, my leaders, where I spend time away from what the enemy was trying to get to me to go towards or my flesh.

There's never been a time where I draw near to God and these scriptures don't come alive. There's never been a time where I draw near to God truly seeking God and I don't feel his love and I don't feel his presence. No, no, no. Every time I spend time with God, his word says that if you draw near to him, he's going to draw near to you. Why? because he honors you. He honors you. He doesn't want you going towards the sin cycle. He doesn't want you going towards the enemy. The word say he's a jealous God. He doesn't want you worshiping idols. He doesn't want you worshiping graven images.

He doesn't want you to fall short to the to the to scrolling looking at lustful images, going on websites we shouldn't go to, going about cheating on our spouses, committing adultery. He said, "If you draw near to me, I'm going to draw near to you." And so, as we're alert and we recognize the arousal that God is calling us and that now we're in his presence during prayer, we are now in a in a holy place. Now, we're in this holy place. And when I get into this holy place, I'm going to be honest. I'm talking to God like, "God, you knew what I was about to do.

You you you you understand how I was feeling just now. Lord, I repent for my sin. I repent for even feeling those desires. I repent for even feeling those thoughts." Cuz arousal was not a bad thing. But what I was about to do was. So, now that I'm in your presence, Lord, I need you to help me guide these thoughts. I need you to help me guide my focus now. I need you to help me get to where I need to go. I need you, God, like I've never like I've never needed you before. Heavenly Father, I just want to be in your presence.

I know that I'm aroused and you're calling me, Lord. Why are you calling me? Why are you calling me? Shift shift this desire and this pleasure for your pleasures, heavenly father. When you read James 4:7, it says, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." So, not only did I draw near to God, I resisted the devil. And as I drew near to God, I'm submitting. I'm letting go. My hands are up. I'm letting go of the temptation. I'm letting go of anything that I was about to do. I'm letting go of my will and I'm saying, "God, I agree with your will.

Speak to me." me." Now that we get in this presence, we're speaking our heavenly language. We're getting power from the heavenly father. father. We're praying. Holy Spirit, feel me. Heavenly Father, I need your presence, Lord God. Hallelujah. You are worthy to be praised. You are worthy to be glorified. Hallelujah. I give you the praise. I give you the honor. Hallelujah. Father, I need your strength, Lord God. Oh, I need your strength right now. Heavenly Father, oh God, save me, Lord Jesus. Save me from the lying right now, God. Save me from temptation. Lord God, deliver me from these feelings and these emotions. God, oh, you're worthy.

I want to do what you want me to do, God. We're praising them. We're worshiping him. When we get into that posture, it's full submission. It's full surrender. The devil has to flee at that moment because he no longer has your mind. Hallelujah. Next is Galatians. When we do that, here's what actually happens. Here's what actually happens, my leaders. leaders. Galatians 5:1 16 says this. I say then, walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

Verse 17, for the flesh lusted against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary to one to the other, so that you cannot do the things that you would. But if you be led by the spirit, you are not under the law. Think about this for a second. Now that if I'm walking in the spirit, there's no way now that I could walk in the flesh, I legitimately through realizing the alertness, the signal that God has called me, going into prayer, entering in that atmosphere now, speaking in my heavenly language. Here I am now. I'm in the spirit now.

And according to scripture, now that I'm in the spirit, the spirit can never give me the thought to go back and lust after my flesh. No. No. No. No. No. [Music]