What started out with one dad talking to another about his son asking for help to stop watching pornography has manifested into a city-wide initiative in the Church and beyond. Let’s Talk About Porn, Parenting through the porn problem, round III is being hosted at Faith Bible Church in The Woodlands on Sunday evening, February 26th. This is a forum for dads, moms and youth to open the dialogue around sexuality and healthy relationships before peers and the Internet take control of the conversation.
The average age of first exposure to pornography is nine-years old; the largest consumers of pornography are 12 – 17 years of age; and, 70% of boys and 62% of girls are exposed to Internet porn before the age of 18. The call is for the Church, adults and youth to pray down pornography for the scheme that it is. It is nothing short of the devil’s strategy to destroy healthy relationship that is foundational for marriage and family.
“O unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not drive it out?” And He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. [But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”]. – Matthew 17:17-21. “Littleness of your faith” shows up as passivity in this world. For too long men have been passive about the dangers of pornography – It has caused prominent leaders to fall from grace, even leaders in the church; it has destroyed marriages; and it is now aggressively going after our kids. It is time to rebuke this scheme boldly and confidently, to pray it down in the powerful name of Jesus the Christ.
Accessibility, Affordability and Anonymity are the three ‘A’s identified by psychologist Al Cooper, that have enabled the pornographic industry, via the Internet to move to a whole new level. What was a $97billion dollar industry ten years ago, now has projected revenues of $340billion by 2030! But the Church is on the move too – while many churches have been involved with the LTAP initiatives, many more have started programs for youth and adults that are willing to step forward on this battlefront. There are movements gaining momentum like Fight the New Drug and the Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation. CESE opened a weekend summit in Houston last fall with a day-long conference on how ‘Porn Harms’. Pornography is a force to be reckoned with and the time to pray down the scheme is now.
Prayer guide: My Father, thank You for being who You are and doing what You do. Forgive me for being passive while the devil deceives, distracts and destroys in this world. In the power of Your resurrection and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, I and the Church rebuke the devil’s scheme that is pornography. In the powerful name of Jesus the Christ, I stand firm in my relationship with You, my relationship in marriage and in family to stand against the distraction and deception orchestrated by evil in this world. Empower men of You with the faith of a mustard seed, that we never suffer from “littleness of faith” in the face of evil. Amen.
A faithful father prays down pornography in the powerful name of Jesus the Christ.
