Pursue

2 Timothy 2:22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Some have 200 lustful thoughts per day. The best way to get rid of these thoughts is by first thinking new thoughts. The Bible says to follow righteousness and to be righteous. Consider praying:

“Father, teach me how to think right.”

Righteousness is pursuing the character of Christ. Jesus always prayed. Always be prepared to pray. Take prayers with you everywhere on 3 by 5 cards, or on a printout. At some point, you will have a bunch of them memorized.

Righteousness is desiring living right over fleshly indulgence. Study blessings, and do what it takes to get them. Living right is “knowing” that short-term pleasure with added destruction is never worth it. That thinking long-term (God's way) starts to lead to joy. Consider praying:

“Father, show me what living in Your continual presence would be like.”

Tip: The more we live in it, the more joy we start to have.

“Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.”
― Henri J.M. Nouwen

Second, if you have 200 lustful thoughts per day, 90% of them may be from satan. When you fight back every time with prayer, or especially with scripture, how discouraged will he be? Answer, quite a bit. If you fight back every time you might be shocked that sometimes those thoughts drop to only 10-20 per day. That is just a start, but it is progress.

Proverbs 10:2 Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death.

It is easy to see death in an Oxy overdose. It is easy to see something starting to die when a person drinks around the clock. It is easy to see something partially dying when a gambler gambles every penny and begins to ruin every relationship.

But it is harder to see it when it is me. I am an expert at ignoring the destruction I cause myself. I do everything to convince others it is not happening. Consider praying:

“Father, show me exactly what my consequences are.”

“Father, help me to flee my lusts, and help me to pursue righteousness.”

It is hard to think about pursuing righteousness too often. Consider praying this often and pursue it hourly. It will light up your life.