Last Updated on October 19, 2023 by Emma
As Christians, we must wrestle with the idea of how temptation affects our lives as we become more Christ-like. We all struggle with the reality of temptation. As God is sanctifying us there is an evil one alluring us to stray.
I find that prayer is the best place to start. It’s not always the first place I start, sometimes I confine my struggles to a friend or try and fight temptation myself.
However, I know that prayer is the best place to start. It allows us to recognize our spiritual weakness and our need for God.
We can pray before we are tempted to battle ourselves against the temptations that might arise on that particular day. Jesus tells us to watch and pray.
Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41 ESV)
We can also pray while being tempted.
“praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints (Ephesians 18 ESV)
And we can pray with others against temptation. So if there is any way we can be praying alongside you please feel free to comment below. We invite you to share your concerns and comments in the area below.
Short Prayer To Overcome Temptation
Lord, each day I struggle with different temptations. I praise you that daily you supply warnings for me and continue to pursue me to live a holy life and not one filled with temptations.
Allow me to choose wisdom and not foolishness. Help me to seek the light and not play in the darkness.
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV)
Satan intends to steal, kill, and destroy us; but you give limitless mercy, abounding grace, and abundant life. Help me to turn to you, the one who defeated all the devil’s temptations.
I need you daily. I need the Gospel truth daily. Please help me with the temptations that I will face. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
General Prayer For Overcoming Temptation
God, only Christ can redeem my lost life and since I have become yours I know you intend for me to look increasingly like Jesus.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Romans 8:28-29 ESV)
Every time I am tempted in this way I am reminded that there is still growing I have to do. But I thank you for showing me what holiness looks like and for giving me the spirit to overcome this temptation.
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:17-18 ESV)
Jesus, I thank you for enduring each temptation victoriously. This gives me great hope that the power you have given me through the Holy Spirit can also be victories over this temptation.
Prayer For Temptation To Worry
God, I’m so tempted to worry all the time. I worry about my family, and my health. I find myself worrying about money and the future.
I know when I worry it reveals a bigger issue that I am not trusting you. Help me to trust you with all of my life. Help me not to be tempted to worry because I know you take care of me.
Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they. (Matthew 6:26 ESV)
When I’m tempted to worry, help me to remember that you are sovereign and in control. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Prayer For Temptations Of Lust And Sexual Immorality
God, I pray that you help me flee from sexual immorality. I know that this hurts others and you. For me, it seems to bring brief satisfaction but ultimately it is killing me.
I pray that you help me to run far away from lust and sexual immorality. Help me when I’m tempted.
Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:18-20 ESV)
Help me to flee from the temptation of lust and sexual sin. Help me to focus on you when I’m tempted and the gift you have given me. Help me to glorify you with my body. I pray this in your powerful name, Amen.
Prayer Against Temptation To Define Myself
The world tells me that I can define myself. I’m tempted to do this. Somedays in small ways I’m tempted to look in the mirror and tell myself I’m no good and ugly. And sometimes this temptation feels bigger.
I’m tempted to define myself as someone or something that I am not. The world tells me that it’s okay and it’s praised for seeking that out. Sometimes I feel tempted to believe them because I feel so lost. I like when others say I’m doing something good.
God, I don’t really know you. I have had experiences through different friends or family but there is something in me that tells me that this is not ok, could that be you, God?
I feel afflicted by these temptations. I feel broken and so far from anyone who really cares. I want to do what is right, but what is that?
The righteous shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. (Romans 1:17-18 ESV)
God, help me to understand this verse. It says to be right before you, righteous, I need to live by faith. Help me to see what living by faith looks like. Help me to put my faith in you.
God, you are clear in this verse that you are not happy and indeed have wrath for those who are not right. Help me to not suppress the truth anymore. Please open my eyes to your truths.
Help me to see that you have created me in your image and that is good and not something I have to attempt to change. Allow me to see the beautiful truth of living rightly before you.
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV)
Thank you Jesus for taking on my sins, so that I may be right before God. I know I can never do this by my efforts and I praise you for making a way for me to be right before you, God. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Prayer For My Eating Temptations
God, help me when I’m tempted to eat too much, to eat something that is not good for me, or when I’m tempted not to eat at all. I know that this temptation seems innocent but it draws my heart away from you.
It tempts me to find my satisfaction in my food or in control, rather than in you.
The devil is so sneaky to make me believe that my food temptations won’t hurt. But I know that it does hurt my relationship with you, so please help me resist these food temptations.
God, there is power when I can see my identity in you and trust you. It’s only through you that I have the power to overcome all my temptations.
Help me not to make excuses or to trust in my own heart when I’m dealing with these food temptations.
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9 ESV)
I know the root of the problem is my heart. Help me to long for you because only you can satisfy. Help me to understand this and to recognize when I’m tempted and to turn to you instead. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Prayer To Defeat The Temptation To Waste Time
God, my flesh wants to simply be lazy. It desires to procrastinate and waste time. I don’t want to simply waste my time but my flesh is weak.
God, you know Satan has too often subtly convinced me to waste time. He is cunning and constantly takes advantage of my weakness. The world of social media, video games, and streaming tv shows draws me in.
Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41 ESV)
God, it is so easy to simply waste time. Help me to see that entering into this temptation is a great evil because it gives the devil a foothold in influencing me to sin more.
Rest is good, but wasting time isn’t. So help me find time to rest and also help me be proactive in ways not to waste time.
God, sometimes I don’t even perceive that I’m being tempted in this way. Will you please open my eyes? Help me to see that when I give into the temptation to waste time that it binds me and opens me up to even more sin.
Father, release me from the temptation to waste time. In your powerful name, Amen.
Prayer For Temptation To Gossip
God, I am so tempted to gossip, it’s a bad habit. It seems like I’ve been doing it so long that I don’t even notice it. I pray right now that you begin to show me and convict me even before I begin to open my mouth.
Help me not crave this evil. I know that if I persist in this sin that it will draw me away from you.
God, when I gossip I sometimes don’t even know I’m doing it or how it is hurting others. Satan has deceived me that it is okay. But it divides me from others and hurts the relationship I have with them. It destroys lives.
God, you have called me to live differently, not because there is a list of things I have to do but rather because I know you. You sent your son Jesus to take on my sins. I don’t want to be tempted to sin through gossip anymore. I desire to bring glory to you with my lips instead.
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. (Ephesians 4:29 ESV)
God, help me to learn from my past so I will not be tempted to gossip anymore. I pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Prayer For Strength Over Temptations Regarding Substance Abuse
God, I’m struggling with the temptation to continue to use and abuse a particular substance.
Lord Jesus, you know the seizing power of this temptation in my life. It sneaks into my mind and begins to allure me.
I begin to think of the satisfaction I will momentarily have and convince myself it’s not that bad. I then seem to crumble under the lie that I will not be able to stand up against it, so I should just give in.
But Jesus you defeated all temptations from the evil one and that same power is now in me as a beloved child of yours. So I pray that you help me with this temptation.
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. (1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV)
God, this verse gives me so much encouragement because no matter how much I’m tempted to take this substance, I know you will provide a way out.
Others have also battled this same temptation. You have worked in their lives to give them the power to overcome this temptation and I know you can do the same for me.
God, I pray that at just the right moment, when I’m tempted in this way you remind me instead of the great hope and power that I find in you.
The greatest hope I have is that you have already defeated death, hell, and satan. And because I have faith in Jesus you have given me the Holy Spirit to help me fight this temptation and help me to be more like Christ every day.
Prayer For Persistent Temptations
Heavenly Father, you know that this temptation seems to just keep coming every day. It just keeps hitting me repeatedly. Satan knows where I am weak and he just keeps attacking.
God, I pray that you help me seek help and godly counsel. Help me to identify where I’m being tempted and to run away, and not even walk in that direction. Please give me strength.
You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 2:1)
God, I do not want to be tempted to continue to dishonor you. Will you kill this temptation once and for all.
In your mighty name, I pray, Amen.
Prayer For Temptations To Prove Myself
God, I often am tempted to prove myself. I feel like have to be better than my co-workers and classmates. I feel like I have to prove myself to my family and my boss. I feel like I am constantly striving to be what everyone else wants me to be.
God, this temptation is overwhelming and so strong in my life. It causes me to go into dark areas of anxiety when I don’t meet up to expectations. I’m so tempted for their approval.
God, will you help me when I’m tempted to prove myself instead see that you have already approved of me? Your approval is not based on anything I have done, because you know I would mess that up. But its based on what Christ has done. Thank you!
God, thank you for approving of me, counting me righteous, and adopting me as your child because of my faith in Jesus. What an amazing gift of grace that is.
but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. (1 Thessalonians 2:4 ESV)
God, give me the strength to remember these truths when I’m tempted to prove myself. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Help, I’m Tempted To Leave My Faith
God, I’m tempted to leave my faith. I don’t feel anything anymore. If you are there and care for me, help me to understand. Open my eyes.
For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. (James 1:3 ESV)
God, could this simply be a test of my faith so that I could be more steadfast in you? Can you help me to see how trusting in you during this time is better than walking away from you?
God, I’ve messed up so much and have been tempted in so many different ways, and have fallen so far from you. I don’t know how this happened and I’m so tempted to walk away from the faith. Forgive me for not battling against sin but allowing the evil one to work in my life.
God, when I’m tempted to leave my faith help me to stand firm in your truths rather than just trusting my feelings. My feelings are fleeting, affected by different situations, and are not trustworthy.
You God are trustworthy and your truth remains throughout generations.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV)
God, help me to trust in you again. Draw me close to you again.
I want you to fully work within me. Even when I mess up your kindness continues to draw me back to you.
God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance. (Romans 2:4 ESV)
Forgive me, Lord. Help me to live by faith and not my feelings. Remind me that there is hope in you. Restore in me the confidence of who you are and hold me close. I feel prone to wonder but I don’t want to.
if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” (Romans 10:9-11 ESV)
Help me to surround myself with those who love you, and will speak truth into my life. I pray this in your trustworthy and powerful name, Amen.
Closing Thoughts
I’m sure you are feeling highly tempt-able right now. We can trust that when we go to God in prayer He will hold us close and extend His grace. Sin looks appealing and so we are tempted. We have to recognize our weaknesses and pray for God’s help.
We hope these prayers helped in that way. God will provide a way out of your temptation so continue to seek after Him.
Like Esau, sometimes a bowl of hot porridge in hand looks a lot more satisfying that the promise of a future inheritance. We know there is pleasure in the porridge, and in your sin, but it’s temporary. The satisfaction we find in Christ is eternal.
Please comment below if there is any way we can be praying for you. We are all tempted in one way or another and it is such a privilege to come alongside other Christians and be in prayer together.