Addiction To Romantic Books & Movies? Here’s What You Need to Know

Addiction To Romantic Books & Movies? Here’s What You Need to Know

Recently we received the below prayer from a girl. We thought of sharing it as a blogpost for the benefit of other girls who may have similar struggle. Hope this helps!

My prayer is to conquer my addiction for reading romantic novels and watching romantic movies. Because I find myself spending more time and attention with it, I spend less in doing house chores, my devotional time with God, and I had forgotten doing my studies. – Beth Collins (name changed for privacy)

Sharing below our response to her situation.

May I say you are not the only one who is going through this struggle. We have all faced this but here is the good news! You are born to overcome! Also it’s the warriors of God that are tempted and not just ordinary people.

Addiction to Romantic Books

Reading your struggle, took me back to a few years ago when I too was struggling with this addiction. I could finish a non-Christian book in a couple of days, but found it an absolute struggle to read Christian books.

I soon realized that it is not only taking my time away from God, but also influencing my thoughts and decision making and obviously these books swayed my conversations. I tried everything under the sun but God.

I knew I had to get rid of this addiction, to understand why check out this blog post we recently shared Why I Gave Up On Non-Christian Media. I think this post will be convincing enough to make you stop watching.

What you give your ears and eyes to is what you will become. At times you will even behave or think the way a character in the book/movie behaves.

My Sweet Victory

I still clearly remember a few years ago one Sunday my Pastor was teaching about being set free from addictions. Until that day, I always bragged that I had everything under control and can get rid of any habit any time.

My Pastor’s words “Surrender your addiction to God” echoed inside my heart the entire service.

We always associate addiction in the negative or sin category, hence taking sin to God was a concept I was not sure God could help me with. God being holy, righteous and pure, could I really surrender my addiction to Him, and would He indeed love me in this addiction.

Is this what you are thinking as well?

Brace yourself, what I am going to share with you next is going to change you today.

Sista, God loves you… with or without addictions. He loves you without any condition and He is the only one you need to surrender your addictions to. He is the only one that can set you free. Sitting in the pew that Sunday, the love of God the father filled me… As I humbled myself and surrendered my addictions I knew chains were breaking and I was set free.

Dearest friend, as you read this I believe a God encounter awaits you. It’s time… humble yourself and surrender.

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)

As I look back, I realize what I was seeking in those books I found in Jesus. He fills me with so much love daily that there is no space and time for those books. I truly believe that as you humble and surrender to Jesus with an open heart, His love will be your daily portion to be set free from addiction.

Remember even Jesus was tempted by Satan. As He has overcome, you have the power and grace to overcome this.

XOXO

Team Soargirls

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Bring Those Walls Down

Bring Those Walls Down

Usually in the afternoons, I never step out. I prefer to be in the comfort of my house enjoying the air conditioning. The other day, I had to be in the afternoon heat for a couple of hours. I was exhausted, sweaty and desperately wanted to be back home for a shower. I was not taking the discomfort really well.

This reminded me of Nehemiah in the Bible. He was a cup bearer to the King Artaxerxes before he chose to follow God’s leading. He left all the comforts of the palace and decided to go to Jerusalem, a desolate place to rebuild the walls.

To me, Nehemiah’s character reflects Jesus all the way. Jesus was at a place of importance enjoying the best of everything, seated at God’s right hand.

What did He give it up all for?

Bring those walls down

Jesus chose to come down to earth, leaving the comfort of Heaven so we have direct access to God the Father. He did not have to do it, but He willfully did it for His Father’s sake. Jesus left all the comforts for you and me.

Further Nehemiah rebuilt the walls around the city in 52 days. The temple was already built by Zerubbabel, but the city walls were still old, broken and feeble. Ever wondered why Nehemiah thought it was important to rebuild the walls?

Walls are built for protection and safety. Walls take me back to the tale of Jericho (Joshua 6:1-27). Until the walls of Jericho stood strong the people in the city felt safe. When the walls came down, the people were open to the attack of the enemy.

When Jesus entered my heart, He made me His Temple. However I still had some old walls of pride, self-centeredness, doubt and fear, which hindered my walk with the Lord. He started His good work in me by gradually changing me inside out (Philippians 1:6). He was patiently demolishing these strongholds in me. These were the walls of Jericho in me which had to come crashing down for the King of Glory to accomplish His work in me.

Nehemiah did not start rebuilding the walls of the Temple on the old feeble walls. He had to demolish the old walls to rebuild the new ones from scratch. That was the only way to build a strong wall for protection and safety from the enemy.

The Holy Spirit revealed himself as my Nehemiah, bringing down the old walls and building new walls of faith, peace and unwavering trust in God.

With these new walls around my heart, I experience a peace that passes all understanding. I now know, no dart of the enemy can work against me.

Precious friends, even as you read this, let me ask you, are there any old broken walls of past, offence, pain or unforgiveness that you are holding on to? It’s a good season to let go and allow God to build new walls of faith, love and hope in your heart.

XOXO

Team Soargirls

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Coloring Pages For You – FREE Printables!

Coloring Pages For You – FREE Printables!

Hey Girls! Can you believe we are already midway through 2021? Phew! Amidst the To-Do Lists, Targets, Goals and clutter of life, we all need some whitespace. Isn’t it?

So we thought of doing something differrent this week. We created little whitespace for you, so you can fill in some beautiful colours. What better way than to combine your creative time with positive affirmations from the Word of God!

Coloring pages

Check out these below Colouring Pages. These are good reminders designed to help you soar high in life. All you need to do is to click on the image to download a PDF, print and start colouring.

Once you color the pages, don’t forget to post it on your Instagram and tag us ( @soar.girls ).

We would love to see your creativity.
Happy Coloring!

XOXO

Team Soargirls

Coloring pages,Funtime with Jesus,Free Printables
Coloring pages,Funtime with Jesus,Free Printables
Coloring pages,Funtime with Jesus,Free Printables

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Between My Promise and Promotion, Here’s What I Learned

Between My Promise and Promotion, Here’s What I Learned

“I’m too privileged to fail. I’m growing in my Spirit and my capacity is increasing. My old bad habits are gone, and I am more than a conqueror. I’m too privileged to fall and I won’t because the Holy Spirit is making me “sharp” in everything and in every way. He will keep me sharp at all times. My promotion is coming; my growth is coming in Jesus’ Name.”

This was my meditation and confession since October last year, as I was believing God for a promotion at my workplace which was long due.

There were many weapons that the devil fashioned against me and my promotion, but as the Word of God says, nothing could prosper (Isaiah 54:17).

conqueror, promises, promotion, sharp in spirit, too privileged

Praise God!!! I recently got promoted from Senior Executive to Assistant Manager at my workplace.

*Indeed promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another. (Psalm 75:6,7)*

Here are 5 lessons I learned in my waiting period, which I thought will encourage you if you too are waiting for a breakthrough, especially at your workplace:

1. Re-align your focus

To reach a goal, focus is of utmost importance. Because I have a promise doesn’t mean I can simply rest and wait for the promotion to be handed down to me. I had to work towards it by faith.

One clear instruction that had come to me in my quiet time was to majorly cut down the time I spend on social media and with friends.

Being obedient to this instruction saved me a lot of time. Now I had all the time in the world to meditate on the Word of God, invest in re-watching our Sunday church sermons, and keep singing His praises throughout the day.

The effects of this decision reflected at my workplace. Usually, whenever I get scared or too excited, I tend to stammer. However, this time I noticed that whenever we had team meetings with the senior management including the CEOs, I carried peace in my heart and sensed a strong presence of the Lord with me, as I spoke with confidence in front of them.

2. A change in my associations

The more I drew closer to God and started walking by His instructions, my associations also began to change. I could no longer relate with certain friends with whom I used to hang around previously.

Our associations or friendships sure have an impact on our lives.

It’s so important to surround yourself with people who carry a God vision and who will encourage you in your walk with God, and let go of people who only drag you down further from achieving your goals.

3. Take responsibility

As a team manager, God taught me to take responsibility rather than pointing fingers, even if it was a mistake made by someone else on my team. Many times, the voice of the Holy Spirit would often instruct me to remain quiet and be responsible at times.

Even though it felt unfair, I silently calmed my thoughts and trusted the Lord. And God always turned the tables whenever I obeyed and trusted Him, and He always made me the head and not anything lower.

4. Bless and not curse

Not all of us have the nicest managers or bosses. And oftentimes, our human nature is to curse and swear when tested beyond our point of patience.

But the Word of God teaches us differently. Luke 6:27-28 says, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”

Dear SOAR sisters, here’s an advice that has sure rewards from our heavenly Father- Always pray for your bosses and managers and bless them, no matter how rude or unfair they might be.

5. Hold onto your promise

If you have received a promise or a prophetic word from God, hold fast to it, no matter how unreal it may seem or how impossible it may look compared to your current situation.

Write it down, put it in a place where you see it daily, and read and declare them out loud until you see it come to pass. For it will surely come to pass. Just hold on until God prepares you.

“What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do.”( Isaiah 46:11)

XOXO

Team Soargirls

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Is it Ok to Feel Lonely?+ OUR SPANISH LAUNCH

Is it Ok to Feel Lonely?+ OUR SPANISH LAUNCH

Loneliness has subtly crept in among many around the world in this season of pandemic and lockdowns. Do you realize the same?

A lot of single men and women, are simply lonely. It’s undeniable that ever since the pandemic, many of our lives have shifted from the usual, leaving many confused and perplexed about the future.

Is it ok to be lonely?

No, it is not. Loneliness is dangerous.

Loneliness blurs the vision and makes a person do things they wouldn’t do otherwise. Many, especially youth, are lured by the enemy in this season to get into unhealthy friendships and relationships.

If you are facing loneliness in this season, here are three ways to deal with it:

Loneliness,Not OK,Jesus my best friend

Get back with your Best Friend

Let’s not forget our Best Friend- Jesus Christ, who never gets tired of talking to us, who is never too busy for us, and who is always always always with us.

Every time I say I am lonely, what I’m really saying is, “Jesus, You are not enough for me; I need more”.

There is a void, a longing inside each one of us—a need to feel loved and a desire to feel belonged. Many of us usually try to fill that void by going after the cheap thrills of this world. But let’s get this straight- nothing and no one can fill that void inside you except for Jesus. Anything else you try to fill it with will only leave you deprived and depraved.

Allow Jesus to help you overcome that loneliness you are facing. With Jesus, even when you are alone, you will never feel lonely.

“And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matt 28:20

Stop Assuming

Don’t neglect godly friends. The devil hates godly friendships. And the one way he keeps godly friends apart is by sowing the seed of “assumption”.

Quoting my pastor, this is what she said to encourage us to keep up our godly friendships:

“Let’s not assume: Because she is married, she is ok; or she is young and unmarried, she will not understand, or she is too busy let me not disturb, or this is my cup I can handle it alone. Let’s not assume but be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Pick up the phone, say a prayer, send that message. If not anything, just simply talk and share a laugh together. You will be amazed how your joy will double.”

Girls, instead of endlessly scrolling through the feeds, pick up the phone and call a fellow sister in Christ. Encourage her. Let her know she is not a solo traveler in this journey.

Loneliness is not OK, Jesus my best friend

Get rid of loneliness boosters

Loneliness is, more often than not, a product of tampered feelings. Whenever you are struggling with your feelings, check 3 things:

1.What are you watching?

2.What are you listening to?

3.Whom are you listening to?

Wordly music, movies, books, friends or influencers- no matter how fascinating they may seem, does nothing good to a man or woman who has decided to pursue Jesus. They have a way of manipulating a person’s feelings, giving false perspectives and robing time.

Guard your heart against deceptive ideologies, music and friendships that drag you away from God.

An idle heart is also the perfect ground for the weeds of loneliness to grow. Ask the Lord to open doors for you where your skills can be utilised. Check with your church on how you can be of help. The need is much. Keep yourself active and productive.

Loneliness doesn’t need to be watered with sympathy, self-pity or tolerance. You can deal with it through the help of the Holy Spirit, that our lives may be less regretful and more joyful.

If you need prayers or want to talk to someone regarding your struggle, do write back to us at [email protected]. We love to hear from you.

Announcing the launch of Girls Book in Spanish!

Good news for our Spanish Community!

We are sure you have heard about our book Girls, Here’s What You Never Knew. (In case you haven’t read it already, click on the link above.)

This book is a powerful weapon in your hands that will expose the hidden traps of the enemy and fireproof you from relationship pitfalls.

Today we are launching our first translation of the book, in Spanish.

Celebremos!

We are so grateful to Melanie Soto for translating this book and for all the hard work she put in. Do check out her amazing blog: God Makes All Things New

So here’s the thing: If you have friends who can understand only Spanish, you can share this book with them. (Click on the image to download)

Also, if you would volunteer to translate this book in your own language, please do connect with us 🙂

Till we meet again,
Happy Soaring!

Girls, Here's What You Never Knew

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Are You the Miss Nice?+ New Resource Launch

Are You the Miss Nice?+ New Resource Launch

None Perfect,Grace is enough,holy person,holy people,Daily devotion,Mr Nice Guy

Have you met those people who go to church daily and everyone thinks they are holy, holy, holy?

I don’t know about you, but I was one of them and who thought I was holy, holy , holy until God convicted me!

Yes , I went to church daily, prayed every prayer daily, kneeled before God daily, prayed to God for my friends to save them, gave money to the poor, loved people, sacrificed and helped the weak until God had to meet me and tell me ” It’s not what you do that makes you clean but what’s in your heart “

And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality ( sex before marriage, sexting), theft (stealing pen in class, taking companies resources for home use), murder (hate, anger towards a person), adultery (thoughts of lust), coveting (desire for what your friend/neighbour has, a greedy desire to have more wealth) , wickedness, deceit (lies, sharing wrong information about someone, playing the victim, emotional manipulation), sensuality (worldly pleasures, indecent acts, moved by feelings) , envy (jealousy, cannot stand to see others prosper) , slander (talking ill of people, gossip) , pride (think high of yourself and better than all, self reliant rather than God reliant) , foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
Mark 7:14‭-‬15‭, ‬18‭-‬23 ESV

When I read this I got convicted. God was never after what I did but after my heart.

Those thoughts you think in your heart when no one is around, God is looking at that. Woh! Scary I know!

From The Inside Out

After God opened my life and showed me my sin,I remember asking God to please save me. God then sent a friend to me in college that day and led me to pray , I asked for forgiveness, asked Jesus to come and be Lord of my life and to have a relationship. So I got born again and God changed me from the inside out.

Religion and traditions can change you from the outside but God is the only One who can make your heart brand new and give you His Spirit in the inside.

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
Ezekiel 36:26‭ ESV

And this is what I exactly experienced a brand new heart! No matter how “good” I thought I was, having a new heart from God no longer made me strive to be but just be what He filled me with.

Do you know Mr Nice Guy?

Here’s a short video of how many of us are like Mr Nice Guy

Video Credit: Living Waters

If you’ve watched this video and you want to be saved, have a new heart and invite the Spirit of God inside you, or take a U turn and rededicate your life to Jesus, then write to us at [email protected] and we would love to pray with you.

Born Again? Congrats Girl! Now What?

A new resource for you! (Click on the image or button below to get your copy)

Books for Born Again

A big hi-fi from heaven as you accepted Jesus as your Saviour and surrendered your life fully to Him. Wondering how to navigate your journey further? Confused by the Christianise lingo you hear? Well, this 6-day devotional is a perfect start for you!

PS: This book talks about foundational things covering Bible Reading, Introduction to the Holy Spirit, Praying in tongues, Water Baptism, Importance of a Church, etc. The language used is very simple to understand, with daily life illustrations and backed by catchy colourful design. This is a perfect ministry gift you can give someone! So feel free to save it and use it.

Soar Girls Now on YOUVERSION!!!

Good news! The above devotional is also available on YOUVERSION.

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