I think companies like Chipotle are crooked.  Honestly, if they don’t charge enough for food, drinks, etc, then why are they even in business?  It seems honesty is the best policy, but when you round off pennies on people’s guest checks, just to make it, “Easier” for your employees, that makes me wonder, are they really trying to HELP their employees more or are they just trying to steal money from customers?

I’ve worked in fast food, regular restaurants, even had my OWN business and I’ve never once thought about taking more money than I deserve, let alone cheating customers by taking them for every penny they’ve got!

When you work in retail, you gain cash handling experience.  If you are only doing it to help your employess and it’s their first time handling cash, it’s like saying to a kid learning money for the first time, Here are some dollar bills and quarters, we’re rounding them up to the nearest 25 cents so you don’t have to count all those pennies, we’ll just figure them in and take them from you.  Ummm, can we say LAME!?

I wonder how much publicity this will give Chipolte now that they’ve gone and what I believe, suckered and stole from customers.

Obviously they can’t just give back the money they took, but I believe a penny saved is a penny earned and over the course of time, that can add up to a LOT.

Lets say 75 people come in, per day, per week.  That’s 75 cents per day, lets span that out over a course of 5 days, which is about $3.75 now lets times that by a year, which is 52 weeks.  That’s almost an extra $200 dollars, per store.  Wow.  That could add up to a huge chunk of savings!

I believe they should give that money BACK to the customers and do something nice, like offer a free meal for a day or some kind of smoothie, drink.  That’s just wrong on so many levels.  Of course it’s not a lot of money, most people simply don’t CARE if a penny is gone, but some people who actually DO care, which is probably more than half the world, should be respected too.

They say they are going to stop rounding pennies up, but obviously this has been happening for who knows how long.  What do YOU think about this issue?

How To Find Forgiveness
By Brad Dassey Minister of TRUTH!
August 8, 2011
www.facebook.com/theprayercloset

Are you seeing forgiveness happening and coming together in your relationships with your friends, family, loved ones, significant other, father, mother, wife, husband, son or daughter? Are you seeking forgiveness for yourself or for someone else? Are you forgiving others for what they have done to you both intentionally AND unintentionally? Do you think what YOU’VE done is so hard that you CAN’T be forgiven by God? That’s a LIE! The devil lies to you and he spits lies in your mind like fresh venom! He’ll devour you whole and ruin you as it says in God’s word! 1 Peter 5:8 – 8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. If you come to complete ruin, you can be assured that it’s the workings of Satan. He drags you down and causes you to stumble and fall. He steals your joy and your energy and makes you feel weak!

Is it REALLY someone else’s fault for sinning or harming you? NO. Ephesians 6:12 – 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, if it’s NOT their fault, you should not BLAME anyone for the harm they’ve caused you, but FORGIVE them by thanking the Lord for that person. Luke 23:34 – 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” When someone is enslaved by the devil, it causes them to wrong us, it causes them to do evil against us. Even if we do or DON’T deserve to be hurt, the truth is, nobody deserves to be hurt. God is love and we should act out of love in every situation. Not to do harm to our brothers and sisters and friends who are or aren’t living in Christ. Remember, YOU were once where they are. Their spiritual journey is not the same as yours. They might be at a lower spiritual level than you. It will take some time for them to reach your level, but don’t stoop to the lower level of Satan.

We are FORGIVEN by the blood of Jesus Christ. Say it! “I AM FORGIVEN, BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST. THE DEVIL MAY TORMENT MY MIND, THE DEVIL MAY MAKE ME THINK BAD AND EVIL THOUGHTS TO PLOT AGAINST ME AND OTHERS BUT IT IS BY THE POWER OF JESUS CHRIST AND HIS BLOOD THAT I AM SET FREE!!!!!!” 1 Peter 1:19 – 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. John 3:16 – 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish (die) but have eternal life. What does eternal LIFE mean? John 7:38 – 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” You will feel ALIVE and very WELL through God’s son, Jesus Christ. Your heart will fill with an insurmountable amount of JOY!

We often go through life feeling broken, sad, unwanted, angry, bitter, hatred toward someone because they seem BETTER than us. We sometimes feel jealous. We sometimes feel suicidal. We sometimes seem sad at certain times of our life. We often lash out and get mad because the devil wants us to. God is of love and if we reflect God’s love in every situation, we can be like JESUS who went out and spoke truth, healed and set people free through the truth of God’s word. It is by HIS blood that we have been set free. We are no longer held captive in bondage from the devil. Galatians 5 – 1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. What does bondage mean? Held down TIGHTLY and for a LONG period of time. Bondage – the state or practice of being physically restrained, as by being tied up, chained, or put in handcuffs, for sexual gratification.

The devil lies to you. Satan is the father of all lies. He says you are worthless. He says that whatever you’ve done, is NEVER going to be forgiven and you are the biggest washed up loser ever and you should give up! The devil weighs you down and keeps you held, PINNED on the ground. God weighs a heart of a sinner, but the sinner will be set free in Jesus indeed and it only lasts for a short period of time when we mourn over the guilt. Proverbs 21:2 – 2 A person may think their own ways are right,
but the LORD weighs the heart. If you still feel weighed down by a sin or multiple of sins, you are either still committing the same sin or sins or you aren’t living by faith in GOD that you’ve been set free. Romans 3:23 – 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 2 Corinthians 5:7 – 7 For we live by faith, not by sight.

Jesus said, “I am the truth, the way and the life.” What does that mean? It means that we should follow him so we can reach GOD and GOD’s kingdom of Heaven. We should read our bible and get equipped with GOD and his word through his son, Jesus Christ because he IS the truth, the WAY and the LIFE to Heaven. John 14:6 – 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Our Bible is the word of God and when we read it, it’s like a double edged sword. It will lift us up when the devil tries to tempt and attack us. Hebrews 4:12 – 12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

We can reach Heaven right here on Earth by crying out to Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins against ourselves and others. We can ask for forgiveness for sins both known AND unknown. We must CONFESS with our mouth that we are a sinner and we want Jesus to consume our heart and make us new. Romans 10:9-10 – 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. John 8:32 – 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” All religions don’t reach the kingdom of Heaven. All religions don’t reach GOD. JESUS CHRIST and our SALVATION through HIM will get us into Heaven. John 14:6 – 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father (GOD) except through me.”

Why is this true that we can reach Heaven on Earth by the renewing of our mind and by our faith and salvation in Jesus Christ? If you follow Satan and his lies and never read your Bible or don’t believe in Christ, you are under Satan and his evil. The devil will tell you never to pick up the word because it is worthless. There is something that tells you not to pick the Bible up and read it. There’s something that tells you to just forget about it. It’s evil, it’s the devil. God created the word so that we may be lifted UP to reach him. Heaven is here. It’s here even before we pass into Heaven for eternity. Romans 12:2 – 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

If we continue to do life OUR way, we’ll never reach the kingdom of Heaven because we are selfish. We are selfish because we want to do things OUR way instead of GOD’s way. When we are selfish, we sin and fall short of the glory of God and his will for our life. His will clearly states that he wants us to prosper, to live a good life through anything we do. It is by the blood of Jesus Christ that we are SAVED and made NEW. The Old life is GONE. The old life and the old patters of our evil ways is GONE. New life in Jesus Christ is here. We are SAVED and we must do God’s will and follow his just ways.

After we ask for forgiveness of our sins and have been washed CLEAN of our unrighteousness to the Lord, we must follow these ways to become more like Christ. Are you following YOUR ways as the world is following THEIRS or are you following CHRIST? You can’t be on the fence, you can’t be living a double life. For if you are living a double life, you are living a LIE and you will ALWAYS fall short of the glory of GOD and what he has and says to you. Sin = disconnection from God and his voice. There is a voice that speaks to you and it’s clear and just and right. It’s a good voice. It’s a voice that tells you to do good things and how to live your life. GOD will lead you. All his ways are clear and just. If you are confused, it’s not God.

Romans 3-8 –
Romans 3
God’s Faithfulness
1 What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? 2 Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God.
3 What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? 4 Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written:
“So that you may be proved right when you speak
and prevail when you judge.”[a]
5 But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.) 6 Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world? 7 Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?” 8 Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is just!
No One Is Righteous
9 What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. 10 As it is written:
“There is no one righteous, not even one;
11 there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.”[b]
13 “Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit.”[c]
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”[d]
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”[e]
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 ruin and misery mark their ways,
17 and the way of peace they do not know.”[f]
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”[g]
19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
Righteousness Through Faith
21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in[h] Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,[i] through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. 28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.
Romans 4
Abraham Justified by Faith
1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”[j]
4 Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. 5 However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. 6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
7 “Blessed are those
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the one
whose sin the Lord will never count against them.”[k]
9 Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. 10 Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! 11 And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. 12 And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
13 It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless, 15 because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.
16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.”[l] He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.
18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”[m] 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. 22 This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” 23 The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
Romans 5
Peace and Hope
1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[n] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[o] boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we[p] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—
13 To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.
15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16 Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!
18 Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
20 The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 6
Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ
1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with,[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
Slaves to Righteousness
15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! 16 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
19 I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 7
Released From the Law, Bound to Christ
1 Do you not know, brothers and sisters—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives? 2 For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him. 3 So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.
4 So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. 5 For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death. 6 But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.
The Law and Sin
7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. 9 Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.
13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
Romans 8
Life Through the Spirit
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life[j] because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to son-ship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Present Suffering and Future Glory
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to son-ship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
More Than Conquerors
31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
So basically when you sin, you have to go through the process of forgiveness all over again until you are made WHOLE from your father who art in Heaven. The idea is to practice being PURE and following Christ in EVERY situation, EVERY area of your life and not just SOME areas, but ALL. You don’t put on the Jesus attitude in church and outside of church, the Jesus attitude comes OFF. God is with you wherever you go. Inside of church AND outside of church. Isaiah 7:14 – 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. What does Immanuel mean? It means GOD WITH US. If God is with us, he is FOR us and he is with us wherever we go. So there is no need to FEAR anything! For GOD is where you are.
Psalm 61 – Psalm 61
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. Of David.
1 Hear my cry, O God;
listen to my prayer.
2 From the ends of the earth I call to you,
I call as my heart grows faint;
lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
3 For you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the foe.
4 I long to dwell in your tent forever
and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.[b]
5 For you, God, have heard my vows;
you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
6 Increase the days of the king’s life,
his years for many generations.
7 May he be enthroned in God’s presence forever;
appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.
8 Then I will ever sing in praise of your name
and fulfill my vows day after day.

Our attitudes should REFLECT GOD and his son, Jesus Christ so that we don’t even HAVE to go through the process of asking anyone to forgive us. This is not always the case, sometimes the devil tempts us to get angry and mean and hatred toward people, but if we focus on GOD, we can overcome the devil and his evil temptations. The devil is seeking to destroy ANY and ALL good relationships you have with anyone. Proverbs 15:8 – 8The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight. We should just be made RIGHT in Jesus name and for his sake so that we don’t have to beg for forgiveness. If we are made whole and try to STAY whole, we will BE whole. GOD is for us and we ask him not to lead us into temptation to sin or to do wrong against our neighbor, but deliver us from evil, the devil, Satan. May the temptation NOT arise and may God grant us strength to just WALK AWAY or keeping a calm heart through every angry situation.. Matthew 6:13 – 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Verses sited from Bible Gateway.com

“I am sad.” Not just every so often, but I am sad almost every single day, every single minute, every single second…

If you’ve thought this before, you have depression. What is depression? It’s constant sadness. It’s a feeling of being alone, unwanted, rejected, unloved, disappointed.

The thing to know about depression is that something is causing the depression. Depression doesn’t just happen overnight. Depression takes time to sink into your mind and eventually your new sad and rejected feelings because your normal way of thinking and it’s hard to cope with sometimes.

There are different things that associate with depression, like anxiety. Something could trigger your depression to make you anxious. There are so many different kinds of things that could trigger the depression and anxiety and really, these two go hand in hand with each other.

There are a LOT of medications out there that treat depression, but is it really MEDICATION you need to help you cope with your constant sadness? Is medication really the answer?

I firmly believe that depression starts from a root issue in your life. People who struggle with depression every single day, have to deal with feelings of sadness all the time. They wonder and think different thoughts like, “Why am I here? Whats the point to life? What’s my purpose in life? Why do I feel so sad all the time? Why am I sad but can’t cry? I am so sad and lonely.”

There’s only one REAL way to cope with depression and that’s GOD. You have to ask GOD to take away the hurt, the pain, the suffering, the constant sadness and you have to lift it to him, raise your hands HIGH in the air and say, “GOD, I’m giving this to you. It’s no longer my worry anymore. It’s no longer anything I need to worry about. I’m giving it to YOU GOD and I’m asking you to heal my mind from this constant sadness. I’m asking you to fix my brain and make me whole again. Father, I want to live, I want to breathe, I want to be happy again. I don’t want to be sad.”

If you want to receive GOD and his awesome kingdom he has for you, you just have to reach out to CHRIST. You have to accept the past and accept what has happened and ACCEPT things you can’t control. You have to be humble with them. You have to just realize that there was nothing you could have done to possibly saved the situation at the time.

Depression doesn’t just come down over night. I mean think about it… When you were a child, a kid, were you constantly sad all of the time? If you were, chances are there were some pretty dark and evil things going on in your family at the time. You might have felt alone and unwanted from your parents. You might have felt scared and confused about life and as to why your family was treating you the way they were treating you. Maybe your parents were yelling and screaming at you and raising their voice to you. Maybe they were doing bad things in front of you like drugs, alcohol, evil sexual behavior and maybe trying to deal with all of that wasn’t the best experience in your life.

If you need someone to talk to, the Prayer Closet is right here. If you need to get something off of your chest or need a friend, you can always email the prayer closet. Send your thoughts to, theprayercloset@yahoo.com don’t worry, we aren’t here to judge, we are here to listen.

I am sad
by Brad Dassey Minister of TRUTH!
7-10-2011
http://www.facebook.com/theprayercloset

“I feel like a failure, I feel like I’ve failed my girlfriend, I feel like I’ve failed my boyfriend, I feel like I’ve failed my spouse, I feel like I’ve failed in life, I’m trying to commit suicide over a broken relationship.”

Are you depressed or trying to commit suicide over a broken relationship? Are you telling yourself, “I want to die because my girlfriend broke up with me or I want to die because my boyfriend broke up with me?” Are you thinking, “I am not worth living because I feel so rejected by my boyfriend or I am not worth living because I feel so rejected by my girlfriend?”

Don’t worry. We ALL feel that way from time to time when we’ve tried SO hard to make things work and they just can’t. Why not try this! STOP TRYING. Once you stop trying, you allow yourselves to stop, think and breathe. Once you do that, wonderful things can happen.

What stresses you out? Things in our every day lives! Work, people, problems, issues, if something doesn’t go entirely YOUR way, you blow up and get mad! This is where the devil wants you and has you. When you become angry, the devil uses you to get angry at others and therefore, how can you get anything accomplished? If you calm down, breathe and come back to the situation in a calmly manner, can’t you get things accomplished easier?

Instead of being infected with an STD, become infected with an STB!

STOP
THINK
BREATHE

Think of it this way. Would you rather talk to someone who is YELLING, SCREAMING, SHOUTING, SWEARING AT YOU and calling you names? Or would you want to work issues out with someone who is nice and gentle and respectful to you? You get what you give. What does you get what you give mean? It means that if you are giving respect, you should be getting respect back. If you are being nice and kind to others, they should be nice and kind to you.

When people constantly get into fights in relationships and don’t know what to do, the conflict NEVER ends. NEVER! I mean, do you guys just walk away when one or the other gets angry, or do you just keep up the fight for hours on end, ripping each other’s hair out? Conflicts can NORMALLY be resolved within 5 to 10 minutes IF you know how to handle the situation correctly.

How to resolve a conflict:

First thing to know about a fight, WHY are you having the fight in the first place? What thing or THINGS are causing you to fight? WHAT can either of you do to resolve the issue? Do you resolve issues by running away for a month and finally facing the problems? Or do you usually just walk away for five minutes, cool off and come back with a straight head thinking of a resolution or resolutions to the relationship fight?

Lets take Brett and Ashley for example. Brett had a hard day at work and Ashley wants to cuddle. Brett is thinking, “Gosh, I’ve had such a restless day at work, I really do not want to be bothered at this time. It’s not because I don’t love Ashley, it’s because I just want to be left alone right now. I don’t want to be bothered by ANYONE!” Ashley blows up and starts thinking of herself. What is this called? SELFISHNESS. We all have it from time to time. She didn’t LISTEN to Brett and his wishes and starts complaining. She says, “Brett, I’m so angry right now! I just want to cuddle with you and you don’t want to! Gosh I hate you Brett!”

Now, think, what’s wrong with this picture here? For one, Brett explained himself in a respectful way. If Ashley chose to LISTEN to Brett, she would have heard what? Brett had a hard day at work, doesn’t want to be touched right now.

Ashley SHOULD have responded with, “Gosh Brett, I’m sorry you’ve had a rough day. Is there anything I can do to help?”

Basic analysis of this conflict, don’t be a selfish person and complain because you can’t get what YOU want, but be a HELPER to your partner and be a helper ALWAYS! Put your significant other FIRST before your own needs. Think OUTSIDE of the box. This is one of the biggest laws of attraction in my opinion. It’s not about YOU, it’s about THEM. They should be thinking the same as well.

Why is it best not to assume anything in a relationship? Because assuming only means you are accusing when you should be ASKING questions. You’ll get the truth, hopefully. If your partner is lying about something, then why are you with a liar? Lying is being unfaithful to not only your partner, but to yourself. Don’t you feel bad for lying to someone? Of course. Because you know you’ve done something wrong and guilt sets in and God doesn’t want you to feel that way.

If you have any questions, conflicts or need help resolving an issue, feel free to send us an email. We’ll be more than happy to try and help you work things out. You can write to us at theprayercloset@yahoo.com

I Have An STB
By Brad Dassey Minister of TRUTH!
July 1, 2011
http://www.facebook.com/theprayercloset

“I feel rejected. I feel like nobody cares about me. I feel ignored. I feel disconnected from life. I feel disconnected from the world. I feel like I have no friends. I have no friends. I feel like nobody understands me. I don’t feel important….”

Are you now or have you been thinking any one of these statements or thoughts recently? If so, you need to ask yourself WHY.

One of the reasons you are probably thinking so irrational here is because the Devil has a foothold in your life and or you might be running after something you may very well not find at this point in your life. If you run after something, you fall short. Let it come to you. Take small steps and climb the ladder of success.

You must realize that life isn’t over. It’s just BEGUN. You have a long ways ahead of you and if you start thinking this stuff now, what will happen next year? The following year? Or even Five years down the line?

The devil likes to use people to get under our skin. If you feel like you have no friends or feel ignored, it’s probably because they are only using you. Do they call you on a regular basis or maybe a couple times a week? Do they offer to do things for you in return or offer to do anything for you at all? You KNOW when a friend is really your friend or is just only calling or texting or emailing you for something. Then, it just becomes a constant pattern and you start to feel used. You KNOW when they are a true friend or not.

If you are saying to yourself, “Nobody cares about me,” you are wrong. There are people praying for you right now this very minute. I mean, I’m writing this blog in hopes you find it so you can read it and be helped in some way. You see, I care. You can’t see other people or hear them, but they are praying for you right now in this damaged world. If I didn’t care, I wouldn’t be taking my time writing this blog in hopes you find it, in hopes it would help you. I mean, I COULD go and play with my Wii right now, but I choose to help you instead.

If you feel rejected, why? What has someone done to you in order for you to think that way? Were you trying to get what you wanted and didn’t succeed? What was their motive to turn you down? What were you hoping would come out of the situation? Maybe they weren’t trying to outright reject you in a sense, but were maybe trying to tell you in a nice way they weren’t interested at the time.

We can feel rejected because we can’t get what we want. Stop trying to get what you want. If you’ve tried already and failed, then stop. Review the steps you’ve taken to try and get what you want and go from there. What have you done to try and succeed?

We can feel rejected in relationships, by our girlfriend, boyfriend, husband, wife, significant other, friends, etc. Any relationship you have with someone isn’t considered a PERSONAL relationship so to speak, it’s a one on one relationship. That’s really what a relationship is.

People sometimes feel rejected all the time; it’s not an uncommon thing, but there’s always SOMETHING that makes them feel this way. There’s ALWAYS something that makes you feel rejected.

Why do people feel rejected? Good question. It’s because they were hoping to get something out of what they were trying to do at the time and didn’t succeed very well. Being unsuccessful doesn’t mean you have to feel rejected by someone. It means that it’s not GOD’s perfect timing for your life. There’s a whole life ahead of you and if you go ahead and feel rejected now, what will life be like if you keep continuing to think that thought?

It’s important to try again for a second or maybe even third time and if all else fails, LOOK UP! Look to GOD because he will guide you in your life, EVERY step of the way! You probably haven’t been doing that from the start, but it’s ok. One day, it’ll all click and you’ll understand.

GOD is never wrong. Once you have the gift of the Holy Spirit, the spirit leads you my friend. The spirit is pure. The spirit is just. The spirit is AMAZING and you’ll feel like you are floating on cloud Nine with no worries at all once you’ve become manifested with the Holy Spirit.

You may be saying to yourself, “I feel rejected by my boyfriend, I feel rejected by my girlfriend, I feel rejected by my wife, I feel rejected by my husband.” This is ok. You’ve already admitted that there might be a problem. Chances are, if you are feeling rejected, you might be being rejected or maybe you just took something the wrong way. The spirit living within you is never wrong though, so it’s best to ask questions about these things. If you are feeling a certain way, you need to address your feelings and say, “Honey, I’m feeling rejected by what you said, or what you’ve done. Can we talk?” If they say, “NO” you might have bigger problems to fry.

First of all, you don’t have to feel alone. You are NOT alone. You are NEVER alone. The devil likes to put that thought into your head and once you start to think it, it’ll become a repeated thought and eventually make you depressed with constant sadness. Nobody likes to be sad all the time. It’s ok to be sad every so often because this is a normal feeling God gave us, but feeling sad almost every minute of the day would be considered depression.

So how do you stop feeling alone? You have to commit your life to Christ. This way you will find GOD and everything will start to make sense. You might have been in that isolation state of mind and hiding from everyone, but this makes for the devil to lie to you even more! If you isolate yourself from everyone, it won’t help you. You’ll have free reign to think more, but the devil will just plant more nasty thoughts into your head.

Take up your cross at all cost. Don’t sell yourself short! You have EVERYTHING to live for! You don’t have to feel like nobody cares because people do. Sometimes the devil has your mind in such a tangle that you forget about the people who really love you and care. If you don’t have a family who loves you, you still have Jesus Christ, your personal Lord and Savior. Your Father. Your eternal Father who will love you for who you are and always be there when you need him. ALWAYS.

If you are thinking, “I need someone to talk to about my problems,” don’t worry. The Prayer Closet is right here to listen. If you need someone to talk to, feel free to send us an email when you are ready. theprayercloset@yahoo.com we will not share your information with anyone at all. In fact, you don’t have to worry, because if you want to remain completely anonymous, you can.

I Feel Rejected
By Brad Dassey Minister of TRUTH!
July 1, 2011
http://www.facebook.com/theprayercloset

I Want To Save Money
By Brad Dassey Minister of TRUTH!
June 29, 2011
http://www.facebook.com/theprayercloset

Do you want to save money? Or have you thought, “Gosh, I really want to save money!” Or, “I wish I knew some secrets on how to save money.” Or, “What can I do to save some money?” “I want a money saving tip.” This is a great article if money is tight right now. It will fit right into your budget, I promise!

If you want to know a little catch 22 secret on how to save money, I’ll tell ya, DON’T BUY THINGS THAT REQUIRE YOU TO BUY AN ACCESSORY OR ACCESSORIES! As lame as that sounds, it’s true! You can get by with a lot of products that don’t require you to buy an accessory every single month it runs out. I mean, you find out that the product is cheaper and the accessories are completely more than what the whole thing is worth! It creates such a frustrating condition in the long run.

For instance, if you go out and waste money on a cheap product and find out you have to buy an ACCESSORY that is WAY MORE THAN THE PRODUCT ITSELF, you are already wasting money! Sometimes you can buy the whole product and the accessory for cheaper!

If you want to save some extra cash, make sure you buy things that come in one whole piece and DON’T require you to keep on having to buy things for it. Companies ALWAYS have to throw products in front of your face to get you to WANT something, but when you have to keep buying something for the same product every single week, month, year, etc, look at how much money you are really spending/wasting on it!

The swivel sweeper is COOL and all, but think about it, you have to buy their product to clean your floor, then you have to buy the extra pad underneath… What’s wrong with a regular old fashioned MOP and BUCKET with a little dab of Pine Sol? Mmmmm. I LOVE the smell of Pine Sol! It smells so FRESH and so CLEAN! 😉

Also, if you buy those expensive razors with 4 or 5 blades in one head, you are in for an expensive wallet roller coaster ride! You can buy the disposable ones for cheaper! All you have to really do is buy the cheapest razor that fits best to your face and keep shaving every one to two days. Your razor will last for quite awhile if you do so! If you wait till your hair grows out, it’s not so pleasant when you shave after the blades are dull. Don’t be lazy! Hahaha. We’ve all been there, so it’s ok.

This is a really awesome money saving tip! You can buy a new vacuum that doesn’t require bags. This will help you save some money. I mean, think about how many bags over time you have already bought thus far when bag-less vacuums never even existed?

If you want to save money, buy things that cost less. Most canned foods are pretty cheap and still really healthy for you! Don’t buy things that cost too much and have all these extra ingredients in them that you don’t even know how to pronounce. I mean, if you can’t pronounce an ingredient let alone spell it, it spells out BAD FOR YOU, plain and simple!

There are so many things that require you to buy an accessory for one dang product and that’s where they get you! If you buy something and it REQUIRES you to always have to buy something, you’ve just learned the catch 22 of marketing products. It’ll get ya every time!

There are a lot of money saving tips out there, but if you really try hard, you can save a LOT of money on searching for articles that help you save money. You don’t have to take my word for it, just simply look and find some on Google and you’ll be amazed as to just how much small pennies turn into HUGE savings over time!

If you have any money saving tips, please write to us at: theprayercloset@yahoo.com we’d love to hear from you!

Breaking The Patterns of Depression
By Brad Dassey Minister of TRUTH
June 28, 2011
www.facebook.com/theprayercloset

So, you want to break your patterns of depression huh? Maybe you’ve thought, “How to break depression?” or, “Where does depression come from?” “Can depression be cured?” “Does medication really work?” “How come my depression medication isn’t working?” “How to overcome depression?” “Is depression of the devil?”

First of all, you must know that depression comes from SOMEWHERE, you aren’t just BORN with it. Over time, throughout your childhood to your teen and adult years, your atmosphere has every effect on your brain. If you witness evil things going on around you, it causes you to react in such a way that is crucial to your brain.

Breaking the patterns of depression can be very difficult, but it’s identifying the root cause of your depression. If you can identify what is causing you to be sad, you can slowly reach success in overcoming depression.

Lets say you grow up in a very emotionally abusive home. Your father and mother are constantly yelling at you, swearing and doing bad things in front of you. Not only are they yelling at each other, but yelling at everyone and nothing ever gets solved. The environment is too much to bear and you just want to SCREAM! Now, if you’ve lived like that for a prolonged period of time, what kind of effect do you think it will have on you over time?

It’s very interesting that adults who have grown up in a proper Christian home and who were raised the right way in the Lord and also people whose parents are still married, have a better thinking pattern. Broken families tend to have an effect on children, teens, young adults and eventually adults as well.

The reason people have depression in the first place is caused by a root problem and then from there on over time, small triggers that keep effecting the brain to think the way you do. So if you’ve grown up in a home where you weren’t properly loved and cared for and were always neglected, chances are, you are probably going to starve for affection when you are older and once you look for affection but can’t seem to find it, your mind starts to wander off and think, “Nobody loves me.” “Who would want me?” “I’m ugly, I can’t even get a boyfriend, girlfriend.”

Once a lie sets into your mind, you start believing this lie and more and more over time, your lie becomes your NEW thought process. Yes, you start to believe these lies when in all reality, what is a lie? An UNTRUE STATEMENT or IDEA, thought in your head.

Depression comes from the devil. Satan likes to lie to you and tell you things that aren’t true like, “You are worthless,” “Nobody will ever love a loser like you,” “You will be alone for the rest of your life,” etc. We all know these statements or thoughts AREN’T true, but what happens when you start to constantly believe in them? What happens when you believe lies so much over time that when you become older, can’t seem to STOP believing the lies? You become depressed. You may become suicidal and think, “I want to die.”

First of all, in order to get out of depression, you have to find out what’s causing it. There’s a learned behavior that happened over time from when you were younger till NOW that has been causing these negative thought patterns and it’s best to identify these thoughts, problems and eventually lead to the root problem.

Think of your thoughts and ideas as files on your computer. Now, we know from time to time that negative things get into our computer. We call these negative things, spyware, viruses, malware, etc. What do these things do to our computer? They make the computer malfunction.

The best way to get rid of depression is to start changing your thought process. This has every effect on who you hang around, what you listen to, what you watch, how you talk, act and how you feel. We are controlled by every thought we think, so therefore, if you are depressed and feeling constant sadness, you probably don’t want to listen to angry or evil depressing music that makes you sad. You PROBABLY don’t want to watch a romantic, sappy love story if you are going through a relationship problem. You probably don’t want to hang around people who bring you down instead of build you up.

Don’t get me wrong, you don’t want to isolate yourself either, because once you isolate yourself, you’ll start to feel alone and it’ll be harder for you to recover from your depression.

Lets face it, you might have been on SEVERAL medications, but nothing seems to work. You are absolutely right! There’s a reason medications really don’t work is because WE have the POWER within to HEAL like Jesus had. Jesus Christ had the power to HEAL people with diseases, schizophrenia, demon possessed people, etc. So if Jesus who was sent by GOD had these powers, why can’t WE!? The truth is, if you are weak in your faith and don’t believe, then you are powerless. You could go to your local church and have people lay hands on you to pray for divine healing, because you know what? IT’S TRUE! Christians have the same healing power Jesus did.

So if you are looking for more articles on depression, you don’t have to just read this one to find out information. Feel free to search more online and look for more articles. I don’t have all the answers, but I can help steer you in the right direction to live a better life!

If you suffer from depression and want prayer, please contact us at theprayercloset@yahoo.com your name and emails will remain anonymous. After all, this is about YOU, right?

Breaking Pornography Addiction
By Brad Dassey Minister of TRUTH
June 28, 2011
http://www.facebook.com/theprayercloset

Pornography addiction… Who can really stop a porn addict? They are a porn addict for a reason. Have you ever thought, “I have a porn addiction.” “Why am I a porn addict?” or, “How can I stop my porn addiction?” Is porn addiction causing your marriage to fail? Is your marriage failing due to the addiction of pornography?

Pornography addiction is one of the biggest issues in the internet world next to online gambling. Online gambling addiction has become greater over the years and while you don’t have to step foot outside the door, you can just enjoy the addiction in the comfort of your own home!

When someone has an addiction, they have to ask themselves, how did this addiction start in the first place? Why do I have an addiction? What can I do to get help from this addiction?

Addictions don’t just start over night. They start and form because of issues in life or in relationships. They start because there is a ROOT PROBLEM within the person and the person’s life, causing them to become an addict.

Getting help with addiction is the key essential to starting the recovery process. Recovery won’t just happen over night, but you have ask yourself, when and how long has this addiction been going on? What started this addiction? The addiction didn’t just happen by itself, something CAUSED the addiction.

The first thing to admit is that you are a porn addict. You are a porn addict and you’ve been a porn addict for quite some time now but maybe have been hiding it from your spouse or loved ones. If you’ve been hiding your addiction, the recovery process could take a lot longer than you expect.

It’s not about having the pornography addiction that makes you a bad person, it’s about getting the help and treatment so you can STOP your addiction. It’s not about judging you as a person for your addiction, but taking the proper steps to get out of Satan’s trap. Satan has you trapped in the corner like a scared little kitty cat and he knows for sure that you’ll attack when the time is right. When is that time? When your loved one finds out you look at porn behind their back? That’s not love then. That’s being selfish.

How to break porn addiction? Tricky question. First off, you have to know that the damaging effects of porn are very CRUCIAL to your brain. Picture staring into a light bulb for 30 seconds. The light bulb is ON of course and you are gazing right into it with your eyes… Now close your eyes after looking into the light and tell me what you see… The light bulb, right? Of course!

Research shows that when we think about things, it sticks into our brain for a long period of time. The damaging effects of porn have the same effect on our brain. You see, when you look at a pornographic image, the image sticks into your mind for a long time and this is why both men and women think about sex every ten seconds. Just kidding. It’s why they think about sex so often. Their surroundings have EVERY effect on their thought process.

If you suffer from porn masturbation addiction, look at your surroundings. What is causing you to do this? Your thought process over time changes once you first start into an addiction. It’s kind of like smoking a cigarette. You have just ONE, then TWO, then THREE and before you know it, you’re hooked! Your Body is a Holy Temple and chances are, you are so buried into Satan’s trap, you can’t get out. There’s still hope. There is! There’s ALWAYS hope.

You don’t really need an addiction counselor to help you stop your porn addiction. If you look to GOD, you can find all of the answers. ALL of the answers! If you acknowledge the one who created you, he will help guide you and lead you down the straight road. Take the road less traveled and steer away while you still have the chance.

You’ve heard the term, you are what you eat, right? You are what you watch. If you watch porn, you are a porn addict. Your body is a Holy Temple belonging to the LORD. The Lord doesn’t want you to watch that stuff. If you constantly stare at naked men and women, you are a porn addict. GOD never wanted this to come into the world, but there are so many secrets in this world we don’t know about and the garbage porn is on the internet BLOWING UP ALL AROUND THE WORLD! Who can really stop it? We all know who can stop it, but do they want to do anything about it? NO.

Don’t let the porn control you! YOU CONTROL THE PORN! As simple as that sounds, right? Well, first, you have to admit you are an addict. That’s the first step to recovery. The second step is to ask GOD for FORGIVENESS and never do it again. How? By praying. Praying constantly and praying often. It’s so easy to get sucked back into the evil world of porn and before you know it, you’ll be looking up so many evil things, you’ll end up in jail Do we want that to happen to you? NO! We want to see you succeed and get the proper help you deserve before things get even worse.

Talk to GOD, ask GOD for forgiveness and ask Jesus into your heart. Confess you are a sinner and steer away from porn. The only way you’ll fill that lonely void in your heart and learn to become independent is by seeking GOD and his Kingdom of PEACE through Jesus Christ.

If you haven’t stopped the porn addiction now, when will you? GOD will give you the power within if you just trust in him and his word! ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE WITH GOD! Not some, but ALL! So why not this!?

If you or someone you know has an addiction and would like someone to talk to, please send an email to theprayercloset@yahoo.com your name will remain anonymous. Everyone needs someone. Everyone needs help. We are here to help and teach, not judge. We are ALL created equal under the eyes of GOD.

I Want To Cheat
By Brad Dassey Minister of TRUTH
June 28, 2011
http://www.facebook.com/theprayercloset

Have you ever thought, “I want to cheat on my wife? I want to cheat on my husband? Or, I want to cheat on my boyfriend, or I want to cheat on my girlfriend? If you have, STOP. Ask yourself WHY?

There’s a reason for everything and you may not know the reasons upfront, but if you do some investigating, you will probably find out that you are unhappy in your marriage or unhappy in your relationship and those are the key points to make you want to cheat. If you are saying, “I am unhappy in my marriage or I am unhappy in my relationship,” try to communicate the issue by writing things down on paper and working them through.

If you’ve ever come across the thought, “I want to cheat,” there are some serious issues that need tackling. We know that faithfulness in a relationship has all the meaning in the world. If you become unfaithful, things get quite ugly for both of you.

Relationship problems start from the very beginning. Not ALL relationships start out with troubles, but most do. Sometimes people continue to live a lie when they KNOW they aren’t happy in a relationship, but still continue to live the lie anyway just to get hurt in the end.

They always say you KNOW when you’ve found the right person. Sometimes you just may not see it right away, so it might take dating a few other people before you finally come to realize that you KNOW he or she is the one. “Is he or she the ONE?” Only your heart will help you decide this question.

People make mistakes. But no mistake is really a mistake, it’s only really just a learning experience and GOD always has everything under control. People make mistakes only to find out later that they’ve done something wrong that they are very sorry for and really LEARN something out of the entire thing before it’s all said and done and wedding bells are ringing.

The people that say sorry but keep on repeating that same sin will always perish. The people that can’t recognize the sin and stay away from it will only find themselves living in the times of Hell, darkness, sadness, depression, anxiety, worry, selfishness.

If you are worrying in life, you are probably sinning and sinning creates so much stress, frustration, anxiety and anger in relationships. There’s a reason you want to cheat and all of the madness comes within yourself. If you just sat back and look at what the Bible says about true love, you’ll find that it says, “Love is patient, Love is Kind,” 1st Cor 13:4-8.

Think about true love for a minute… Love is patient… It’s not selfish. If someone says they DON’T want to do something, you should probably respect that. If you put your partner FIRST in your relationship, you won’t have to worry about yourself, because you’ll be too worried about taking care of your significant other and making sure they are as happy as can be.

Think about relationships like being in a hospital. Ok, lets say you are on your bed, can’t get up, can’t walk, can’t do much of anything. You’d want someone to HELP you right? I mean, you can’t do things on your own, so your significant other would have to do everything he or she could in order to make sure that you had the things you needed. What does this promote? LOVE.

You see, true love is not based on emotions or feelings, but ACTIONS and being COMMITTED to helping your partner out as much as you can in order to make sure their needs are being met. If you aren’t meeting their needs, you probably aren’t finding yourself in such a happy relationship after all. If you only put YOURSELF first in every situation and always say, “Oh I don’t feel like it right now” instead of saying, “Yes honey, I’ll get that for you!” If the needs aren’t being met, you’ve got some thinking to do. Emotions come AFTER the actions.

So if you ever come to the conclusion that you want to cheat on your significant other, there’s something or some things that led you to want to cheat in the first place. Cheating just doesn’t happen over night. Cheating doesn’t just happen in a short time normally. If someone cheats on you in the beginning of the relationship, there’s not a strong enough bond there and they are more than likely just using you for sex.

If you need some emotional support or want someone to talk to or vent to, we’re here to help any way we can. We’ll lend you an ear! Just send an email to theprayercloset@yahoo.com and someone will respond within 24 hours.

Good luck in your relationship!

The Damaging Effects of Text Communication
By Brad Dassey Minister of TRUTH
June 26, 2011
http://www.facebook.com/theprayercloset

Does Facebook Cause Depression? Does Myspace Cause Depression? Does Twitter Cause Depression? Does texting, emailing and any other social media cause depression and anxiety or worry?

Some of you may have asked these questions over and over. The answer lies within you. Only you have the answer if Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Youtube and other sites cause constant sadness and depression.

These are just some of the problems in relationships. Problems in relationships can come from not being able to communicate on a healthy level. Not knowing why certain things happen on social networks or email or text can cause us to run a tape through our minds about why something happened the way it did instead of just letting it GO.

From my experience and from who’ve I’ve talked to about this topic, I’d have to say it’s not the sites themselves that cause the depression, but the bullies and people who are on the sites who don’t know what RESPECT is!

Of course if you post a comment or status, you could get SEVERAL responses from everyone. They are basically sharing their opinion of what THEY think is right. In YOUR mind, your status is right and just, but when the enemy comes along and says something bad, in your mind, you take a negative shot to the heart! BAM!

Of course any site you go on, whether it’s Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, LinkedIn, all those sties that open up to a huge community of networking allow for people to post their feedback, either negative or positive. You just have to be open for suggestions and comments, even if it kills you.

The problem with society today is that people are too opinionated and or have too much time on their hands. The bullies that lurk around on different websites, just to make fun of people’s videos, blogs, statuses, music and whatever you post, are so called, “Trolls.” What is a troll on the internet? Well, I thought it was one of those little plastic toys you used to play with as a child, but I could be wrong and forgive me if I am! 😉

Trolls like to sit around online, looking for damage to be done. You don’t have to have a troll on your Youtube or Myspace or Facebook or Twitter account. They just pop out of nowhere looking for trouble. Most of them will haunt you for the rest of your life if you don’t just block them right out. Some of them will dig up dirt from your past criminal history and try and cause more problems in your everyday life.

Does emailing and texting cause problems in relationships? If I send a text or email back and forth to my significant other while in a relationship, what significance will this have on my relationships? Well, for one, if you sit back and forth texting or emailing all day long while your spouse or boyfriend, girlfriend is away at work, this creates a few issues here. One, you don’t have any SPACE between each other. Relationships NEED space in order to breathe and be effective. If you just text and email all day from work, you don’t give each other that proper space you need. So when it’s time to come home, you really have nothing much to talk about because you’ve probably talked about it all already through email or text.

Email and text causes problems in relationships for boyfriends and girlfriends because for one, you don’t have a significant TONE in voice through words on the screen, so therefore, the person on the other end can take a comment one of two ways, either good or bad. If a person doesn’t know the tone of your voice and thinks you are angry on the other side, this might cause some anger issues on your behalf and you too will become angry and the relationship issues will never work themselves out.

The thing with teenagers, relationships and marriages today is that everyone is on their cell phone WAY TO MUCH! You might as well pull out the super glue because having a cellphone on you is a HUGE habit. Think about it, we Facebook our friends mainly from our cell now. We communicate through texting our friends and family instead of calling them or seeing them in person. We spend much more time on our cellphones and social networking sites simply because we have nothing else better to do and once the habit creeps in, it’s hard to break that habit.

We tend to rely on technology a little too much and once we develop wants, we just keep wanting more and more and more. Sometimes it’s like a popularity game on Facebook to see who has the most friends. Sometimes people add you, then just befriend you for no reason at all and won’t even give you a reason. This creates rejection in our mind because we want to know why they unfriended us on Facebook.

I tend to leave my cell at home or in the car if I am going somewhere important. If I am going to church, I leave my phone in the car. I figure, this way I don’t have to worry about accidentally having my cellphone ON during the service. Therefore, no worries of it going off and interrupting the service! When I work out at the YMCA, I simply leave my cellphone in the car as well. I see TOO many people carrying their phones around when trying to work out. Isn’t the main focus on YOURSELF people? Aren’t you trying to work out and get away from all the stress and madness instead of carry it with you?

Another reason emailing and texting in relationships is bad is because you don’t have much verbal communication. Verbal communication helps you speak clearly and in my opinion, more LOUDLY. You tend to get the point across better while speaking to them face to face instead of in an email or with a cell phone, texting all the time.

It’s pretty sad that people have to hide behind technology these days because they are too AFRAID to break up with their boyfriend or girlfriend. It’s sad that employers now have to use email as a means to FIRE someone because they are too lazy or scared to do it in person, the old fashioned way.

If you try to stay off your phone more, try to communicate more in person, try to stop criticizing others so much and focus on being true to yourself, you’ll find that you can overcome depression and sadness.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please feel free to write theprayercloset@yahoo.com Your email and name will be kept confidential.