Pray Against Provocation – Job 31:1

I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman. 
Job 31:1

It’s easy to declare, “I will never look at another seductive image or video again.” But sometimes, despite your best efforts, external influences can provoke you. There may be moments when someone deliberately tries to entice you, or you come across something that stirs lustful desires. This is why it is important to pray against provocation.

Job made a covenant with his eyes to resist lustful temptation. What covenant will you make today regarding your own desires?

A covenant is a binding agreement, a commitment you make with yourself and before God. When you make this covenant, you hold yourself accountable to resist lustful urges—no matter what you encounter. Whether someone tries to tempt you intentionally or you see something provocative, your words will serve as a firm reminder of your commitment.

Your willingness is there, but the flesh is weak. This is why prayer is essential. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Philippians 4:13). Pray for the strength to remain faithful to your commitment. Pray for the discipline to turn your eyes away from anything that could lead you astray. Ask God for the power to stand firm against provocation and temptation.

Below is a prayer you can use as a guide when praying against provocation, along with Bible verses to meditate on as you pray.

Prayer against provocation

Dear Lord,  
Please help me in this area of my life. Just as Job made a covenant with his eyes, I pray that You avert my eyes from anything I should not see. Shield my eyes from all that is provocative or harmful. Let no one or nothing seek to harm or distract me. Help me to control what I look at and to keep my focus on the Spirit. Strengthen me to subdue the desires of the flesh and keep me from being drawn to provocative imagery. Make my will strong, Lord, and lead me to build myself up only in Your Spirit.  
Amen.

Bible verses to meditate on

1 Corinthians 6:18

Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.

This verse reminds us that we should run from temptation and avoid getting caught up in sinful behaviour. Instead of allowing ourselves to be led astray by lustful desires, we should flee from them and seek God’s guidance in overcoming them.

Proverbs 6:25

Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes.

This verse reminds us to guard our hearts and minds against temptation, especially when it comes to lustful thoughts. We must be mindful of what we allow into our minds and hearts, knowing that our thoughts and desires can lead us astray.

Matthew 5:28

But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

This verse serves as a reminder that even our thoughts can lead us astray. It’s important to guard our minds and hearts against lustful thoughts and instead focus on living a life that is pure and pleasing to God.

1 Peter 2:11

Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.

As followers of Christ, we are called to live as strangers in a foreign land, holding fast to our faith and resisting the temptations that come our way.

Ephesians 5:3

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.

As Christians, we are called to live lives that are above reproach and free from sin. We must strive to be holy and set apart, resisting the temptations of the flesh and focusing on the things of God.