Right now

You can get through this moment.

Temptation is a wave. It rises, peaks and passes, usually within 10 to 20 minutes. You do not have to win forever. Just do the next ten minutes.

  1. Stop. Breathe.

    Pause. Breathe in for four counts, out for six, five times. Say it out loud: "I am tempted. I do not have to obey this."

  2. Leave.

    Change where you are, now. Go to another room, go outside, go where other people are. Put the phone or the temptation down and away.

  3. Pray in one sentence.

    Jesus, help me. I am yours. Give me strength for the next ten minutes.

    13No temptation has taken you except what is common to man. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation also make the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
    1 Corinthians 10:13 (WEB)
    7Be subject therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners. Purify your hearts, you double-minded.
    James 4:7-8 (WEB)

  4. Do something else.

    Walk, drink a glass of water, do twenty push-ups, wash dishes, play music, call someone. Anything that changes your body and your surroundings.

  5. Tell someone.

    Text a friend: "Struggling right now. Please pray for me." You do not need to explain.

Ten minutes

Stay with the plan until the timer ends. 10:00

If you slip

You are not disqualified. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us." (1 John 1:9) Confess to God, tell someone, and begin again today. Read more.

Want a plan for next time?

Break Free helps you name it, understand it, and build a plan. Free and private.

If you are in crisis or thinking about hurting yourself, call or text 988 (US) or 911. More help.

Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible (WEB), public domain.