These are my notes, shared as a Made to Crave book review. Lysa TerKeurst wrote Made to Crave as a book and Bible study to help readers lose weight and get healthy. This book explains how to use God’s direction to achieve weight loss.
Made to Crave Chapter 2: Replacing My Cravings
Do you arrange your life around food? The struggle with food isn’t about the number on the scale or your clothing size. The battle is within your heart. Surrender – I mean REALLY surrender – to God for spiritual and physical health.
I’ve done my fair share of emotional eating before I do any praying.
Is it possible to rely more on food and more than we rely on God? Could it be possible we love food more than God? While I don’t want to even consider the latter, I’ve done my fair share of emotional eating before I do any praying.
Is food your comfort? Your reward? What do you turn to in times of stress or sadness? What do you turn to when you celebrate? Are you relying on food more than God?
God did not design us to want anything more than Him.
Praying Away Cravings
Each time you have a craving, pray. TerKeurst tore down the tower of temptation food had in her life with “brick by brick” with prayer. This isn’t a one-and-done fix. See my take-away below.
Prayer is just talking to God. When you pray about a craving –
- Tell God what you are craving
- Tell God what you are eating instead
- Talk to God about your feelings and why you are going to stick to your plan
Need help with prayer? Check out the Made to Crave 60-day Devotional.
Psalm 5:1-3 NIV Listen to my words, Lord, consider my lament. Hear my cry for help, my King and my God, for to You I pray. In the morning, Lord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait expectantly.
What if You had Relied on God?
Think about the times you’ve relied on food instead of God in response to a situation. How do you imagine your experiences would have been if you replaced emotional eating with God and prayer?
My Take-away from Made to Crave Chapter 2
This method of attacking cravings with prayer takes practice. Right now, I estimate praying works about 30% of the time for me. That low success rate causes me to forget I have prayer in my arsenal of health tools. I have a hunch if I pray more regularly my cravings will subside more frequently.
Satan does not want us to succeed at anything, much less better health. Our health is the foundation of our ability to perform as the hands and feet of Christ. Keep praying (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Do not be deceived by the enemy.