The idea is this: You have a particular recurring problem or potential problem such as laziness, cheating, stealing, swearing, lust, anger, pride, lying, immorality, lack of self control, pornography, drugs, alcohol, impatience, etc.

Our Lord gives us a command (Aorist Imperative) in Romans 13:14: “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.”

How can I victoriously fight this war against my fleshly desires? As a born-again Christian with the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in me, I can find a Scripture that deals with my particular problem. I memorize that Scripture, then meditate on the Scripture by going over and over it in my mind. Then personalize it by inserting my name into the Scripture everywhere I can. I pray the verse or passage back to my Lord and ask him to use it in my life the next time the temptation or test or workshop (as Jenna Dee likes to call them) comes along.

ANGER
For example, perhaps you have a problem with anger. Look up some Scriptures that deal with anger. One that we have used in our family is Ecclesiastes 7:9: “Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.”
Memorize it, meditate on it, personalize it, pray it back to God. “Lord, help me not to be hasty (eager) in my spirit to be angry. Help me not to forget that You look upon me in my anger as a fool. Lord Jesus, I do not want to be a fool in Your sight. Give me the grace to walk in Your Spirit and make no provision for the lusts of my flesh.”

Are you a person who is hasty to be angry? Does your family walk on eggshells around you for fear of triggering your uncontrolled temper? Do you scream and shout and lose it at the slightest provocation? Do you express your obnoxious, pompous anger with the silent treatment? Are you eager to be angry? Do you want our loving Lord to call you a fool? You see, anger destroys relationships. It ruins families, and our Lord knows that and wants something better for us. He desires for us to have hearts full of self-control and peace. Jesus said: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27

So now you are angry at a family member and our faithful Savior brings to your mind Ecclesiastes 7:9. Or maybe a family member says in a quiet voice, “Do not be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for our precious Lord tells us that anger resides in the bosom of fools.” What do you do now that you lost it again? You may have thoughtlessly slipped back into your old habit pattern of anger, but as soon as the Holy Spirit reminds you that your anger is not a fruit of the Spirit, ask that precious family member to forgive you and confess it to the Lord as the sin that it is.

“And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one an other, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:30, 31

Once you lose your temper, why would you not want to immediately confess this sinful behavior and gain forgiveness and regain the fellowship of the family member you have offended? The reason is called “PRIDE.” Ninety-nine-point-nine percent of relationship problems are caused by pride and selfishness. Behind the pride and selfishness is the root of unbelief. Unbelief in this sense is “I have a better idea of how to run my life than God does!” As Frank Sinatra sang, “I Did It My Way.” So I indulge myself at the expense of my family and the reputation of my Lord.

LET’S RECAP HOW TO PRE-DECIDE THE WAY WE WILL REACT WHEN TEMPTED TO SIN:

Find a Scripture that deals with the problem.

Memorize this Scripture.

Meditate on this Scripture.

Personalize the Scripture (put your name in it wherever possible).

Pray the Scripture back to God.

THEN WHAT?

Ask the Lord to use this Scripture in your life the next time (or first time) you are confronted with the problem, test or temptation!

http://www.biblicaldiscipleship.org/Essentials/Predeciding.htm