Dave “The Icon” VanVickle is back with me to continue our series on sin. Today, Dave shares his comprehensive devotional model as a tool to help us overcome sin in our lives. Inspired by the lives of the saints, this model offers us a practical routine and structure to concretely drive out sin in our lives.
Snippet from the Show
“Connection is more important than perfection.”
Shownotes
“You can’t have a new heart if you insist on returning to the same sin.”
Shownotes
Dave developed this devotional model as a tool in our spiritual battle to overcome sin and encounter freedom in Christ. Feel free to adjust this model according to your own unique needs and struggles. We also encourage you to share this with a coach, counselor, and spiritual director who can guide you and offer additional resources and tools. We hope you find it useful in your walk towards freedom and holiness with Christ!
Daily Events
Morning Routine
- Take time to journal- How am I going to win today?
- Make time for morning devotions; mass, rosary, or adoration. See what works best for your schedule.
- Pick a daily devotional book that you can reflect and meditate on. For those struggling with sexual purity, the book Clean of Heart, a 30-day devotional book is an excellent resource.
- Write a prayer support letter to cloistered religious sisters/brothers asking for their prayers and mail it out their convents and monasteries. You will notice that many of them will write back.
- “Dear sisters, I’m writing to you today to ask you for prayers for _____. I am asking God to assist me in getting rid of this sin for these reasons.”
- Make time to exercise. Grace builds on nature. You should be physically exhausted when you are done with it.
- Memorize Scripture verses to mystically clean your mind. The devil works on us when our mind is not engaged, but we want God to work on us instead.
- Make a plan for your afternoon.
Afternoon Routine
- Take out your journal and write down short-term goals. Reflect on how your state of mind and moral state, build up or tear down your goals.
- Spend ten minutes reading one of the Gospels. The Gospel of John is a great one to start with.
Evening Routine
- Go back to the journal and write your why. Then do your Examination of Conscience and say a prayer of repentance. You want to prepare for the night and for sleep.
- You should have 30-60 minutes of recreation, but no more.
Make sure you have a ritual for failure because you will fail sometimes. You need a prayer of repentance and a devotional that is focused entirely on your relationship with Jesus Christ for those moments when you fall.
If your habitual sin has been with you for over a year, we recommend seeking counseling. Here are two counseling resources:
- Betterhelp.com
- Betterhelp.com/foxes
- Faithfulcounseling.org – christian faith based counseling
Weekly events
- Confession
- Counseling sessions (if needed)
- Practice a new hobby ( art, woodworking, learning a language, etc. ). This increases your vitality and will help your self-development and personal growth.
- Understand and study the counter virtue of the vice you are struggling with. For example, if you’re prideful, study humility.
Monthly events
- Go on a retreat day to step back and rejuvenate your soul. This doesn’t have to be at a facility or a formal retreat. This day should not be overly stressful.
Meet Your Hosts
Michael “Gomer” Gormley
Michael spent 17 years in full-time parish ministry and is now the Mission Evangelist for That Man Is You!, a men’s apostolate for Paradisus Dei. Michael is a frequent speaker at conferences, retreats, and parish missions all over the US and Canada.
He is the founder and creative director of LayEvangelist.com, and hosts two popular Catholic podcasts: Catching Foxes and Every Knee Shall Bow.
He is married to his college sweetheart, Shannon, and has four beautiful and hilarious children: Kateri, Cecilia, Noah, and Thomas.
Dave VanVickle
Dave VanVickle fell in love with the Lord at the age of fourteen and has since dedicated his life to bringing others into a radical relationship with Christ.
He is a speaker and retreat leader who focuses on proclaiming the universal call to holiness, authentic Catholic spirituality, spiritual warfare and deliverance. Additionally, Dave has over ten years of experience assisting Priests with their ministries of exorcism and deliverance.
Dave married his late wife Amber in 2010. He now resides in Pittsburgh with his five children: Sam, Max, Judah, Josie and Louisa.
