A Prayer for Families Struggling with Addiction
Addiction is selfishness wrapped in self-destruction. It is the picture of a person who has become so self-absorbed in their pet sins that they no longer think of anything or anyone except themselves, and satisfying their own selfish desires. It is narcissism at its peak. It is the absence of reality. It is the absence of God. It is a sickness. It is sin. And, much like Satan, it wears many different masks.
We give it pretty medical titles and clinical terms to sugar-coat it, but it is simply sin. This type of Godlessness is devastating to families. Families struggle to understand and to cope with how their loved ones can be so deeply lost in darkness.
John 3:19 in The Message puts it like this, “This is the crisis we're in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won't come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is."
We cannot change the sinner. But, we can show the sinner God’s light at work in our life. We cannot be tolerant of the sin. But, we can love the sinner as Christ loved us and gave Himself for us.
And, we can pray.
“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” (James 5:16)
Dear Heavenly Father,
Forgive me of my many sins. You know them all. Cleanse me from my unrighteousness.
Lord, I come before You now with a concern for __________________________ who is struggling with _____________________________________________________. I pray that he/she would step out of the darkness of this sin and into Your holy, loving light of truth, Father.
Help him/her to see this addiction as sin, Father, and to begin to step into reality—able to see Your truth.
Father, help us to be an example of all that is true, right and good. Give us the words to say, and help us to know what actions to take and when to take them. Grant us Your strength, Lord, because we are struggling.
May we all grow deeper in our relationship with You as a result of this struggle, Father.
We commit the outcome to You, for it is in Your most holy and precious name we pray.
AMEN.
We give it pretty medical titles and clinical terms to sugar-coat it, but it is simply sin. This type of Godlessness is devastating to families. Families struggle to understand and to cope with how their loved ones can be so deeply lost in darkness.
John 3:19 in The Message puts it like this, “This is the crisis we're in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won't come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is."
We cannot change the sinner. But, we can show the sinner God’s light at work in our life. We cannot be tolerant of the sin. But, we can love the sinner as Christ loved us and gave Himself for us.
And, we can pray.
“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” (James 5:16)
Dear Heavenly Father,
Forgive me of my many sins. You know them all. Cleanse me from my unrighteousness.
Lord, I come before You now with a concern for __________________________ who is struggling with _____________________________________________________. I pray that he/she would step out of the darkness of this sin and into Your holy, loving light of truth, Father.
Help him/her to see this addiction as sin, Father, and to begin to step into reality—able to see Your truth.
Father, help us to be an example of all that is true, right and good. Give us the words to say, and help us to know what actions to take and when to take them. Grant us Your strength, Lord, because we are struggling.
May we all grow deeper in our relationship with You as a result of this struggle, Father.
We commit the outcome to You, for it is in Your most holy and precious name we pray.
AMEN.
Comments