The effects of porn addiction in the Christian churches are staggering. Most Christians would rather hide their head in the sand than admit this is a problem let alone talk about it. Those who are not addicted to porn are not aware that this problem. Moreover this is not exclusive to just Christian men but Christian women also suffer from pornography addiction.
Why should you care if you’re not addicted to porn? Because you or your children may end up marrying someone who is. This is why you need to educate yourself about this.
What’s worse is that the people who are married to porn addicts usually end up blaming themselves. They have low self esteem, body image issues, they feel inadequate and have no self worth because they believe they should be able to free their spouse from the addiction and they can’t. It ruins marriages.
Here are some statistics on this problem
Christians, Pastors and Church Pornography Statistics
51% of pastors say cyber-porn is a possible temptation. 37% say it is a current struggle (Christianity Today, Leadership Survey, 12/2001).
50% of evangelical pastors admits viewing pornography last year.
Of those who had visited a porn site, 53% had visited such sites “a few times” in the past year, and 18% visit sexually explicit sites between a couple of times a month and more than once a week.
29% of born again adults in the U.S. feel it is morally acceptable to view movies with explicit sexual behavior (The Barna Group).
57% of pastors say that addiction to pornography is the most sexually damaging issue to their congregation (Christians and Sex Leadership Journal Survey, March 2005).
Roger Charman of Focus on the Family’s Pastoral Ministries reports that approximately 20 percent of the calls received on their Pastoral Care Line are for help with issues such as pornography and compulsive sexual behavior.
Statistics on Women with Pornography Addiction
28% those admitting to sexual addiction are women (internet-filter-review.com).
34% of female readers of Today’s Christian Woman’s online newsletter admitted to intentionally accessing Internet porn in a recent poll and 1 out of every 6 women, including Christians, struggles with an addiction to pornography (Today’s Christian Woman, Fall 2003).
47% percent of families said pornography is a problem in their home (Focus on the Family Poll, October 1, 2003).
So we see that this problem is pervasive in our churches. Now with the internet being such a large part of our lives, this makes it easily accessible on our desktop computers, smart phones or tablets. It is right at our fingertips!
How does the church stop the pornography addition??
The first step to being pornography free is admitting that you have a problem and you need to be delivered. Understand that you are battling a DEMON. Very few resources that you will read about pornography online will tell you that this is a demon.
If you are truly a born again Christian then you can’t be possessed by the demon but you can be oppressed. This means that the demon is in your environment and can influence your thinking by whispering in your ear and enticing you to continue with this behavior.
Remember that once you have received Jesus as your personal Savior you have been set from your past sins. You are a new creation and the old things have passed away and all things become new! (2 Corinthians 5:17) All of your sins are nailed to the cross and you now live a life of freedom from pornography.
You’re probably thinking that this is not true because why then are you or other Christians struggling with this. Well, once you clicked on that link to the website where you visit for porn, whether you did it intentionally or not, you then gave the enemy access to your soul. You gave him access to plant a seed there and keep you in bondage. You opened the door. The first time you clicked on that link, if you quickly clicked off the page you wouldn’t be where you are now. Because you stayed there and continued to look through all the pages and stare at the images you invited satan to enter in. A demon of seduction, pornography, incubus or succubus then attached itself to you. Now you have to take the appropriate steps to freeing yourself from the demon.
Here are some steps to break free from your addiction:
1. Fast. You must start fasting. Here is some information on prayer and fasting. This will give you the initial strength you need to do the other steps. (Mark 9:29) “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”
2. If you have magazines or photos BURN THEM! Videos DESTROY THEM! Don’t put them in the trash make sure they are destroyed so that others cannot find them.
3. Clean out your computer. Delete all files, empty the recycle bin. Cancel all memberships to websites.
4. Install a software on your computer which will block future possible encounters like covenanteyes.com
5. Get someone that you trust 100% to keep this confidential to keep you accountable. Or, get a Christian counselor and see them at least once per week. You need to be honest with someone about this.
6. All your friends on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram that have suggestive photos or are connected with those who have suggestive photos UNFRIEND THEM! Yes, this could be the slippery slope that satan uses to lead you back to the addiction. They won’t understand why you unfriended them but your freedom is more important than their offense at this point.
8. Pray, pray and pray some more.
9. Find a church in your area that has a deliverance ministry and ask them to break the demonic spirit from your life.
10. When you feel weak like you are about to fall into this again repent IMMEDIATELY and put on the Armor of God. This will protect you.
Pornography ruins families and results in many divorces. These demons enter in and convinces the person that this is who they are. It becomes a secret sin and they continue to perpetuate the behavior because they think no one will find out. Afterall, they are not hurting anyone right? These are the lies of the enemy and he can ruin lives when this kind of thinking is believed. Don’t own the behavior. Renounce it! Rebuke it! (1 Corinthians 6:17-19) Pornography is sinning against your own self and the Holy Spirit because we are His temple.
The truth is that a lot of virgins in our churches are addicted to porn. While they are not having sex (fornication) so that the sin is obvious, most of them have fallen into sin already by being addicted to porn. The only person that finds out about this later on is their spouse.
Most believe that once they get married this problem will go away. The truth is, it won’t! Deliverance from this demon needs to happen prior to marriage in order for it not to raise it’s ugly head during the marriage. Remember this is a demon, it will not leave just because you are married. It will entice you to continue the pornography when your husband’s or wife’s body does not look like what you have become addicted to on porn sites, when they refuse to have sex with you one night or not as often as you would like. This is why it won’t stop. Deliverance needs to happen BEFORE you get married.
Here is a prayer for porn addiction:
Father God, I come to you in the name of Jesus and I repent of this sin and I ask that the blood of Jesus would cleanse my mind and my heart from the images that have been imprinted there. I pray that you would renew my mind with images of you on the cross dying for my sins. Renew my mind with your Word according to Romans 12:1-2. Lead me to the scriptures that would continue my mind renewal process. Free me from this bondage Holy Spirit forgive me for grieving you. You’ve said that no temptation has laid hold of us that is not common to man and that you would not allow us to be tempted beyond a point where we cannot escape. I pray that you would show me the way out. Show me the traps and roads that the enemy uses that lead me to this temptation so that I may choose another way. Close those doors in the spiritual realm. Show me all the things, people & places that I need to cut off to continue in my freedom. I bind the hand of the enemy. I rebuke the demon of seduction, pornography, incubus, succubus and any other spirits that have attached themselves to me. Point me in the direction of the deliverance ministry where I can continue in freedom. Free me from the guilt and shame. Continually keep the helmet of salvation on my head to keep my mind free from evil, lustful thoughts. Bring to my mind all the things that I may have in my environment that would encourage these demons so that I can remove them. Lord, I accept that I am a new creation in Christ Jesus that old things have passed away and all things have been made new. Free me from a spirit of rejection and from pride. I am fearfully and wonderfully made and valuable beyond measure in your eyes. Lord, I accept that I have the mind of Christ and therefore my thoughts will be on the things that Christ would have me think on. God lead me to the right support group where I can have the accountability that you know I will need during this process. Holy Spirit guide my steps, guard my heart, make my will Your will and when I don’t know what else to pray please make intercession for me so that I will be free, in Jesus Name, Amen
Here are some other organizations that can help with those who are suffering with pornography addition:
Safe Families
XXXChurch
Porn Free
If you’ve been freed from pornography and can offer advice on this, please write them it the comments below.
Here are some Helplines and Hotlines for those addicted to porn and for the victims.
Porn Addiction Hotline (1-800-583-2964) This line is for the victims of pornography addition
Sex Addicts Anonymous Helpline: (1-800-477-8191)
Sexaholics Anonymous (1-866-424-8777)
Here are some scriptures for breakthrough and a prayer
Here is a prayer to cut soul ties
Here is a prayer for deliverance
www.missionariesofprayer.org
Here is a prayer to pray over anyone suffering with Drug addiction.
Some biblical scholars argue whether or not Drug addiction is of Human Nature or of Demonic nature. We aren’t going to weigh in on this argument. The fact is, no matter what causes the addiction- Freewill/Devil or both, our friends and family members need our prayers and the Lord’s help.
We ask that you pray this prayer over your loved one, inserting his or her name where prompted, and read aloud for all of creation to hear you. We have prayed over this prayer and are in agreement with you. The bible clearly states that when two or more people are present, the Holy Spirit is there and active. We have prayed for you and over this prayer and we believe the Holy Spirit will respond to your prayer and cries for help.
We say Amen to your prayer. Lets Pray:
Father God, we thank you for all of creation and we thank you for the gift of our Family, Friends and Loved ones in our lives. We thank you that we can be a blessing to them, and that they can in return can be a blessing to us when needed. We thank you for the gift of Jesus Christ, and also for the sacrifice of Jesus for all of our sins. We praise You God, Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ.
Lord, you as our creator, we trust in your name so we call for your help day and night. Lord, you know how I feel every moment when I think of (Name Here). It hurts to see (Name Here) being ill both physically and mentally from the effects of drugs.
Heavenly Father I lift up (Name Here) to you and ask for mercy to give (his/her) life back and to show (Name Here) that through Your Mercy and Grace they can live a clean life again. Help (Name Here) hit rock bottom Lord so this vicious cycle of abuse will stop. Open (Name Here)’s heart to the truth and take away the confusion of this world and remove the influence of the Devil and his Demons that might have a stronghold in (Name Here)’s life. We acknowledge that some addictions are of Human nature, but with some God, we acknowledge that the enemy is trying to destroy a person or household.
God place Your loving arms of protection around (Name Here), and surround (Name Here) with a battalion of Guardian Angels. Lord God, I believe that the Army of Heaven is greater than the Army of darkness and I believe that (Name Here) will overcome any satanic influence in their life.
Remove those enablers from (Name Here)’s life. Remove those who perpetuate the use of drugs, or have an influence on (Name here)’s life. Surround (Name Here) with only clean, good, wholesome, God fearing people who positively support them- not seek to drag them down.
Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
Lord Jesus, help (Name Here) to be brave and not give up. When (Name Here) is weak, lift (him/her) up. Increase their faith and allow them to know that You will be her to save (him/her) and that You have a plan for (Name Here) because You are a loving and merciful Christ and God. I pray that (Name Here) will come to You and ask for Your help, and that You WILL answer Father.
Matt 7:7-8 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
I believe You Jesus, though Your stripes can and will deliver everyone who is trapped in this living nightmare of addiction. God take away and break the addiction to prescription pills, street drugs (Name known drugs here), Alcohol and Marijuana.
Place conviction in their hearts, not condemnation, and clear a path to correction in their lives and healing through Your Love, Hope, Faith and Forgiveness and Grace. Expose (Name Here) to the calling on (his/her) life. Work thought their freewill and allow them to be real with the people in their lives, and allow (Name Here) to be real with (his/her)self.
Isaiah 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,and with his wounds we are healed.
Lord, open (Name Here)’s heart, body, soul and spirit to let go of any other addictions in their life that could also strengthen the addiction to drugs, be it sex, anger, control, lying, shopping- whatever takes their focus from You Father God. Lord Jesus, lead them out of the darkness. Get them the help they need to get and be with them though the process, and while they fight their freewill, allow (Name Here) to stay clean.
Acts 5:16 There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.
I also pray that You give me peace that surpasses understanding, as I continue to try and deal with this situation. Allow the Holy Spirit to flow through me and give me wisdom and understanding. Allow the peace of Christ to come over me, and that the knowledge You Father are actively working on this. Jesus be my peace, strength and rock.
Allow us to stand up for what is right with our loved one and not enable them to continue this addiction. Let my claiming their prayer over (Name Here) be a catalyst for Your action in their life. And allow me the knowledge of when to step away and allow them to hit bottom, if that is a part of your plan for their life.
Also Father God, I ask that you be with every Father, Mother, Sister Brother, Son, Daughter, Close Family member, Friend who is crying out to you for their loved ones addiction recovery. We acknowledge Lord that this may take time, so allow me and those praying for our loved ones, friend and family- strength and conviction to hold the course and allow you to work in Your time.
Lord we claim:
Mark 11:22-24 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
1 John 5:14-15 “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
Acts 4:29-30 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
Thank you Father God for hearing to our petitions for our Family, Friends and Loved ones that are suffering from addictions. And thank your for hearing my petition laid before Your Throne in the Throne room of Heaven for (Name Here) my (relation to you).
I ask and believe that you are working in my and (Name Here)’s favor. This in Jesus name, the Holy Spirit and You God Almighty. Amen!
**Please help us continue this project by donating if you are able too.
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charginglife.com
Pornography is one of the biggest problems facing the church of today.
Modern technology like smartphones and high-speed internet has made it more accessible, affordable, and anonymous than ever, and it is wreaking havoc in the church by suffocating the spiritual lives of believers, destroying marriages and families, and diminishing the effectiveness of pastors.
Reports show that 85% of young adult men and 50% of young adult women view pornography on a monthly basis. 64% of Christian men and 15% of Christian women watch porn at least once a month.
64% of Christian men and 15% of Christian women watch porn at least once a month.
Although Christian men and women are called to live holy lives free from sexual immorality (1 Thessalonians 4:3-8), some feel powerless to break off the chains of lust and shame that pornography use has put around them. Questions swirl around in their minds like: “Why do I keep falling back into the same sin?” “Why can’t I quit this destructive behavior?” “Where is the freedom that we are promised in Christ?”
If this describes you or someone you know, take heart. The power sin is no match for the power of the Savior who has conquered sin and set us free from the law of sin and death! Breaking free from habitual sin like pornography requires a change in your relationship with God, a change in your view toward sin, and a change in your relationships with others. This article will provide an overview of biblical principles and list many Bible verses/passages that apply to this common, yet dangerous struggle.
A quick word on how NOT to use this post: Do not think that adding these 10 biblical principles to your to-do list is the highway to perfection. Truth be told, purity is not the main goal. Honoring God by showing our love to Him in holiness in all areas of life is the main goal. We need to press into the grace of God shown to us in Christ and receive transformation that is from Him.
At the end of this article I list several recommended resources for living in purity. I pray that if you looking for how to stop a porn addiction, you will find the grace and power of Christ more than adequate to help you to break free from sin’s grasp and live a holy life for His glory.
1. Cry out to God for grace to change.
(Titus 2:11-14; Psalms 107; Romans 5:17; Psalms 34; Jeremiah 3:21-25)
Apart from the grace of God, we are powerless to turn from sinful habits. Psalm 34:17 says, “When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.” If you find yourself burdened by the sin of lust, cry out to God for deliverance and the grace to change. Christ can give you a new heart, restored joy, a clean and restored conscience. True change cannot happen apart from God’s grace, so as you continue to read, pray for God’s grace to apply these principles.
(If you don’t know Christ, or are not sure whether you do or not, you need to believe the gospel of Jesus Christ before any of this article applies to you.)
2. Pursue a deeper love for both God and the Gospel.
(Ephesians 2:1-10; Titus 2:11-14, 3:3-8; Romans 5:1-11; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Matthew 22:37-38)
The root of all porn struggles is idolatry—you love to lust more than you love God. Seek to develop a deeper love for God and a deeper appreciation of His love to you in the gospel. Worship Him for His holiness and grace. God not only provides us saving grace in the gospel, He provides a sanctifying grace that prepares us for service, which is integral to who we are in Christ (Titus 2:11-14). Ask God for a deeper love for Him and deeper understanding of your place in the gospel.
An important part of loving God is rejoicing in the goodness of God’s good design for sexuality: sex between one man and one woman who are committed to each other in covenant for life.
3. Hate Your Sin.
(Proverbs 8:13; 1 Thessalonians 4:8; James 4:4-10; Psalms 51; Matthew 5:4)
Pornography use is idolatry in God’s eyes and is poisonous to relationships with Him (1 Thessalonians 4:8; Jeremiah 2:13; Jonah 2:9). Realize that this sin could destroy you, your family, your marriage, and your witness. Realize the people you lust after are made in God’s image and doing something that will damn them to hell if they don’t repent. Ask God to give you godly sorrow over your sin and practice true repentance (2 Corinthians 7:8-13). Hating your sin and not just it’s consequences means doing everything you possibly can to change, even uncomfortable things.
4. Treasure God’s Word.
(Psalms 119:9-11; 1 John 2:14; Romans 15:4; Romans 12:1-2; Colossians 3:16; Psalm 1; Joshua 1:8)
Those who use pornography believe a number the lies telling them that their sin isn’t so bad, it’s not their fault, or a little lust is permissible. We need God’s Word to confront the lies we believe and teach us about God’s beautiful creation in human sexuality that will give us greater angst when we see His created beauty marred by the destructiveness of sin. We need to memorize, meditate on, and treasure God’s words. His Word alone is the sword of the Spirit that will help us the battle against the habitual sin of lust.
5. Confess your sins.
(James 5:16; 1 John 1:5-10; Psalm 32; Proverbs 28:13; Leviticus 5:5; Galatians 6:1)
A heart-felt confession of sins is blessed by God and leads to healing and cleansing. Humble yourself before God in confession and plead for God’s help to fight sin. You may also want to confess to a trusted friend, pastor, counselor, or your spouse. Confession can be a tremendously intimidating step for someone struggling—but remember that it can be a vital part of the repentance process. When confessing your sin, exercise wisdom in confession knowing that pornography use is deeply hurtful and deceptive to many involved.
6. Remove sources of temptation.
(Matthew 5:29-30…Romans 13:14; Hebrews 12:1-2; Isaiah 57:14; Ephesians 5:3)
Fighting our sinful habits means not leaving provision for our flesh and removing sources of temptation (Romans 13:14). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus illustrated the importance of this with the hyperbolic command to tear out your eye if it causes you to sin (Matthew 5:29-30). This could mean setting up filters on your computer, phone, or TV, and throwing out anything that stirs up your flesh. Don’t tolerate your sin any more than you would tolerate an armed killer living in your house. You are weak and need to lay straight paths for your feet so that in a moment of weakness you can stand firm in God’s strength.
“Be killing sin or it will be killing you.” John Owen
7. Be accountable to other believers.
(Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; Proverbs 27:17; 2 Timothy 2:2; Galatians 6:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:11)
One of the lies that sin can make us believe is that we are alone with nobody to help us. God has given us the church and the opportunity to have spiritual friends who can help us in our fight against sin. Pray for godly accountability that will drive you away from sin to the Savior. Look into accountability programs like Covenant Eyes or X3Watch that can help you be accountable, but realize an email report does not take the place of life-on-life accountability or remove your sinful desires.
8. Make a game plan against possible temptation.
(Ephesians 6:10-20; Psalm 101:3; 1 Peter 1:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:5-8; 1 Peter 5:8-9; 1 Corinthians 10:7-14; Judges 16:4-18; 2 Timothy 2:2; Genesis 4:7; 1 Peter 2:11-12; Proverbs 22:5; Galatians 5:24)
We need to take our fight against the world, the flesh, and the devil seriously. A good athlete studies his opponents on film and replays his own defeats, trying to find moments of weakness he can learn from and strengthen.
We should be as crafty as we can formulating strategies to fight acting out on lust. Brainstorm what lies you have believed and counter them with truth. Analyze your life and common times you are susceptible to temptation, and structure your life in a way that allows you to fight back. In Christ, you are not a slave to sin but have everything you need for living a godly life and overcoming temptation (2 Peter 1:3; 1 Corinthians 10:13).
9. Live in the Power of the Holy Spirit.
(Romans 8:1-11; Galatians 5:16-25; 2 Corinthians 3:16-18)
God doesn’t leave us in our battle for sin alone but gives us the greatest possible resource to fight against sin: His Spirit within us. Romans 8:13 says, “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” Walking in step with the Spirit will set your mind on spiritual things and not rely on your own strength and wisdom in battling sin.
10. Don’t give up.
(Isaiah 40:28-31; Psalm 121; Psalm 40; 1 Corinthians 15:58; Lamentations 3:25-26)
In Christ there is restoration, redemption, and healing. Even though you may be discouraged and face setbacks, put your hope in Christ and keep preaching the gospel to yourself. Know that your efforts and energies to pursue Christ and fight sin are pleasing to Him, and run after Him with all that you have. If you are in Christ, you have a living Savior who lives in you and intercedes for you. If you do fail, don’t let discouragement lead you to despair, but honor Christ by not giving up.
As you grow in grace and more conformed to His image, you will find increased strength and victory. May God strengthen you and equip you for a life of purity and joy in Him!
Recommended Resources:
- Article: The Porn-Free Family Plan by Tim Challies
- Book: Finally Free: Fighting for Purity with the Power of Grace by Heath Lambert
- Book: The Way of Purity: Enjoy Lasting Freedom in Christ (Setting Captives Free) by Mike Cleveland
- Book: Closing the Window: Steps to Living Porn Free by Tim Chester
- Book: Undefiled: Redemption From Sexual Sin, Restoration For Broken Relationships by Harry Schaumburg
- Chart: A Chart Contrasting Healthy and Unhealthy Sexuality by Dr. William Struthers
- Sermon: Battling the Unbelief of Lust by John Piper
- Sermon: Love and Lust by Timothy Keller
- Seminar: False Love: Overcoming Sexual Sin from Pornography to Adultery from Brad Hambrick
- Seminar: True Betrayal: Overcoming the Betrayal of Your Spouse’s Sexual Sin from Brad Hambrick
- Software: Covenant Eyes (affiliate link)
Article originally appeared in Spanish at The Gospel Coalition.
www.kevinhalloran.net
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30
Struggling with a substance abuse addiction takes its toll not only physically and emotionally, but spiritually as well. That’s why Christian drug and alcohol treatment centers strongly believe in treating the person as a whole; mind, body and spirit. How does prayer work in recovery? The power of prayer in recovery builds hope and provides the motivation and strength to fight the good fight against addiction.
Finding or restoring a relationship with God during rehab provides a powerful Helper while on the journey to life-long recovery. Strengthening a relationship with God through group and personal Bible studies, and fellowship with others through prayer groups, provides an unexplainable sense of peace and boundless hope. In its essence, faith in recovery needs to be accompanied by actions.
Table of contents
Prayer Heals
“Jesus stopped and called them. ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ he asked. ‘Lord,’ they answered, ‘we want our sight.’ Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.” -Matthew 20:32-34
The healing power of prayer is a proven fact that scientific and medical research equally support. There are documented studies that prayer has healed many serious diseases much to the puzzlement of medical practitioners. The power of prayer is a mighty God-given gift that can heal addiction too.
No one is without weakness; no one. How we react to that weakness, however, makes all the difference in the world. Turning to drugs or alcohol is the easy way out and not the reaction God desires. God offers unlimited strength to those who turn to Him in prayer; releasing control and allowing Him to take charge of that weakness – that addiction – will extinguish its power and hold on an addict’s life.
There are many more benefits gained through genuine faith and prayer:
- You will never be alone in the battle
- Relief from fear and anxiety
- Balance of mind, body and spirit
- Experiencing pure joy which increases the effectiveness of treatment during rehab
- Inspiration to do the work necessary to achieve a new life free of addiction
- Greater mental focus
- Diminished stress levels
- Strength against addiction triggers
- Reduced rate of relapse
- An increase of dopamine levels in the brain generating the serenity once manufactured by drug use
- Absence of depression
- A 24/7 Helper to guide you to making the right choices while accepting what cannot be changed
How to Pray
“I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” – Psalm 121:1-2
Think of prayer as a conversation between you and God. Talk to Him as if you were talking with a friend. Prayer does not have to be a script; filled with ‘thee’ and ‘thou.’ God wants to hear from you – personally.
A good guideline is to:
- Start with some praise, tell Him how you care for Him and trust in Him alone
- Thank Him for the blessings in your life; big and small
- Ask Him for healing from your addiction and share the desires of your heart with Him
- Ask for forgiveness
- Ask for strength and protection against the evil powers of addiction
The 12-Step Recovery and Prayer
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference” – Reinhold Niebuhr
A.A. and N.A. believe deeply in utilizing the power of prayer for recovery and healing. A countless number of addicts have achieved successful long-term recovery with the strength gained through praying to God.
Each of the twelve steps is complemented by a prayer which can be incorporated into personal prayer time. Reciting the Prayer of Serenity during A.A. meetings is customary and a good prayer to find strength on a daily basis during life-long recovery (what the Serenity Prayer means).
Believe in the Power of Prayer for Recovery
“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” –John 10:10
Drugs and alcohol are not your friends. They are the enemy – the thief – that is intent on destroying lives and families. God promises unconditional love, protection from your enemies, a Helper to guide you and strength to carry you through. All you have to do is believe.
addictionblog.org
