Need prayer for addiction

[InRecovery]

I have had addictions to alcohol and cigarettes for many years. I go through periods when I can leave them alone with God's help. This weekend I let Satan infiltrate my thoughts and decided to have some beers and cigarettes. I feel very guilty and remorseful, although I have asked God's forgiveness and I know he is faithful to forgive when we confess our sins. But, I'm so disgusted with myself for not talking with someone before I made my final decision to relapse and for letting Satan control my thoughts long enough to convince me that relapse is OK. I need your prayers and support. Help!

[ConqueredbyLove]

Of course I will pray for you!

You are still loved...by God and me :hug:

[Sold Out]

"It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22,23

Just keep wanting what's right, and God will help you. Think of King David...who really messed up big time, yet God called him 'a man after God's own heart..'. David didn't always DO right, but he always WANTED what was right. God can work with that!

Just get back up, dust yourself off, and start fresh again tomorrow!

[turtledove]

Hey, InRecovery, your user name is what you are..InRecovery. And that sometimes means relapses..but not to give up.

I drank for years telling myself that because it was beer it didn't matter so much. But alcohol is alcohol and it began to get a hold and the best of me. I couldn't quit for the love of husband, friends, or even children. One day after a night of booze and cigarettes I looked up on the wall in my bedroom. I had a pop art (it was 1970) photo of a large glass of orange juice, an advertisement, which said, "It's better than what you are drinking now." Somehow I realized quitting was my decision but thought I wouldn't have the strength. So I began to ask God for help and said, "God, my friend, please help me." And from that moment on things began to change with only a couple very short relapses over the years until I just wasn't interested anymore.

Smoking was another addiction which God has delivered me from. I replaced it with many activities then: skiing, walking, working out, cycling, and swimming..and never went back because I enjoyed these activities and wanted and got in really good shape. Now I am older and have back problems and can't be so active; but I remain free from beer and nicotine addictive habits after 38 years. I smoked in a time when it was considered the popular thing to do. My children don't even remember me smoking and drinking as I remember my parents doing when I was growing up and almost all of our friends and relatives smoked. And none of my adult children smoke. God is so good to help when we call on Him and to turn our lives in a better direction.

I know that but for the grace of God I would still be drinking too much and puffing smoke over the top.

Praying for you as you have asked to be freed from these addictions.

Believing in faith and looking forward to hearing when and how the Lord helps you.

"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." (John 8:36)


peace and blessings, :pray:

wiseoldowl

[ConqueredbyLove]

Never, never, never give up!!!!

When Jesus predicted that Peter would deny Him what did Jesus say to Him?

He said "When thou art converted, strengthen your brethren". Note how Jesus said "when" not "if".

There was no doubt in the mind of Jesus that Peter would eventually be victorious and there is no doubt in the mind of Jesus that you are already victorious!

As for the guilt (and shame if you have it)...Jesus said "It is finished"! You are not guilty, my dear brother!!!! Jesus took care of that on the cross 2,000+ years ago!

[InRecovery]

Wow! I am humbled by your responses! Never expected anyone to make the effort to respond the way you have already! God does have some faithful servants on the board -- I truly believe that!

Thank you for your responses, prayers and Scripture that has already lifted my spirits and given me hope of recovery! :pp

[Lefty]

God gave us a free will to do good or evil, and we're commanded to use that free will to do good. I think it's that simple. Stay in prayer and alert to subtle ideas that say otherwise and you'll be on good ground.

Let's say you find yourself tangled up in an engrained habit of smoking and you want out. You want out because it's clearly God's will. You say "well, God gave me a free will so I'll simply use it and stop smoking". It's a nice, clear, easy to understand thought that you do have this God given control that puts you in the driver's seat, and so you feel strong, tough and make a good start. Then, some well meaning person comes around just when your nerves are frayed during the inevitable struggle and drops some comment to the effect that "no, you can't do it yourself but need to let God do it." Or, "you have to come to the end of yourself and realize you can't do it, then thats when God will take over and do it for you." "This way, God gets the glory, not you." It makes sense, kinda, but I don't think it's true in the way they mean. This idea just tempts you to start smoking so you can re-quit and do it again their way. But it won't happen. You'll be in a vicious circle of quitting and re-quitting.

To God's glory? When you use your God given free will to be obedient to God's will, then the successful outcome of "self-cleaning" will be to God's glory; He'll then be able to work through a clean vessel by the Holy spirit and he'll make good things happen. Glory to God, not me.

"But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door: it desires to have you, but you must master it"." Gen 4:7

"Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles." Heb. 12:1

Where is the "let God do it" in here? God told me to do this. I take credit for obedience and am allowed to feel good about it, and the fruits God produces from this obedience are to his glory. I'm happy, he's happy. That's how it's suppose to be, isn't it?

"Addiction"?
I was just thinking about this today; I think the term "bad habit" is the right one. It's less scary too. You drink, chase women, smoke or gamble it's a "bad habit." You do cocaine or heavy drugs and it's an "addiction." I think they started using that term around the turn of the century in relation to opium, because they needed a word to distinguish from the run of the mill "habits" because opium had heavy medical concerns that booze and cigarettes didn't have much of. That's how I read it anyway.

You think "bad habit" and it's easier to handle. An "addiction", and it gets harder. I wonder if there's some spiritual warfare going on here in the words?

[baxpack7]

If I may, I would like to offer up my testimony found here:

http://bibleforums.org/forum/showthread.php?t=112657

I hope that you find it both enlightening and encouraging.

[karenoka27]

Just wanted to let you know that I have read your situation and I am keeping you in prayer. I am not addicted to alcohol or cigarettes but I am married to someone who is. I know the pain and the struggles and the wrestling that comes with wanting to quit. I also know the guilt of being unable to do so in one's own strength.
Praying that God gives you the freedom that you are desiring. I am praying that when He does free you, you will use that freedom to help others understand that they too can be set free! How awesome is that?

[InRecovery]

Baxpack -- great testimony and one that offers hope to those of us who still struggle. Wow, my man, how you've been blessed!

Karenoka, WiseOldOwl, Lefty, ConqueredbyLove and SoldOut -- thank you so much for your responses, concerns and prayers. It really means a lot to me.

One verse I constantly remind myself of is John 15:5:

5"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

[baxpack7]

Amen! Just keep sending those prayers/praises up, and those blessings will come down!

God bless!!

[ConqueredbyLove]

Baxpack -- great testimony and one that offers hope to those of us who still struggle. Wow, my man, how you've been blessed!

Karenoka, WiseOldOwl, Lefty, ConqueredbyLove and SoldOut -- thank you so much for your responses, concerns and prayers. It really means a lot to me.

One verse I constantly remind myself of is John 15:5:

5"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

:hug: :hug: :hug:

[turtledove]

One verse I constantly remind myself of is John 15:5:

5"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Exactly! And glad our replies helped. Keep looking up! :) owl

[karenoka27]

In my church when we sing they have overhead projector's that put up pictures. There is one picture they show that just makes me cry. It is a wall of rocks leading to the ocean. At the end of the rocks is a cross and the waves are strong. I picture myself at times clinging to Christ through the storms. I thought of you when you shared that verse about abiding in Him and He in you.

Sometimes it feels like we are hanging on to Him with all of our life, and yet it is He that is hanging on to us.:hug:

Praying for you to be set free from alcohol and cigarettes.

[DaniHansen]

We usually allow contrary things into our bodies because there is something in our souls that needs help. Of course physical substances cannot achieve that, but they can temporarily trick our brains and cover things up for a little while. But self-medication with addictive substances, if the issue is non-physical, is like slapping a Band-Aid on a cancer.

What's up with your soul? Remember, God works from the inside out. Temptation and the enemy works from the outside in.

It's good to flee temptation and cut those things that make us weak out of our lives completely. But a more thorough approach would be to do that AND ask God for help to heal your soul and remove the sores that are there that have required numbing. And it's good to come out of hiding and be open with someone you can trust because addiction often makes us feel like we're alone in the world and the only one with our particular problem. A burden shared makes it much lighter. :)