wrestling with addiction

[worshiphim]

I come to you to request prayer. I have been working along side of our bible study leader. He was using drugs and stealing to feed his addiction. This landed him in prisons. He served his time and while in prison he gave his life to Christ. He speaks of his ministry behind bars. He would write out scriptures to hand out to prisoners and this is how they evangelized. He mentioned his relationship with his father as one that was cold and there was never any affirmation or towards things that he accomplished. This is really hard for boys because they will always seek this affirmation in the mentors they have latter on in life. This may become a drive for the things that they do. We should not be out seeking the approval of man because they will let us down. Instead what we need to do is place our eyes on God. He has come to me asking for prayer for addictions. I am concerned that he may relapse back into drugs. I would like us to keep him in prayer. It is so hard to see some one who has been strong in the Lord be taken by an addiction. I have kept him in prayer because his very testimony has been a powerful tool that God has used. The enemy would love to take some one who has served him and expose his sin so that those who were drawn to God through that testimony can question Christianity. I pray that you will keep him in prayer. He has such a great ministry he is working with teens in a boxing club and he speaks to these teen boys about Christ. He gives them advice and is such a blessing. We need to encourage one another we need to be accountable to each other and confess our sins to one another so that we can ask each other how were are doing and what we are doing to get back to our first love Christ. I pray that he will hunger like for Gods Word like he never has before. I pray that he will repent and turn from this that has him bound I pray that he will seek God for the strength and power that is needed to break the chains. I know that we all have something we wrestle with daily there is always a battle that is warring in us but we can have victory. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

[Bondservant]

Worshiphim,

First of all I want to ask for God's blessing on you. I have enjoyed reading your posts. You were gone for a while, and when you came back it seems as if you are walking more by the spirit than by the flesh, I love reading your posts.

I will pray for your Bible study leader. Addiction is so hard to overcome. With the help of Christ he can do it. May I ask if he has a buddy he can call when tempted? My dad did AA many years ago, and there was a list of people who he could call any time of the day or night when he was feeling vulnerable. Unfortunately he did not take that opportunity and went back to drinking, but the resource is there. Also, there is an awesome book about the transforming power of the Holy Spirit called "Outcry in the Barrio" by Freddie and Ninfa Garcia. Awesome, awesome book. It may give him the encouragement he needs to resist and strengthen his reliance on Christ instead of his own willpower.

We can do all things through Christ, right?

Lord, I thank You for the faithfullness of worshiphim. I praise You for the work being done through her Lord. I thank You for her love of others and her love of You. Father, I ask that You strengthen her Bible study leader Lord. I ask that You manifest the power of Your Holy Spirit in his life. I ask that You help him resist the temptation and that You give worshiphim the right words and resources to minister to her friend. Most of all Lord, I pray for Your children to lead victorious lives in You. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

In His Grip, melissa

[worshiphim]

I was so surprised that he confided in me that he was struggling with addition again. This week his topic was on suicide. He was speaking in the book of Job and he mentioned that he had thoughts of suicide in his mind but he was not going to attemt it. It was really hard to hear his study. I did call him and speak to him he did speak of some of the hurt and pain in his life. A life of drug abuse, lose of family inprisionment. I mentioned to him that thought I have not walked in his shoes I know that God sees him diffrently now and he needs to release himself from the guilt and shame of the past and move forward. I asked him to seek God in prayer. I told him that his life matters to so many people who really care. He mentioned that his kids give him the motivation to move on. I will keep him in prayer because there is allot of pain in his life. He needs a renewal of his mind. We just went through a fast and my prayers were that God would step in and heal his sould from all this pain of the past and give him strength to move forward. What he went through in the past will give him compassion to speak to those who may be in that same situation. continue to keep him in prayer. I will try to locate that book to give to him. I am seeking ways to help him and I have faith that God will help him through this.

[Erica]

Thank you worshiphim for your sharing of Christ's love to this man ... God bless you for it!

I would like to share a few versus that your friend may want to meditate on and pray about it. First I would like to share a testimony of God's Grace in my life. I am free of the addiction of smoking, alcohol and caffeine! Praise God! All by His stripes I am healed and free.

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13b - 14

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves by burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1

Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Ephesians 6:13

We must remember that the only way to fight the enemy is with the Word of God. May the Lord continue to strengthen you and your friend in the Word so that both of you are SO STRONG in Christ and the Holy Spirit that you are able to stand your grounds always in the Lord! AMEN! You will be in my prayers. God bless you!

A verse for you Worshiphim: Brothers, if someone is caught up in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently Galatians 6:1a Thank you for doing this Worshiphim and being an encourager in Christ! I love the encouragement and I am blessed by it. Thank you ... I need it myself always