A Prayer for Those Facing Addiction
By Kyle Norman
Bible Reading
“But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: ‘When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.’” - Ephesians 4:7-8
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In 1890, Francis Thompson wrote his most famous poem. It was entitled “The Hound of Heaven”. In this poem, Thompson, who was homeless and addicted to opium, describes how addiction made him flee God’s presence. His poem begins this way:
I fled Him, down the nights and down the days;
I fled Him, down the arches of the years;
I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways
Of my own mind; and in the mist of tears
I hid from Him.
The poem describes the gloom and shame that surrounded Thompson as he continually hid from his Lord. And yet, in God’s steadfast love for him, God was always close at hand. The poem describes God in endless pursuit. Never was there a moment when Thompson was abandoned to his addiction. Thompson writes,
But with unhurrying chase,
And unperterbed pace,
Deliberate speed, majestic instance
They beat, and a voice beat,
More instant than the feet –
“All things betray thee, who betrayest me.”
The poem describes how God was always after him, always longing for him, always desiring for him. See, addiction lies. It makes us feel completely alone in our struggle, powerless against the drives and impulses within. Addiction tells us that satisfaction will be found in the next drink or the latest fix, only to serve us the opposite. Like Adam and Eve in the garden, believing that the tempting fruit would give them all they desired, addiction leads us into shame, not salvation, death, not life. And so, we hide – believing that all is lost. Like Thompson before us, we flee into the dark caverns of our existence, believing that if we can’t recognize the God-image in us, then God won’t be able to execute God’s judgment on how far we have fallen.
Addiction, in all its forms, destroys us. It tells of that God abandons us, when in truth, God endlessly pursues us. Addiction tells us that our sins completely remove God’s love, making us completely irredeemable, when the truth is that God declares an eternal love over us. Scripture promises that nothing can separate us from the love of God found in Christ Jesus our Lord. On the cross, Jesus proves that there is no darkness or shame that he will not enter. He enters death to redeem those who are trapped by sin’s power, and in his resurrection, he leads a train of captives to new life. This is good news for us all.
If you are battling any type of addiction, be it social media, pornography, drugs, or alcohol, know that the power of Jesus is available to you, and he can help you rise above your addiction. But the way forward isn’t just to muscle through your addiction by yourself. The book of James reminds us that when we feel sick or tempted or too weak to face our vices, the community of faith is there for us. We are not alone.
Are any of you sick, call the elders of the church to pray for you – not because they have magic words to say, but because they will remind you of the presence of your loving savior. They can speak against addiction’s lies that tell you that you are alone, worthless, or cast off. The elders of the church can anoint you, not because anointing oil is magical, but because anointing is a way for you to feel the healing balm of Christ who surrounds you.
Addiction doesn’t have to be the defining voice in your life. Dare to believe this truth: God promises to work through the prayers of the faithful. God promises to be endlessly forgiving and eternally patient. God promises to heal.
Let’s Pray
Almighty God, you are endlessly forgiving, abounding in love, and steadfast in holy patience, and you know those who are battling addiction of any kind. You know the hold that addiction can have, the lies that it tells, and the inward strength it can rob us of. Lord, in your holy name, we ask that you reach into the lives of all who suffer addiction and flood their lives with your holy light. Help them see your presence through the fog and the haze that surrounds them. Stir in their hearts a desire for change and healing. More than anything, may you remind those who suffer from addiction that the power of the cross is such that you dwell with them in the worst moments of their life, but in that place, you promise to heal, restore, and lead the train of all bound in captivity to new life. Place this verse on their hearts: “I can do all things, through Christ who strengthens me.” May this verse be a call to sobriety and recovery. Lord, I pray that you will bring agents of love and healing into the lives of each person suffering from addiction. Build a community of care around them to help them move into the life that you call them to.
Lord, we ask all this in the name of the one who sets us free, Jesus our Lord. Amen.
If you are reading this article from a place of addiction, you are encouraged to reach out to your local agency of support and recovery. There are people waiting to help you end your addiction and live a new life. You are not alone.
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