Day 12 Prayers for Self-Worth

Ask God to help them see their value and worth as His creation.

Ephesians 2:10

"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Self-worth is a tough thing to maintain under the best of circumstances. From the time we are very young we have the enemy in our ear telling us we are less than, not good enough, and/or too much, etc. He often uses the words of those around us to confirm the lies he has been whispering to our hearts. Sometimes those people are well-meaning and Satan twists their words to do maximum damage and sometimes people are just mean and cranky and want everyone else to be as miserable as they are. With addiction the enemy has added a chemical component that makes it so much easier for them to believe his lies. The people that love them are also hurting, disappointed, desperate, and angry because of their behavior and the enemy convinces them that they are beyond help, that they have gone too far, that no one really loves them or would miss them if they were gone. He sets his sites directly on their self-worth to keep them trapped in the chains of addiction.

We can’t pretend that bad behavior is okay but we can tell them that we know that they can recover, that God is with them and that we will be hear waiting when they decide to get help. We can believe in them when they can’t believe in their self. We can also lift them up to the God of the universe and ask Him to allow them to see themselves the way he sees them. God can give them glimpses of His love and faithfulness that encourages them to believe they are loved and they can do this with His help. We can also ask God to allow us to plant seeds of His hope and grace that will grow with time and give them the strength they need to fight their way out of addiction.

We can also turn to the Lord to renew our self-worth. When our addicted loved ones are desperate and not getting their way, they can say things that cut us straight to our core. The enemy uses this to convince us that we are terrible parents, spouses, friends, etc. The truth of the matter is that it is not at all personal. To help me cope with some of the things my daughter said and did, I began to look at her and her addiction as two separate entities. I knew the daughter I loved was still in there but that addiction was in full control. It wasn’t my daughter saying those things, it was her addiction. Her addiction was fighting to keep full control of her and I was it’s number one enemy. It would say or do anything to keep me away. I saw it as my job to love the hell right out of her and starve her addiction so that it would could go straight back to the pits of hell where it belongs. Seeing it this way, helped me cope with some of the awful circumstances and continue to love her through them. It also helped me discern how to handle the tough decisions I had to make deciding what was helping and what was enabling. I hope it helps you as well. We’ll explore the concept a little deeper in the coming weeks.

May God bless you on this journey!

Precious Heavenly Father,

We come to You with humble hearts, lifting up our loved ones who are struggling with addiction. Lord, in the midst of their battles, we ask that You open their eyes to see themselves as You see them—precious, loved, and valued beyond measure.

Remind them, Father, that they are fearfully and wonderfully made in Your image, and that no mistake, no addiction, can diminish the worth You have placed in them. Break through the lies of shame and unworthiness that keep them bound, and replace them with the truth of Your love and purpose for their lives.

Help them to recognize that they are Your creation, chosen and loved, and that they have been created for so much more than the chains of addiction. Renew their mind, Lord, and help them see that their identity is not in their struggle but in You, the One who redeems and restores.

Fill them with hope, Lord, and let them embrace the truth that through You, they are made new. Help them to believe that they are worthy of love, healing, and a future full of grace.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

1 Peter 2:9

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light."

2 Corinthians 5:17

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"

Galatians 2:20

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies."

Psalm 139:14

"I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well."