Day 5 Prayers for Guidance

Ask for God’s guidance in their recovery journey.

Isaiah 58:11

“The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.”

Where would we be without God’s guidance? For me, the answer to that would most likely be dead or in the middle of a giant disaster of my own making. We all need God’s guidance, but it is especially true for our loved ones in addiction. With them, our enemy has used not only his usual bag of tricks but has added a chemical element that makes the deception more sinister and the roots deeper.

The hardest thing about working in recovery is knowing and accepting that no matter how many people I help, I am most likely not going to be the one that leads the people I love the most out of addiction. It is usually someone that God puts in their path with no strong connection to their past, someone with a much less complex relationship with them than family. We must pray that God will put these people into their lives to guide them on a route out of the darkness and despair of their addiction and point them back to Him. We can do our very best to love them and lead them that way when we interact with them, but we need God to line up an army of His people on their path.

Secondly, we need God to line up an army of His people on the path we are walking as loved ones of addicted adults. This journey isn’t a leisurely stroll down a paved path in the park. It’s more like climbing Mount Everest and you would never try to do that alone. You need a team of people to climb with you and an experienced guide to lead you. This is where recovery meetings come in even for us as loved ones. One of the greatest gifts Celebrate Recovery gave me (and there are many) is a team of accountability partners and a sponsor. I don’t think I would have survived without them. I also think my codependency would have extended the length of the journey if I had not had them. Most importantly they encouraged me to trust in Jesus and grow into a deeper relationship with Him. I would not be where I am today without them. I encourage all of my fellow loved ones to find a recovery meeting/community they can be a part of. I recommend Celebrate Recovery or Recovery Alive because they are specifically Christian but Al-Anon is also good.

For that reason, the coming prayers will include both the addict and us, their loved ones, because the truth is that we need God in our lives as much they do. We all need more of Jesus - a deeper relationship with Him and a closer proximity to His throne. Our loved one's addiction got us on this particular journey but there is recovery ahead for us too. I hope you will pray for me too, as I pray for you and your addicted loved ones.

Precious Heavenly Father,

We come before You lifting up our loved ones who are struggling with addiction. Lord, You know their pain, their battles, and the chains that bind them. We ask for Your divine guidance in their lives. Shine Your light on their path and lead them out of the darkness of addiction and into the freedom and hope that only You can provide.

Lord, guide both them and me to lean on You in moments of weakness, trusting in Your power to overcome the struggles we face. Surround us with supportive and loving people who will walk with us on this journey, offering encouragement and accountability.  Place people along our paths that will point us back to You and to the people that truly love us.

We pray that we would find comfort in Your presence, and that Your peace would fill our hearts. Guide our thoughts, our actions, and our decisions, that we may find healing and restoration in You. Lord, we place their recovery in Your hands, trusting that You are at work even when we cannot see.

In Jesus’ name, we pray.

Amen.

Psalm 48:14

“For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.”

Isaiah 42:16

“I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.”

Nehemiah 9:20

“You gave your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and you gave them water for their thirst.”

Exodus 15:13 (NIV)

“In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.”

Psalm 23:2-3

“He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.”