Day 8 Prayers for Love

Pray that they feel God’s unconditional love, and the love of those around them.

Ephesians 2:4-5

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved

God’s love is an unimaginable thing for our human hearts to grasp. When I look back on some of the dark days of my life when I felt so alone, I can see just how overwhelming God’s love was in that moment. My friends in recovery report the same thing. They spent so much of their lives running from God and trying to do life on their own terms. When they submit to God and the deception of addiction has lifted they look back and see that He was with them the whole time. So many times they could have been hurt or killed or done something to make their circumstances much more dire... But God!

No matter how far we wander, nothing can separate us from the unending love of God. One form of God’s grace is called prevenient grace. That’s just a fancy church word that means that even before we submit ourselves to God, He pursues us and prepares our hearts and souls to accept Him as our Lord and Savior. He loved us enough to pursue us and He loves them enough to pursue them wherever they may go. We can pray that God allows them to see glimpses or Him at work in their lives and that He allows them to feel the immense love He has for them. We may not know much about their lives and what’s going on it but we can know that God is there at work and that He loves them even more than we do.

We can also pray that God will empower us to love them in a way that honors Him. Loving someone in addiction is such a roller coaster ride of emotions. Our feelings can swing from anger to fear to worry to immense affection to being overly protective and a thousand other feelings. It can be easy to take our anger and frustration and desperation on them in a way that makes it hard for them to see that we do still love them. That’s not to say that we can’t admit or show that we feel all those things but we want them to see that we feel those things because we do love and care for them. God can give us the power to manage those emotions so that we are better expressing our authentic feelings. Shame has never motivated anyone to change long term but God’s grace always does..

May God bless you on this journey!

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 weight they carry. We ask that You wrap them in Your unfailing love, reminding them that no matter how lost they feel, they are never beyond Your reach. Let them feel the depth of Your grace and mercy, knowing that they are loved unconditionally, without judgment or condemnation.

Surround them with the love and support of those who care for them. Empower us to love them in your power in a way that honors and glorifies you. Open their hearts to receive this love, even when they feel undeserving. Strengthen their spirit, give them the courage to face their challenges, and lead them on the path to healing and wholeness.

We trust in Your power to transform lives, and we pray for Your guiding hand in every step they take. May they feel Your presence beside them, today and always.

In Jesus' name, we pray.

Amen.

Romans 8:37-39

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Zephaniah 3:17

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

John 15:13

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

Jeremiah 31:3

The Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.

Psalm 86:15

"But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness".