Prayer for an Addict

Addiction is a sensitive subject for a lot of people. It’s unfortunately one that comes laced with shame, brokenness, and often a loss of hope. There’s collateral damage surrounding an addict, often to those closest to them.

Sadly, I’ve witnessed the devastating effects of addiction firsthand and have personally experienced some of the collateral damage. Not only do I teach at a women’s restoration home, where many of the residents are recovering addicts, but I also have a brother who is an addict. I’ve seen their lives ripped apart to the point of losing everything because of their addiction. It’s extremely hard to watch, and I often feel hopeless and helpless.

One hard and fast lesson that I’ve learned is that you can’t help people that don’t want to help themselves. Until they are ready, there’s not much one can do…EXCEPT for one extremely powerful thing: Pray. I’ve been reminded of this recently when seeking counsel about my brother. Prayer should never be underestimated because it is immensely powerful and has the capacity to produce wonderful results.

“…The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” James 5:16b (NLT)

Therefore I should never feel hopeless or helpless because I have a powerful God that is far bigger than any addiction. I CAN help by appealing to my God and interceding on behalf of my brother or others captive to addiction. Today, I’ve written a Prayer for an Addict based off of scripture that I plan to pray over my brother and others struggling with addiction. My hope and prayer is that this will be a resource for others to use as well.

Prayer for an Addict

Lord, Give _____ the desire and the ability (through Jesus) to do the right thing and to actually want to help himself/herself and to get better. Soften _____’s heart and help him/her to be tender and responsive to you and to the help, guidance, and counsel of others. Show _____ the way out when he/she is tempted. Help ____ to choose life. Surround _____ with godly friends and influences that will sharpen him/her. Hinder any ungodly influences and cause them to lose interest and depart. Protect _____ from any unsafe thing or person that would pursue him/her or that he/she would pursue. Send laborers across _____’s path to speak and show your truth and love to him/her. When _____ thinks about his/her failures and if he/she falls or relapses, help _____ know that he/she is loved and nothing he/she could ever do will ever separate him/her from that love. Finally, let _____ know that he/she still has a future and a purpose regardless of any past mistakes because you, Lord, can take ANYTHING and turn it around for good! I ask these things in Jesus’ name.

Scriptures this prayer was based upon:

“God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” Philippians 2:13 (NLT)

“For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.” Romans 7:18 (ESV)

“Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.” Romans 7:25 (NLT)

“And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.” Ezekiel 36:26 (NLT)

“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT)

“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!” Deuteronomy 30:19 (NLT) 

“Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.” Proverbs 13:20 (NIV)

“Just as iron sharpens iron, friends sharpen the minds of each other.” Proverbs 27:17 (CEV)

“Don’t fool yourselves. Bad friends will destroy you.” 1 Corinthians 15:33 (CEV)

“But I will fence her in with thorn bushes. I will block the road to make her lose her way. When she runs after her lovers, she won’t be able to catch up with them. She will search for them but not find them. Then she will think ‘I might as well return to my husband because I was better off with him than I am now.’” Hosea 2:6–7 (NLT)

“Therefore said he to them, the harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray you therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest.” Luke 10:2 (AKJV)

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 (NLT)

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Romans 8:28 (NLT)

“You tried to harm me, but God made it turn out for the best, so that he could save all these people, as he is now doing.” Genesis 50:20 (CEV)

Take Some Practical Steps to Pray for an Addict:

• First, pray this prayer (above) for the an addict or substance abuser that you know—if YOU are the addict, pray this prayer over yourself substituting in “I” or “me” where appropriate. Read through the scriptures that the prayer is based upon for some encouragement.

• Next, forward this prayer to the others that you know that may have a loved one addicted to drugs, alcohol, gambling, p*rnography, or anything else harmful.

• Finally, feel free to check out these other posts with prayers that might also be helpful:

Prayer for Those Who Make Bad Choices

Praying a Hedge of Thorns

How to Pray for Unsaved Loved Ones

A Prayer For Lost Hope: Follow This Example of How to Write a Prayer Based Off of Scripture

Do you have a loved one that’s an addict? I would love to pray in agreement with you on their behalf. Feel free to leave a comment below or contact me directly.

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If you know anyone that could benefit from this, please pay it forward!  Share this post via the sharing links below.  “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)