prayer | Life Recovery

5 Scriptural Ways to Pray for a Loved One

Have a loved one you want to pray for but don’t know how to pray? Try personalized prayers using Scripture—they are a powerful way to petition God for a loved one. He is the one who can soften their heart and change their life.

Here are 5 Scriptural ways to pray for a loved one:

1. Psalm 44:20-21—God knows our hearts.
“If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread our hands in prayer to foreign gods, God would surely have known it, for he knows the secrets of every heart, for he knows the secrets of every heart.”

Pray: God, You know _______’s heart. You know their secrets and the hidden things that I will never know. Father, guide _______ in the secret places of their heart. Shine (more…)

12 Steps to Growing Your Faith

Faith/Spiritual

Confess any shortcomings.
Confession means “to agree with” God what is true about one’s condition. One must stop blaming others and excusing themselves. When an individual asks God for forgiveness, “He is faithful and just to forgive” them (1 John 1:9, NLT). Only when someone confesses that they are stuck will they begin to get unstuck and start to grow in their faith.
Admit any failures.
No one can save themselves. One must come to the end of themselves, admit their failures, and say, “God, I’ve failed in my attempts to change and to get better.” But if someone tries to overcome their problems by willpower alone, they will fail. Instead of trying harder, they must admit they are weak, and then they’ll find strength in the Lord. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says Christ’s “power works best in weakness.”
Get help from God. (more…)

Is God an Essential Part of Recovery?

Faith/Spiritual

There’s a lot of controversy over believing in a Higher Power in recovery. On one hand, some believe that God is not essential to recovery; while on the other hand, others believe God is an essential part of recovery.

Whether you’re in a Christian recovery group or a secular recovery group, those who take God more seriously and develop a conscious awareness of Him in their lives are more successful in recovery than those who don’t.

Spirituality and Sobriety
Evidence shows that those who believe in a Higher Power are more successful in recovery. Someone once asked Dr. Dave Stoop, coeditor of The Life Recovery Bible, “Is God an essential part of recovery?”

“Yes,” said Dr. Stoop. “Success in maintaining sobriety in recovery is directly related to the development of a personal relationship with God.” (more…)

12 Steps To Recovery From Divorce

Life Issues

Going through a divorce is one of the most painful things we may ever have to face. The losses we experience seem overwhelming. But there are spiritual principles to help us heal from our past and move toward a brighter future. These Twelve Steps will enable us to work through our issues and recover from divorce.

Recognize our powerlessness and accept God’s power to restore our broken lives. We need to acknowledge that we need someone other than ourselves to be in control. “I know that nothing good lives in me” (Rom. 7:18). (more…)

12 Steps to Sexual Integrity

Sexual Integrity/EMB

You want to have sexual integrity. But it’s not easy, is it? After all, if you struggle with compulsions and unhealthy habits, they will sabotage you and undermine your relationships. Healing is possible, however, if you examine your life and make some changes. God will help you move beyond sexual addiction to sexual integrity. Here are twelve steps you can take that will help you find freedom.

1. Open our hearts to God’s power to free us from the grip of unhealthy sexual behaviors.
  Acknowledge you are powerless—realize God can accomplish what you can’t. “What is impossible for people is possible with God” (Luke 18:27).
2. Allow God to restore our sexual sanity.
  Recognize how your sexual behaviors have been out-of-control, and look to God to restore control to your sexuality. “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life” (2 Pet. 1:3) (more…)

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