A Prayer for Parents of Addicts

The sobering reality of addiction’s prevalence is evident in our daily prayers. The “addicted people” we are praying for have increasingly become “our people.” Our family… our friends… our circles of influence… our kids. When we feel a child is lost, slipping away, and have only a crack in the door to peek in on their lives… we can turn to the One in control to restore life. 

“My Father is always at His work.” (John 5:17) 

We can conclude from the miracles of Jesus that God accomplishes the impossible. Jesus came to do His Father’s work (John 6:38, 4:34), and told us that His Father is always at work. When we see our children spiral downward into a hole of bad decisions and strangling demons, know that a miracle-working God is watching the whole thing. Trust that He has their best interest in mind, and is more than capable of pulling them up and out. Place hope in His pursuit of them. No matter how well we’ve prepared our babies for battle, they still have to lift the armor over their shoulders and learn to draw the sword. 

“Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.” (Hebrews 13:1) 

By equipping our hearts with the capacity to love others, and ourselves, through seasons of addiction, we are allowing God’s tender hand to work. We are never ready to let go of our children, but we must daily remember our place. Trust Jesus to go after their hearts, call out their demons, and heal them miraculously. 

Join pray this prayer with me over those struggling with addictions: 

Father, Praise You for miracles, and Your perfect timing to bring them into our lives. The winter is bitter cold and brown day after day… until suddenly, one warm day ushers in a thaw. Watching someone we love succumb to the grip of addiction wraps our hearts in an icy chill. Suddenly, we become closed to anything other than panic and reaction, worry and blame, solution and force. But, that is not Your way. 

Father, You love us in a perfect way, even in the middle of our mess. And in the middle of our children’s messes,You love them perfectly, too. Thank You for the evidence of Your miraculous power through Jesus’ life. He reminded us that He came to do Your work, and that You are always at Your work. That includes our children… their addictions… their demons… their mistakes… and their sicknesses. 

Thank You for loving our kids beyond our capacity. 

When we can’t see what’s happening in our children’s lives, we can rejoice because You hold them in Your hands. Their journey with You is as unique as they are. Thank You for the individual way Jesus comes after each unique human heart. 

Forgive us for falling into cycles of blame, remorse, regret, control, sadness, and anger. We confess that the first reaction we have is not always to equip our minds with Your truth and cry out to You in prayer, truly trusting that You hear us in those moments. Forgive us for putting too much pressure on ourselves as parents, or for any stray paths we led our children down. Forgive us for wanting to shelter and bubble our precious babies.

Help us to remember that the manipulation of substance-influenced brain is beyond practicality before attempting to speak reason into it. Remind us that the disease of addiction can be healed. Place an army of people qualified and educated specifically in this battle to help our children out of the hole. Help us to seek them, seek their counsel, and help our children to connect with them. Help us to have compassion on our children as they suffer, without enabling them to sink back into the hole. Surround us with a circle of qualified and godly people to guide us on how to execute life with addiction so near and penetrating.

Father we pray specifically for our child’s physical health, mental health, safety, shelter, employment, and dependance on You. Bless us with a released grip on control, send Your Spirit to strengthen us to surrender worry and control. God, You are bigger. You are in control. You are love. You sent Jesus down to earth and after our hearts… to call out the demons, heal disease, and claim His Father’s children… leaving not one behind. Father, we pray, in the name of Jesus, Your perfect Son who died for Your will to be done, for miraculous healing in our children's’ lives and freedom from the demon of addiction. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Related article: Prayers for Addiction Strength, Deliverance, and Recovery

Megs is a stay-at-home mom and blogger at http://sunnyand80.org, where she writes about everyday life within the love of Christ. 

Photo courtesy: Thinkstockphotos.com

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