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Tips to pray effectively to conquer addiction

One of the powers inherent in our walk with Christ is that we can have what we say. This suggests that our heart desires can come to pass when we lay them bare before God, and if these desires are in line with the will of God.  

It is important to mention that God would not want his children to suffer from addiction because it affects them from fulfilling their assignments as believers. However, we may do some things that will invite addiction into our lives, which can affect our walk with God.

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When it comes to addiction treatment, one of the weapons that Christians must utilize is prayer. Different places in the Bible highlight the potency of effective prayers, and how they can be the master key to many problems.

Study the Bible regularly

If you want to pray effectively, you need to also prioritize the regular study of the word of God. The Bible contains different promises for us provided we remain in the will and plan of God for our lives.

When you study the Bible, it becomes easier for you to communicate with God through prayer. You will be able to remind God of his words in the Bible, and how you want those words to positively change your life.

Be more present and involved in Church services

The Bible advises us not to neglect the gathering of brethren, and this is important in so many ways. Staying among believers helps to charge you up, and it sets fire to your altar. When you are among believers who pray, worship, and commune together, your prayer life is bound to improve.

Talk to your siblings in Christ

You can also discuss this with some of your trusted brothers and sisters in the church. Tell them how difficult it is for you to pray, and ask that they support you in prayers and words of encouragement.

Start gradually

When you start praying, ensure that you don’t overwhelm yourself. You can begin with as little as 20-30 minutes, and increase it gradually. When it comes to prayer, consistency is essential, and you can build your prayer strength over time when you are consistent.

The power of prayer in defeating addiction

Prayer is a potent weapon that believers can leverage to fight off addiction. This doesn’t mean that other addiction recovery options are not useful.

It simply suggests that prayer makes the path easier for the addict to get their life back on track and start living anew.

When it comes to addiction, many people believe that it can be stopped by mere willpower.

While this is true to an extent, there is still the prospect of the individual going back to their addiction even after a long time of staying sober.

This suggests that many people are yet to understand the place of prayer in keeping addiction at bay.

Prayer is two-way communication between God and man. This means that man speaks to God, makes his intent known, and vice-versa.

Holy Bible on Stand

Man does this because he believes that God is all-powerful to take care of any situation surrounding his life. This also equates to the fact that addiction is a condition that God can equally handle.

There is no problem that is too difficult for God. He is the ultimate creator of everything that exists, moves, and breathes in the universe. Therefore, putting addiction out of the equation in someone’s life is way too simple for him to do.

The Bible talks about communicating our requests to God and trusting him to answer them because he is a loving father.

However, many Christians struggling with addiction do not put this to heart because they are feeling guilty.

God loves the sinner and not the sun. So, no matter how filthy you might be feeling, he is ever-ready to welcome you with open arms. This means that you should feel free to communicate your intents to God and he will answer them.

Trusting God to break free from addiction is one of the best choices that someone can make.

As they go through the addiction treatment process, his power strengthens you to follow through with the addiction process from start to finish.  

How can the church help struggling addicts

Addicts need all the help they can get to break free from addiction. However, not all of them have access to the right resources and support system to bring them onto the sobriety path.

The church has a pivotal role to play when it comes to providing addicts with all the help they need to become sober.

Below are some crucial tips that can be implemented

  • Unlimited access to mental health counseling

Mental health is closely related to addiction. This means that an addict needs mental health counseling for them to have a good idea of how their addiction developed.

A mental health counselor conducts a robust evaluation of the patient’s case and provides a treatment plan that they will follow through with.

Generally, mental health counseling is paid for but the church can foot the expenses and provide free counseling to everyone who needs it.

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  • Support system

Not all addicts are on good terms with their loved ones. The church has a role to play in helping them define their relationships because they play a good role as a support system.

Hence, if the addict has a strained relationship with their loved ones, the church will step in to mend the rift.

  • Prayer

Getting help for addiction in the church comes with a big advantage because of the spirituality involved. The church believes that God’s power is quintessential in helping addicts break free from addiction. Therefore, they will support the addict in prayer so that they can draw strength.

The church also has a core responsibility to play when it comes to helping people avoid addiction. They need to be ready to educate people about the ills of addiction, and the strategies they can employ to prevent it.

With this, it would be easier to reduce the occurrence of addiction and focus on those who are already addicted.

The need for counseling in the church

The church is the gathering of people who believe and put their trust in God. However, the fact that they are spiritual beings does not understate their reality as humans. Hence, this means that they are susceptible to being addicted or having mental health problems.

One big mistake that the church has made is segregating and stigmatizing members of the church who are battling with addiction. This is a wrong act because addiction has the capability to sneak in on anyone without any prior warning.

As humans, we face various challenges in our lives which creates a channel for us to encounter addiction or mental health problems.

In other instances, if you are a believer and your family has a strong history of being addicted to drugs or alcohol, there is a tendency for you to be addicted if care is not taken.

Sadly in the church, issues such as addiction are avoided. And if they are broached, it is often from the standpoint of prejudice.

It is important for the church to change its approach to addiction, and start sensitizing the body of Christ about the ills and dangers of addiction, and how people can be helped.

The amazing part is, there are several health providers in the church who are well knowledgeable in the aspect of addiction. These individuals can provide free health consultation for people who are addicted in the church.

Moreso, they can give free counseling to members of the church on how to avoid addiction and maintain their mental health. Having these professionals in the church would come at little or no cost when they want to contribute their quota.

The church, just like any other organization, needs to be well-informed about important health issues like addiction and mental health problems. This is one of the ways to ensure that the society we live in is saner.

When the church is fully aware of addiction and mental health problems, the rate of the aforementioned health problems will be on the decline.

Why faith in God is needed to overcome addiction

One of the profound ways to overcome addiction is by trusting in God. However, a good number of people are not aware of this. God, being the creator of the universe, is all powerful and all knowing. And he expects that people would come to repentance through his son Jesus Christ.

In this life, we need God to scale through in all hurdles we face. Sadly, many people would prefer to seek solutions for themselves rather than trust in God. And with the way the world is structured, some people are able to help themselves by what is referred to as luck.

What they fail to realize is, luck in the broadest sense means Grace. Despite the fact that not everyone acknowledges God, he is so merciful and gracious to provide and protect everyone.

For addiction problem which is one of the biggest health challenges that plague people, having faith in God helps to plague the disease.

One of the reasons why this is difficult to fathom is because addiction is a sin. Now, when you are addicted, it takes you further away from God and hence, it leaves you on your own.

Having and expressing your faith in God shows that you trust him to take control of your life. Owing to the powerful nature of addiction, it leaves you in a helpless state where you feel no one can help you.

However, the case is not the same with God. He is ever available to help anyone who is weighed down by the shackles of addiction.

In trusting God to help you overcome addiction, it is imperative to seek his mercy and forgiveness. Next, you need to draw closer to God and see him as a father who is willing to help you and provide you with strength to pull through.

Also, you will need to take conscious steps by going to the rehab to seek help for addiction treatment. With this, you will get better each day, and with God’s Grace, you are renewed to the point where addiction has no power over you.

THE BENEFITS OF CHRISTIAN REHAB

The primary basis of a Christian rehab is hinged on the belief that spirituality and faith can aid an addict to recover from any form of addiction. At a Christian rehab, it is required that alongside receiving treatment, patients ask God to assist them in recovering from their addictions.

When it comes to addiction, it is usually difficult to make the decision to remain sober. There is a high level of grit, courage and determination which is needed. It is a tremendous task which might look insurmountable, but it is very possible.

For Christians, it is advised that you seek a rehabilitation center which gives faith-related services.

Below are the benefits of Christian rehab:

  1. Christocentric sober living format: Christocentric refers to Christ-centered, and this is what you get at a Christian rehab. At these homes, you will be provided with a safe environment which comes with a profound in-support system. In addition to this, residents would also have a devotion which would enable them have a life which is Christ-centered.
  • Faith-based support: A good number of rehab facilities usually have treatment services which helps to conquer addiction and mental health problems. An addiction recovery which is Christian-based is structured to enable you achieve spiritual growth, and also have a profound relationship with Christ.
  • Ample care: For people who need support in overcoming any form of addiction, or receiving any quality form of mental health treatment, they will certainly receive enough care at a Christian rehab. It is relieving to know that, at a Christian rehab, the risk of relapse is reduced, and your transition from rehab to the outside world is seamless. Receiving care at a Christian rehab, enables your recovery tools to be at par with what you learnt during treatment.
  • Christian mentors: An important phase of your life, is bridging the gap between addiction and recovery. Within this time, you will have access to Christian mentors who have the same beliefs, and they will serve as profound life coaches, which would be quintessential to your recovery and also aid your growth positively.

The Ingredients of a Good Quality Christian Rehab

quality christian rehabAddiction is a particularly hard topic to grapple with in the Christian community. A common misconception is that an affliction like addiction should have no hold on someone’s life if they have truly accepted Christ into their heart. The truth of the matter is, every Christian is at a different place in their walk with Christ, or their journey of faith, and many Christians feel the affects of addiction, either personally or in a relationship with a loved one.

Tragically, some Christians feel so ashamed of their addiction that they hide it away from their spiritual community instead of seeking help for it. This is particularly sad considering there are a number of Christian rehabilitation programs that were created specifically for them.

A good quality Christian drug and alcohol rehab will be fully licensed and accredited, and will have a proven history of success with its clientele. The program will be developed using the most current and successful treatment methods, and will offer a variety of addiction resources, such as group and individual counselling, therapies and recreational activities, detoxification services, halfway housing, support group access and sponsorship.

The most important component of Christian addiction treatment is a subtle one. The love of Christ should always be present and at the forefront of the treatment, in a respectful way. If a patient is not a Christian, there should be no effort to convert on the part of the staff, but rather support for the patient should they choose to transform their own life through Christ. Christian psychology reading material is often available in a Christian rehab, and the treatment program itself is generally based on the life model that Christ provided, translated into a modern day psychological breakdown of how to find peace, love and purpose in one’s life.

 

Consider Christian Rehabilitation for Your Addiction Recovery

christian rehabAt a Christian drug and alcohol treatment facility, you will not find merely Christian teachings and lessons on creating a relationship with God, nor will you find merely a mental health recovery program, but rather a combination of the two. It is common to find a touch of religion and a touch of secularism woven into the treatment program, which statistically works very well for people with any religious sensibility. The Christian rehab’s history of success would indicate that a Christian rehabilitation program is not just for Christians, but people from every demographic.

Apart from the usual recovery steps taken in most inpatient treatment facilities – including detoxification, counselling and after care services – also incorporated into the recovery plan is an introduction to Christian practices, and discussion of forming a relationship with God through prayer and reading the bible. Though these aspects are geared toward people who already embrace the Christian faith, they have been found to be very useful to many non-Christians as well.

However, not all Christian addiction treatment facilities are the same. Some will be less forward with their approach, only exposing patients to the Christian faith when they express an interest in it. Others will be more likely to try to convert their patients to the Christian faith. Some will be properly accredited by the jurisdiction they are located within and some will not. It is essential to thoroughly research any addiction treatment facility in order to gauge its credibility.

If you are requiring the services of Christian addiction specialists and you want to begin your path to recovery, do not hesitate to reach out to established Christian rehabilitation centers. You do not need to be controlled by your addiction any longer!

Understanding Christian Rehab

christ-based rehabIt is a value of Christianity to abstain from things that interrupt the relationship a person has with God, which is why addiction is a difficult subject for Christians to face. It can be particularly hard for people from the Christian community to admit to or seek help for an addiction problem within the church, but sometimes, guidance from medical and mental health professionals is critical to the person’s recovery. It is in these cases that addicts should reach out to Christian treatment centers for help.

Inpatient rehabilitation centers generally follow the same model, beginning with detoxification, followed by on site counselling, and ending with ongoing support services. What makes Christian addiction treatment unique is the God-centric model of recovery, where surrendering power and control to God becomes the cornerstone of a person’s recovery plan. The treatment program itself will also be constructed around the general Christian principles of healthy spiritual living.

Christian drug and alcohol rehabilitation attacks addiction at its emotional, psychological and spiritual roots by giving the addict the opportunity to give God control. Potential patients should be careful to research individual treatment programs to find out how reputable and successful they are. Not all Christian rehabs are quality ones and can fall short of good medical and mental health practices, or they may practice a skewed version of Christianity. Be sure to verify the licensing of the staff, the accreditation of the facility and the history of success the Christian rehabilitation center has, as well as confirming that the structure of the program is a good fit for your personal needs.

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History of Christian Rehab

christian rehab history

Christian drug and alcohol rehabilitation is an addiction treatment method that is experiencing an increase in popularity in the United States, due to an increase in recovery ministries and the Access to Recovery program instated by the Bush administration. However, the concept of Christian addiction treatment is not at all a new one, but rather a practice that dates back to the colonizing of the United States.

The first example of recovery through religion was observed through out the 1700’s when Christian missionaries began to encourage Native American tribes to reject alcohol and turn back to faith practices. By the late 1700’s, Christianity as a tool to combat alcoholism was found in the medical doctrine of the time, and in the century that followed, organizations such as The Salvation Army began to found colonies and homes to house recovering addicts in the spirit of Christian rescue work.

The early 1900’s saw the opening of the first medical facilities specifically created to treat disorders such as alcoholism, making use of Christianity in their practices. This spawned secular psychologists of the day to write on and even adopt methodologies being used by Christian rehabilitation programs. Alcoholics Anonymous was created in the 1930’s, at the same time a variety of less known support groups and fellowships emerged, of Christian and spiritul origin. In the 1950’s, grassroots movements and organizations, usually beginning in churches, became a more local, urban way of fighting addiction problems.

Christian communities against addiction continued to expand from the 1970’s to the 1990’s, growing in numbers as recovering addicts joined the movement. A new standard of awareness for how to approach addiction reached Christian communities at the end of the 20th century, such as modern intervention models and the face of addiction in different subcultures.