Monthly Archives: October 2011

Praying when faith seems lost

25 Tuesday Oct 2011

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Rejoice always! Pray constantly. Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.— 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Prayer. We hear it all of the time. People say often, “I’ll pray for you.” But do they really? I can look back over the years and think of countless times where I said those very words to someone, only to become “too busy” to remember. And yet, a simple prayer can move mountains.

In Matthew 21:22, scripture says:

And everything —whatever you ask in prayer, believing—you will receive.

This doesn’t mean that you can ask God for a new car or a bundle of money and it will magically appear. Sometimes the answer to prayer is “no.” God does not grant all of our requests. And he shouldn’t. He is all-knowing. Because of that, he knows exactly what we need and what we do not need. Trusting Him is key to understanding His answer.

This past week, I have witnessed clients ask for prayers for situations in their lives. But they always seem to hold on to control themselves. The faith in God’s answers simply is not there yet. It helps when they begin to recognize their control and ask God to release them from that need.

I urge my clients to embrace prayer in their daily lives. In fact, I believe prayer is the single most important tool we have to fight against the evil one. Without prayer, we cannot have the intimate relationship with our Lord that we all seek.

The intense prayer of the righteous is very powerful.— James 5:16

I gave this homework assignment to a couple experiencing marital problems and now I’d like to give it to each of you. Spend time with the Lord everyday. If you are married, reach for your spouse, and pray together. If you are single, spend time praying with a friend or loved one. But pray daily. Pray about the good, bad, and ugly. Too often, we do not talk with God about the blessings in our lives. Instead, we wait until we are at our rock bottom then scream out in pain. Kay Arthur, a Christian speaker and writer, said, “Are you weak? Weary? Confused? Troubled? Pressured? How is your relationship with God? Is it held in its place of priority? I believe the greater the pressure, the greater your need for time alone with Him.”

Lord, forgive me for not coming to you with everything and anything. Instead, I tend to hold on to the good and try to control the bad. I ask, Lord, that you take that control from me. I no longer wish to be the driver of my life. You are my GPS and will go where you tell me, when you tell me. Amen

What Is Addiction?

12 Wednesday Oct 2011

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Addiction.

The word can bring many images to mind. For some, it means the “junkie” on the street corner who hasn’t bathed. For others, it means the drug dealer in the expensive car. Still others see it as the alcoholic at the end of bar. But for some, it means the face staring back at them in the mirror.

Addiction isn’t selective in its victims. Rich. Poor. Young. Old. Religious. Atheists. Men. Women. It has discriminating qualities. It simply attacks and doesn’t let go. There are people of prominence who have openly discussed their addictions. President George W. Bush, Elton John, Kerry Collins, Samuel L. Jackson, and Eric Clapton – just to name a few. And then there are our neighbors, friends, church members, family and co-workers. Everywhere you go, addiction is there.

So, what is addiction? That is a hard word to define. There is the official definition. Mr. Webster defines it as

a compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance (as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal; broadly persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful.

But it goes so much deeper than that. It is a disease of life-altering proportions. It literally destroys everything and everybody it touches. I have witnessed great people fall to improbably bottoms. I have watched lives end with “one last drink”. Families fall apart. Jobs are lost. Money disappears. Crimes occur. The list of negative consequences just goes on and on. And yet, the lure of “one more” can be greater then the need for air.

What can be done? Are these men and women beyond help?

NO!!!

The Bible says in Psalm 107:13:

Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses.

The Lord wants us to seek Him during our greatest moments, our darkest moments and all the moments in between. For the addict, the mere idea of reaching out to God is one, both foreign and frightening. In fact, for many in the depths of the disease, their will to disbelieve is so powerful that they would rather die then seek answers through God. But the 12-Steps can help. You see, the original 12 steps were formed for Alcoholics Anonymous. A.A. founder Clarence Snyder said, “since our A.A. program was based on the Word of God, God says there is no access to Him except through His Son Jesus Christ.” Without God, A.A. and the 12-Steps could never have been born.

Are you interested in learning more about the relationship between 12-Steps and God?

Lord, I pray that those who need help with addictions will seek your guidance. I pray for their willingness to understand that there is a power greater then themselves and that power is You, Lord. I pray they will come to have a relationship with you so that they might find answers to this very difficult question of addiction. Amen.