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Turn to These 9 Bible Verses When Praying for a Loved One’s Recovery From Addiction

Turn to These 9 Bible Verses When Praying for a Loved One’s Recovery From Addiction

Last updated on: August 21, 2023 at 12:53 pm by Beth Rush

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Turn to These 9 Bible Verses When Praying for a Loved One’s Recovery From Addiction 2023-08-21T12:53:59-06:00 Beth Rush

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Bible verses

Bible verses
Image via Catalin Pop on Unsplash

Mark 10:27 says: But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”

The road to recovery is challenging for the person recovering and for you as their family member or friend. When it feels like it is too hard and impossible, God’s word is a reminder that all things are possible with Him. He can bring your loved one to a full recovery.

Take heart in this and know that His grace brings healing. When you pray, have faith that God will do it. These bible verses for addiction will help you to pray for your loved one as they go on the journey to recovery:

1. Jeremiah 17:14

Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;

Save me, and I shall be saved,

For You are my praise.

This verse puts your focus on God as the healer and savior. You can use it to pray for your loved one to get back on their feet and recover from addiction. It also fits in step two of the 12 steps of addiction recovery– to believe that a power greater than yourself can restore you to sanity. As you pray over them, you can encourage them to memorize and meditate on the verse.

2. John 14:27

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you;

not as the world gives do I give to you.

Let not your heart be troubled,

neither let it be afraid.

Sometimes, fear creeps in. You may have experienced a loved one being rushed to the hospital from an overdose of opioids or alcohol poisoning, which can cause you to fear that it may happen again or that your loved one might return to bad habits or harm themselves because of the addiction. But you must trust that God is working in their life and will bring change. When fear creeps in, meditate on this verse and thank God for the peace that he gives.

3. James 5:15-16

And the prayer of faith will save the sick,

and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has

committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Confess your

trespasses to one another, and pray for one another,

that you may be healed. The effective, fervent

prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Your loved one may have already opened up to you and asked for help. This verse encourages you to have faith and pray that God would raise them up out of addiction. Pray that God heals them from the emotional and mental wounds that may be the root cause of the addiction. This verse also encourages you to pray fervently. It may take a while to see change, but you can take comfort in the fact that your perseverance in prayer will make a difference.

4. Matthew 11:28-29

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

He takes the weight and carries it himself.

Recovery is a long and challenging journey for the recoveree and their support structure. Jesus offers rest for those who feel weary and overwhelmed. He will carry your burdens and clothe you with peace in difficult times.

5. Matthew 16:9-13

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in heaven,

Hallowed be Your name.

10 Your kingdom come.

Your will be done

On earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts,

As we forgive our debtors.

13 And do not lead us into temptation,

But deliver us from the evil one.

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

In situations where you feel as though you don’t know how to pray, The Lord’s prayer is a powerful prayer that you can recite and pray over your loved one.

6. Hebrews 4:15-16

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot

sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all

points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne

of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find

grace to help in time of need.

This verse encourages you to trust in Jesus. While you may not fully understand fully what your loved one is going through, Jesus knows exactly how they feel because He also suffered temptation. But He overcame, which means He can help your loved one overcome too. Pray that they may encounter Jesus as the High Priest and approach Jesus knowing He helps in times of need.

7. Titus 2:11-14

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,

12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we

should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,

13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of

our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave

Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every

lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special

people, zealous for good works.

The grace of God teaches discipline and resistance to harmful habits and lifestyles. Use this verse to pray for your family member or friend that God would teach them to resist temptation and resist addiction.

8. Jeremiah 33:6

Behold, I will bring it health and healing;

I will heal them and reveal to them the

abundance of peace and truth.

Jeremiah 33 speaks about God’s restoration in detail. In this chapter, God told Jeremiah that he had amazing things in store for Israel that even Jeremiah could not understand. When you turn to him. He heals, restores, and pours out blessings far beyond your imagination. In the same way, he can restore your loved one and fill them with joy and peace again. He will help them deal with cravings, loneliness and to rediscover purpose.

9. 1 Corinthians 15:33

Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”

Pray that your family member would find good friends and people who will care for them and actively support them in their recovery. God can bring people into their lives who have good character and will be a good influence on them.

Concluding Thoughts

Use these bible verses to pray and stand in the gap for your loved one’s recovery from addiction. As you pray, share them with your loved one, so they may also gain strength from meditating on God’s word. God gives peace, and he answers prayer in amazing ways. Have faith and continue to hold onto his word and his promises.

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