Prayer for Storyteller

[abelcainsbrother]

Thank you guys

It helps to know you all care and that you will pray for me.

ACB... I appreciate the thought but, right now, I`m not ready for that. That sort of thing isn`t really my style but I will look into it and never say never.

I will beat this, so keep praying for me.

And thank you Rick, for posting it. I would have lost my nerve.

I will pray for you and I'm not trying to embarrass you or anything but if you need help I recommend Celebrate Recovery,you'll be around other believers who lift up Jesus to overcome all kinds of problems,they give out chips for progress and they seem to mean a lot to the people,they teach out of the bible too.I know it can seem intimidating but if you need help I think you should look into it.Depending on the church they serve a meal or have dessert too.You'll hear people give their testimony of what they overcame with the Lord Jesus and Celebrate Recovery too.I don't judge anybody but I know it is hard for people to admit they have a problem but if a person does?The first step to recovery is to admit it. Anyway I hope this helps.God bless you,he has something for you to accomplish,know it and believe it.

[Furstentum Liechtenstein]

... I pray, and I have absolute faith in God, that He will fight alongside me...

Hmmm...then you will fail. You have failed so far and if you keep trying, you'll keep failing. God doesn't "fight alongside" you, He fights in your place. As a famous pastor here says, "Fight every battle on your knees and leave the consesequences to Him."

The message is to pray and ask God for help...and stop worrying (which is also a sin). Trust God.

I'm sure the salvation + works people will gang up on me now...

FL

[Storyteller]

... I pray, and I have absolute faith in God, that He will fight alongside me...

Hmmm...then you will fail. You have failed so far and if you keep trying, you'll keep failing. God doesn't "fight alongside" you, He fights in your place. As a famous pastor here says, "Fight every battle on your knees and leave the consesequences to Him."

The message is to pray and ask God for help...and stop worrying (which is also a sin). Trust God.

I'm sure the salvation + works people will gang up on me now...

FL

Perhaps I used the wrong words there. Or maybe I didn`t.

I have, and am, asking Him for help and I`m not worrying, I trust in Him totally and utterly.

Seems such a small thing, thinking of Him fighting alongside me rather than in my place. So does that mean everything He does, He does in my place rather than alongside me?

[Furstentum Liechtenstein]

I have, and am, asking Him for help and I`m not worrying, I trust in Him totally and utterly.

OK, good!

So does that mean everything He does, He does in my place rather than alongside me?

You've answered your own question, above. I've highlighted your answer to make it obvious. An analogy: your husband asks you for a sandwich. As a loving wife, you honour his prayer request and make him the sandwich.

Now, who made the sandwich?

FL

[Storyteller]

I have, and am, asking Him for help and I`m not worrying, I trust in Him totally and utterly.

OK, good!

So does that mean everything He does, He does in my place rather than alongside me?

You've answered your own question, above. I've highlighted your answer to make it obvious. An analogy: your husband asks you for a sandwich. As a loving wife, you honour his prayer request and make him the sandwich.

Now, who made the sandwich?

FL

God did

Through me.

[jlay]

Thank you guys

It helps to know you all care and that you will pray for me.

ACB... I appreciate the thought but, right now, I`m not ready for that. That sort of thing isn`t really my style but I will look into it and never say never.

I will beat this, so keep praying for me.

And thank you Rick, for posting it. I would have lost my nerve.

ST, I don't get to post much, so let me preface this by saying I can come across a little callous, but I find it's often best to cut through the fluff and say what I'm thinking. I'm curious how to pray for you. I have plenty of good Christian friends who smoke and drink. I wouldn't say any of them have habitual problems with alcohol. I myself like to have a beer. Smoking is a horrible vice and I remember watching my grandfather die a grueling death, a shriveled shadow of the giant I once knew. Although it's extremely unhealthy, I still think one can be a vibrant Christian and smoke. But, I would strongly encourage anyone to quit by nearly any means necessary.

So, what are your issues, are you an alcoholic? Do you have compulsive struggles with alcohol?

If you haven't experienced health problems from smoking, trust me, you will.

If you aren't ready for hitting it head on, then it may be that you aren't ready to beat it.

Cut to the chase, huh?

I wouldn't say I was an alcoholic but I have to limit what I drink. I have to make an effort not to drink.
I can, and have, gone weeks without drinking yet I can't just have one or two, thats what scares me, tgats what I am fighting.

So what to pray? That I have faith I can do this.

Thanks for your feedback. If you have to make an effort not to drink, and when you do it is in excess, then that is a good sign that you are experiencing dependency at some level. What level, we simply don't have enough information to know. Do you feel like there are any underlying issues or stresses that push you towards dependent behaviors?

Also, when you say "faith to do this," what are you hoping for (or what outcome do you want) and what do you mean by faith? I often find that many of us have a distorted perspective of faith and what it means to have it. For example, faith, in the biblical sense means, 'to be convinced, to trust or have confidence in.'

[Storyteller]

Thank you guys

It helps to know you all care and that you will pray for me.

ACB... I appreciate the thought but, right now, I`m not ready for that. That sort of thing isn`t really my style but I will look into it and never say never.

I will beat this, so keep praying for me.

And thank you Rick, for posting it. I would have lost my nerve.

ST, I don't get to post much, so let me preface this by saying I can come across a little callous, but I find it's often best to cut through the fluff and say what I'm thinking. I'm curious how to pray for you. I have plenty of good Christian friends who smoke and drink. I wouldn't say any of them have habitual problems with alcohol. I myself like to have a beer. Smoking is a horrible vice and I remember watching my grandfather die a grueling death, a shriveled shadow of the giant I once knew. Although it's extremely unhealthy, I still think one can be a vibrant Christian and smoke. But, I would strongly encourage anyone to quit by nearly any means necessary.

So, what are your issues, are you an alcoholic? Do you have compulsive struggles with alcohol?

If you haven't experienced health problems from smoking, trust me, you will.

If you aren't ready for hitting it head on, then it may be that you aren't ready to beat it.

Cut to the chase, huh?

I wouldn't say I was an alcoholic but I have to limit what I drink. I have to make an effort not to drink.
I can, and have, gone weeks without drinking yet I can't just have one or two, thats what scares me, tgats what I am fighting.

So what to pray? That I have faith I can do this.

Thanks for your feedback. If you have to make an effort not to drink, and when you do it is in excess, then that is a good sign that you are experiencing dependency at some level. What level, we simply don't have enough information to know. Do you feel like there are any underlying issues or stresses that push you towards dependent behaviors?

Also, when you say "faith to do this," what are you hoping for (or what outcome do you want) and what do you mean by faith? I often find that many of us have a distorted perspective of faith and what it means to have it. For example, faith, in the biblical sense means, 'to be convinced, to trust or have confidence in.'

Then, yes, I have a dependency at some level. I have to make an effort not to drink.

I was clinically depressed, that was undiagnosed, for nearly seven years. I sought refuge from the real world in alcohol. I was in a really, really bad place. I finally got diagnosed about three years ago and things have improved greatly since then.
I feel ready to face my alcohol problem now.

By faith to do this I mean I know I can do it. It might take some time but I will. I have confidence in God, that I can draw from His love, and strength. I want to turn to God, not alcohol.

[jlay]

Thank you guys

It helps to know you all care and that you will pray for me.

ACB... I appreciate the thought but, right now, I`m not ready for that. That sort of thing isn`t really my style but I will look into it and never say never.

I will beat this, so keep praying for me.

And thank you Rick, for posting it. I would have lost my nerve.

ST, I don't get to post much, so let me preface this by saying I can come across a little callous, but I find it's often best to cut through the fluff and say what I'm thinking. I'm curious how to pray for you. I have plenty of good Christian friends who smoke and drink. I wouldn't say any of them have habitual problems with alcohol. I myself like to have a beer. Smoking is a horrible vice and I remember watching my grandfather die a grueling death, a shriveled shadow of the giant I once knew. Although it's extremely unhealthy, I still think one can be a vibrant Christian and smoke. But, I would strongly encourage anyone to quit by nearly any means necessary.

So, what are your issues, are you an alcoholic? Do you have compulsive struggles with alcohol?

If you haven't experienced health problems from smoking, trust me, you will.

If you aren't ready for hitting it head on, then it may be that you aren't ready to beat it.

Cut to the chase, huh?

I wouldn't say I was an alcoholic but I have to limit what I drink. I have to make an effort not to drink.
I can, and have, gone weeks without drinking yet I can't just have one or two, thats what scares me, tgats what I am fighting.

So what to pray? That I have faith I can do this.

Thanks for your feedback. If you have to make an effort not to drink, and when you do it is in excess, then that is a good sign that you are experiencing dependency at some level. What level, we simply don't have enough information to know. Do you feel like there are any underlying issues or stresses that push you towards dependent behaviors?

Also, when you say "faith to do this," what are you hoping for (or what outcome do you want) and what do you mean by faith? I often find that many of us have a distorted perspective of faith and what it means to have it. For example, faith, in the biblical sense means, 'to be convinced, to trust or have confidence in.'

Then, yes, I have a dependency at some level. I have to make an effort not to drink.

I was clinically depressed, that was undiagnosed, for nearly seven years. I sought refuge from the real world in alcohol. I was in a really, really bad place. I finally got diagnosed about three years ago and things have improved greatly since then.
I feel ready to face my alcohol problem now.

By faith to do this I mean I know I can do it. It might take some time but I will. I have confidence in God, that I can draw from His love, and strength. I want to turn to God, not alcohol.

What specific help and counsel are you receiving at this time?

Let me present a challenge. If God has led a friend on this forum to point you towards something like Celebrate Recovery and you aren't 'ready for that' then what does that say of your confidence in God? Just something to think about. You may already be receiving solid counseling, I don't know, but am interested to hear.

[melanie]

I have been very busy lately and I know this isn't a newer thread but I wanted to say that I think you are really brave Annette. Admitting and exposing our weaknesses and vulnerabilities isn't easy but it's admirable and necessary to heal.
The issues that you are having hit very close to home.
I have dealt with addiction and dependency. Addiction to pot and alcohol dependency. I am not entirely comfortable admitting this, I don't like the often close minded stigma that comes with being so open and honest but I am very comfortable in my own skin and this is just a small part of my story, it is part of my legacy of a painful past and a victory of healing and triumph that was only made possible through Christ.
Addiction and dependancy is a symptom. We often try to deal with the symptoms but not the cause.
I have not met or encountered an addict of any description that wasn't masking hurt. The statistics are alarming and not surprising. Often the people who we judge the most, look down upon most often are the ones who are in most need of compassion, empathy, understanding and love. The only way to beat addiction and dependancy is to heal, the only path to truly heal is Jesus.

One day, at a vey low point in my life I just surrendered myself to God. I had believed for many years but I was in the drivers seat and that was only leading me to ditches. I trusted in my Heavenly Father and His Glorious Son to take the reigns and truly be my guiding light. Everything changed. Not overnight. I am still a work in progress but He overcame what I could not. After battling with a pot addiction/dependancy for many, many years one day I knew it was time. I wasn't afraid, I didn't doubt that I could, would or should give up. I knew within my spirit that God was leading me and it was just time. I stopped with far too much ease that I could ever take credit for. I did not overcome this. God did. I give all the glory to Him. He took my hurt, pain and weakness and replaced it with strength and love.

That's what we become with Christ Annette, an overcomer.
We can overcome anything with Him leading and guiding us.
Whilst I completely see the tremendous benefit of 'recovery' groups that was not for me. I trusted that God had this and He did.
You will get through this, one step and one day at a time. Always moving closer to healing, closer to our Father and closer to victory.
Keeping you in my prayers

[Byblos]

Evidently you are a strong-willed person to be able to stop drinking on 5 of 7 days. Draw on some of that strength to help you do the same on the other two days (one at a time if you have to) and know that, as you draw on that strength, we are there beside you cheering you on and praying for you.

[Storyteller]

@ jlay

No counselling or professional help, as yet.

I have surrendered it to God. I`d like to hand it to Him first. I find it very difficult to talk to doctors, help groups and the like. I mean I`m not even comfortable in church!

If, after a few weeks, there is no improvement then I will look into getting more help. So far though, it`s going well. I resisted on Saturday and plan to do the same on Thursday. I want to see how well I can do with just relying on God, and all of you here first. Besides, don`t forget I`m in the UK and I`m not sure the celebrate recovery thing even exists here.

@Mel

Thank you honey Your words mean a lot, thank you.

@Byblos

Thank you, it means a lot, truly


And thank you to you all. I really do appreciate your thoughts.

xxxxx

[bippy123]

Lord Jesus Christ ,most savior and our love , I bring my sister Annette before your throne of grace with her afflictions and the burden she carries from them. Please lord shine a ur healing lite upon Annette and free her from this affliction . Please guide her through these troubling times and infuse your grave within her .
We ask this in your mighty loving name oh lord
Amen

[Storyteller]

Thank you Bips

[bippy123]

Thank you Bips

Welcome Annette
God bless