A prayer awareness exercise for addiction

Father, lover of all your creation, open me to your love. Jesus, knowing the joys and sorrows of a human life, walk with me. Holy Spirit, giver of gifts, fill me, empower me, use me, even in my brokenness.

Addiction can be to almost anything: a physical substance such as alcohol, a physical activity such as sex or busyness, a psychological compulsion like achieving or competing . . . If I am addicted I am not unusual. I am a human being living with addiction.


What am I addicted to? I share this with God. . . . .


Whether or not I am familiar with the 12 steps designed to help people like me who live with addiction, I reflect on the first three of those steps and see where they take me:

1. To admit that I am powerless over my addiction
2. To believe that a Power greater than myself can restore me
3. To decide to turn to the care of God as I understand God

Is there anything I want to say to God now? . . . . .


How is God responding? . . . . .

Father, Son, Spirit, you know me through and through; you love me as I am; you touch my life with healing; you call me to bear fruit. I give my wounded self to you, to be a channel of healing to others, to be a wounded healer, with Christ, who died, and rose, and comes again. Amen.