In the Midst of Your Storm

I wrote this several years ago for the sequel of When God Speaks which I'm working on now. I thought it was appropriate in light of the storms that ravaged the Midwest and South. I think it also applies to battling addictions.

“You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you (Psalm 91:5-7).


In the midst of the tornado that threatens your life is a vortex of peace. It is I. In Me peace resides, while hurricane winds and twisters spin around you. Prayer will bring you to the place of peace inside the eye of the storm. Cry out to Me and I will hear you. I will answer you when your energy is spent. Listen for My still quiet voice calling to you. It will bring healing as you draw close to Me.

A deep abiding relationship with Me will keep you in a place of peace. Faith and trust will keep your spirit in the palm of My hand, untouched while even the body suffers. Inside My hand is a kernel of peace and joy inexplicable. It is the joy the apostle and martyrs experienced while being tortured. It is a power available to you through My Holy Spirit. It is yours for the asking.

10 POWERFUL STRATEGIES FOR BREAKTHROUGH PRAYER: PART 2

             These  are the rest of my notes from the  presentation that I did in January on: Overcoming Addiction Through Prayer:

6. Realize that God is in control, but you aren’t. Let go of your prodigal or circumstance. This is a difficult but necessary step. Sometimes you just have to let your prodigal fall if that’s what they’re bent on doing!  Don’t let anything manipulate you : From pg. 70 Letters to God on a Prodigal Son: "Tough love is necessary when dealing with an addict. Don’t say something  and then do another. Stick to your word and don’t give into your prodigal’s demands. Try to find out what’s really happening and make your decisions based on that. Go to a counselor together with your spouse and decide on a course of action. Plan ahead for several different scenarios so you can be prepared and not get tripped up by your loved one. Addicts are very good manipulators, and they will admit they pull on their parent’s heartstrings—so be aware."
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7. Ask for wisdom in each situation you encounter. Ex. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. … (James 1: 5). Seek the advice of others who are godly and understand the particular bondage your prodigal faces or your particular circumstance. Still your heart and listen for what the spirit is speaking to you. Read the word of God and let it speak to you. Ex. Kindle the fire of the Holy Spirit, even when you feel overwhelmed. He will give you strength Phil. 1:19.

8. Personalize what the scriptures say, add your name and speak to your circumstances. Examples:
      You are “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. Surely he (You) will save Ben from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.” (Psalm 91:2).
      “You look upon his (Ben’s) affliction and trouble and forgive all his sins” (Psalm 25:18).
Let the Holy Spirit empower you personally. Rely on Him.

9. Learn spiritual warfare tactics: Be covered with the blood, clothed with the full armor of God “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whrmor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand" (Ephesians 6:12).


Break bondages of addiction through praise and worship, pg.104 LTG "Though I need to continue waging spiritual warfare against this evil, I also need to press on and praise God. I’ve continued to read Worship Warriors and it’s helped me to see that worship can break the chains of the enemy."

pg. 105 (LTG) "I bind the strongman, his addiction to drugs, so that he will no longer have power in Ben’s life. I break this bondage of addiction and drug use. I cover Ben with the blood of Jesus, and pray that he would repent of this sin. In Jesus’ name. Amen."


10. Thank God for small steps, progress p 65 LTG "Help me to see the positive side of this situation. Ben is back, alive and well. Help me to “Trust in the Lord with all my heart, lean not unto my own understanding. In all my ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct my paths” (Proverbs 3:5). Thank God for doing what He says He will do before you see the circumstances changing, pg.105. Use scripture and precede it with Thank you, pg. 154:

"Dear Lord,
Thank You that You “Uphold all who fall. And raise up all who are bowed down” (Psalm 145:14). You have lifted Ben up by your mercy and grace. You didn’t allow him to stay in the hole and die there. You picked him up. “And lifts the needy out of the ash heap” (Psalm 113:7). Thank You so much for your mercy. “Oh, give thanks to the Lord for He is good! For His mercy endures forever” (1Chronicles 16:34). Thank You Lord that You had mercy on me and my son. I will be eternally grateful. In Jesus’ name. Amen!"

If you would like prayer for a prodigal, contact me at anitawiter7@yahoo.com

Breakthrough Prayer for Addictions

I believe prayer plays a vital role in helping people break free from addiciton. In early January, I spoke at an Aglow meeting about Breakthrough Prayer. I thought it would be beneficial to post my notes for those who attended and those who did not.  I'm breaking it up into two parts. Here's the first five key points:

What Makes for Breakthrough Prayer?

1. Be clean before God. Examine your life. Be covered in the blood of Jesus. He is our righteousness. Repent if necessary, but don’t let others say you are in this circumstance because of sin in your life it that’s not the case. Don’t take on guilt. You are made clean, but let Him search your heart. “Search me oh God and know my heart…” Let God and the Holy Spirit be the one to convict you. Rely on the Holy Spirit for abundant, supernatural strength.



2. Know who you are in Christ and remind yourself often. Stand firm in this. I am accepted...
I am God's child. John 1:12
As a disciple, I am a friend of Jesus Christ. John 15:15
I have been justified.Romans 5:1
I am united with the Lord, and I am one with Him in spirit.1 Corinthians 6:17

I have been bought with a price and I belong to God.1 Corinthians 6:19-20
I am a member of Christ's body. 1 Corinthians 12:27

I have been chosen by God and adopted as His child.Ephesians 1:3-8

 I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins. Colossians 1:13-14

I am complete in Christ.  Colossians 2:9-10

I have direct access to the throne of grace through Jesus Christ. Hebrews 4:14-16


3. Understand God’s Character. Know He is your provider, your peace. Let His peace rule in your heart. Rule-Greek: umpire, in control, CALLING THE SHOTS. Let the peace of God rule over your emotions so that you are not overwhelmed by the situation or circumstance.


4. Be totally honest with God. Cry out in your pain. Tell him how we feel, but don’t stop there. Move forward. Important to stand on scriptures that speak to your situation: Some of mine:   "You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3). This was a far cry from the actual situation, but I was learning, step by step, to trust God and believe He would eventually transform this terrible mess into something good."


• “God works all things together for good for those who are called according to his purposes” (Romans 8:28). Though I wavered in this belief, I always came back to it. No matter what Ben went though, God could work it out for good. The problem was: would Ben allow God to work in his life? I hoped so.

• “And my God shall supply all my needs according to his riches and glory” (Philippians 4:19). God’s supplies are abundant, and I called upon Him day and night to get me through this emotional time and to keep me from getting really depressed.

• “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5).This was one of my all time favorite verses, and it helped me to stay sane when I just didn’t understand why Ben was making such a major mistake in his life.

Now find your own verses that speak victory into your situation.
 
5. Keep your eyes on the Lord and trust Him. See with eyes of faith. Don’t get discouraged. Keep persevering in prayer, like the woman and the unjust judge: "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. [2] He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. [3] And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.' "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, [5] yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!" (Luke 18 1-8).

“Persistent prayer demonstrates our faith in God who at times may delay His answers, but will always act decisively and justly with respect to His people.”