Effective Prayer in Recovery

By Bill A. Gaspard, Life Recovery Coach


Effectively talking with God can seem intimidating to some. It takes heart, obedience and discipline. We are working out a muscle that we haven’t used very often and it will take some time to get it in shape. My favorite definition for the word discipline is “control gained by obedience or training.” We all want to control something, but in prayer the discipline we are talking about is the giving up control to our heavenly father in prayer. It may seem hard to look at prayer as obedience or discipline, but it is necessary. In the book of Luke one of the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray.


“Once, Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

Jesus said, “This is how you should pray:

“Father, may your name be kept holy.


May your Kingdom come soon.


Give us each day the food we need,


and forgive us our sins,


as we forgive those who sin against us.


And don’t let us yield to temptation.” Luke1:1-4

These are the same group of guys who had been hanging out with Jesus for years. These guys probably knew how to pray and were taught by their parents. Yet, they knew that the way Jesus prayed was different and they wanted to learn. I believe Jesus waited for this day; He knew what he would say and knew that this prayer ‘The Lords Prayer’ would stand the test of time itself. Have you ever stood in a circle holding hands with people and reciting this prayer that Jesus taught to his disciples? How many recovered alcoholics and drug addicts have said this prayer? We don’t talk about Jesus much in these meetings but we are following in the footsteps of Jesus when we say this prayer out loud with other brothers and sisters in recovery. Jesus was coaching His disciples how to pray, He gave them exactly what they needed all in one beautiful package. Emmett Fox wrote this about the Lords Prayer.

“The Lords Prayer is the most important of all Christian documents. It was carefully constructed by Jesus with certain very clear ends in view. That is why, of all his teachings, it is by far the best known and the most often quoted.”

I am not going to break down the Lords Prayer, because so many people a lot brighter than I have already done it for us. Try this, write down your prayers in a journal and come back to them on a regular basis. You will find which ones have been answered or not and be able to thank God for the work he has done in your life. You will also be able to see the growth happening in you by the effectiveness of your prayers through time. As soon as you get your own will out of your prayer life and pray for God’s will, the sooner you will see positive change in the effectiveness of your prayers and you will see growth along with it. I did not start journaling until I was about five months sober, when I started I wrote a bunch of random stuff and my prayers were weak. As I disciplined myself to pray and as I truly understood the "Lords Prayer," more and more my prayers became stronger and started to make a difference in my life.

Example

On September, 23 2009 this was my prayer from my journal.

“Lead me Father, show me the way to encourage others that struggle with addiction or who are struggling in their marriage. I hope to share my story and I pray that it might encourage someone else by showing what you have done in my life. Show me the way Lord, I want to serve you. How can my passion for you and my God given abilities serve your purpose? Teach me Lord, you lead the way and I will follow, I want to be more like you Jesus, help me! Encourage me and mold me so that I may do your will." Amen

This was one of my better prayers and it did come from the heart and what came from this conversation with God changed the course of my life forever. Within three months I was more active in the recovery groups at our church. I ordered a 30-hour recovery training class from the AACC and on my one year sobriety date I got a text from one of our pastors and he wanted to talk to me. He asked me if I would be interested in leading the recovery groups at our church. I was kinda freaked out, there were people with a lot more sobriety than me. He told me that God kept revealing my name to him. I went to a Recovery Conference in California got credentialed as a Biblical Counselor and Life Coach. I started a Recovery Coaching practice and wrote this chapter all within a year from this prayer. I can be very prideful at times, but seriously, only God can take a former drunk, an honest prayer and make that happen.

“Prayer and devotion are united as soul and body is united, as life and heart are united. There is no real prayer without devotion, no devotion without prayer.”-E.M. Bounds

 “A satisfying prayer life elevates and purifies every act of body and mind and integrates the entire personality into a single spiritual unit. In the long pull we pray only as well as we live.”- A.W. Tozer

Step Eleven in the “Big Book” also suggests prayer and meditation. In a chapter called, “Into Action.” The suggestion is for nightly reflection where you review resentments, fear, dishonest or selfish behavior that needs Gods forgiveness. The suggestion also talks about how to pray about the "24 hours ahead." We ask God for inspiration throughout the day and then the chapter says, “We usually conclude the period of meditation with prayer that we be shown all through the day what our next step is to be, that we be given whatever we need to take care of such problems.” Recovery or not, if everyone took the suggestions about prayer and meditation literally and applied them to their daily life the world would be a better place. This is more than a suggestion, these are biblical principles and without the daily discipline required in this step of obedience there will be little growth in your recovery. Bill W. and Dr. Bob knew that prayer took discipline, they said this about it, “We alcoholics are undisciplined. So we let God discipline us in the simple way we have just outlined.” What outline? The suggestion of prayer in Step Eleven is that outline.

Will you discipline yourself in this way?
The chapter also discusses that many of us have put down prayers that relate to the principles discussed and there are many books out there on this discussion and that we could also check with a priest, minister or rabbi regarding prayer and these principles.
What are the principles that this chapter in the "Big Book" is trying to suggest to us?

There are many biblical principles within the three pages that discuss Step Eleven and I have put them into five strategic concepts for effective prayer in recovery. I also put some of my favorite scripture to support it.
1) Nightly reflection- Do we owe anyone an apology?

"Leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God." Matthew5:24

2) Were we kind and loving to all today?

"So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other." John 13:34

3) Ask God to guide our thoughts.

"They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works." Psalm 77:12

4) Ask God to guide our next steps.

"Guide my steps by your word, so I will not be overcome by evil." Psalm 119:133

5) Pray for Gods will (not mine).
"Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing." Psalm 143:10

What will you pray about today?
And what will your life look like a year from today?
I hope you are excited to find out.

About the author: Bill A. Gaspard is a Certified Christian Life Coach and Biblical Counselor, dedicated to helping God RECOVER His children through relapse prevention coaching. He is the founder of Christian Recovery Coaching- http://christianrecoverycoaching.com

Recovery Coaching is one of the most effective ways to prevent relapse and get results in your life. A Christian Life Recovery Coach will come along side you to help you find your purpose and passion in life. We partner with our clients to unlock their God given talents and motivate them towards Christian leadership.