Addictions

Katherine Walden

Posted on by Kath Walden

He heals the broken-hearted. Psalm 147:3

Everlasting Father, I ask You to go to those whose hearts ache on Your Son’s birthday. They are hurting and lonely. Father, let them know it’s okay to give You the pain, loneliness, and frustration that rests in their hearts. Enable them through Your grace to know You are listening — and that You care. Come to those who grief as the Father of all comfort.

Immanuel, I pray for those who are single and without family nearby. Those who spend much of the holidays alone. Be with them in the lonely hours and help them not feel unseen during this season that places so much emphasis on ‘family.’ Remind them of Your open-ended invitation of adoption into Your eternal family. Give them the grace to allow You to enter their heart’s lonely places. I pray for those who are housebound and infirm and are unable to leave their homes or hospital rooms due to illness. I pray for those with loved ones separated by work and sacrificial duty. Come to them as their beloved friend.

Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace, I pray for families who are struggling financially and relationally. I pray for those whose marriages are crumbling. I pray for children who are frightened and neglected. Be with the small ones who sense the worry and frustration that their parents try to hide. Bring Your hope, bring Your peace.

Come as the great Physician; come as deliverer and set free those who are isolated and bound by the chains of addiction and self-destructive behaviour.

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, please swoop into each home, hospital room, homeless shelter, hotel, jail cell, and every place of business that must be open on the holidays – let Your children know they are not alone.
Holy Spirit, please come as the Comforter and let Your gentle healing warmth soothe and bring solace to their aching hearts. I pray this in the name of Jesus — who knows our sorrows and understands our hearts.

©2023 Katherine Walden

Jerry Bridges

Posted on by Kath Walden

Because Jesus fully satisfied the justice of God toward our sin, God no longer counts it against us. But what about our struggles with persistent sin patterns, when we are tempted to feel that we have exhausted the patience and forgiveness of God? We should still bring that sin to the cross with an attitude of repentance and contrition knowing and believing there is no sin that is beyond the cleansing power of the blood of Christ as God said in Isaiah 1:18 “Your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they shall become as wool.” We cannot resist the power of remaining sin in our lives if we have not first dealt with its guilt. And the only way to do this is to continually go back to the cross and see Jesus bearing that sin, and paying its penalty through His death. We truly are new creations in Christ.

Author Unknown

Posted on by Kath Walden

Yes, Jesus hung out with prostitutes and drunkards and outcasts.

Here’s the thing, though – by the time Jesus was finished with these people, they weren’t prostitutes or drunkards or outcasts anymore.

Jesus came to transform people, not indulge them. Christianity is about surrender, not comfort. We are to align ourselves with his standard, not the other way around.