How to Pray for Healing and Addiction Deliverance

Praying for healing is a solemn work that involves seeking the Great Physician with a spirit of cooperation, confession, and trust in His infinite wisdomPH089 46.1+1. 🕊️

Prepare the Heart through Confession

• Examine the Soul: Before praying for health, one should examine whether they have indulged in evil speaking, sown discord, or created dissension within the churchPH089 46.1.

• Confess Wrongs: If wrongs have been committed, they must be confessed before God and those who have been affected; once these matters are made right, petitions can be offered in earnestness and faithPH089 46.1+1.

• Forsake Sin: Healing and the forgiveness of iniquity are inseparably blended; therefore, true recovery often begins with putting away sin Isaiah 33:24ARSH March 4, 1902, page 130.25.

Pray with Submission to God's Will

• Avoid Unconditional Requests: It is not always safe to ask for unconditional healing; instead, the prayer should include the thought that God knows every secret of the soul and loves the afflicted one more than we canSpM 6.3+1.

• Seek His Glory: Petitions should ask that if it is for God's glory and the good of the sufferer, they be raised up to healthPH089 46.1.

• Accept the Outcome: Whether the answer is an immediate restoration or the gift of grace to bear the trial, we must not lose faith in God 2 Corinthians 12:7-9CCh 306.3+1.

Cooperate with Natural Laws

• Use Provided Means: Praying for healing is not a reason to neglect the remedial agencies within reach; it is no denial of faith to use the simple remedies God has provided to aid nature in restorationCCh 306.3+2.

• Work in Harmony with Prayer: When we pray for the sick, we should work with even more energy, taking advantage of every facility and knowledge regarding the laws of lifeCCh 306.3+1.

• The Example of Hezekiah: Even when God worked a miracle for Hezekiah, special directions were given to apply a simple fig to the affected part, showing that we must move along the line of His providenceCH 381.2+1.

The Role of Faith and Praise

• Recognize the Source: Faith healing is simply the recognition that God is the only source of life and the one who healeth all our diseases Psalms 103:2-4MEDM November 1903, page 274.5+1.

• Maintain Gratitude: A spirit of gratitude and praise promotes health of body and soul; dwelling on God’s love rather than despondency can lead to faster recovery2MCP 797.1+1.

• Claim the Promises: We are encouraged to present the sick in the arms of our faith and plead the trustworthiness of Christ’s promises James 5:13-15RH July 19, 1898, par. 14+1.

Spiritual and Physical Blending

• Minister to the Whole Person: In the work of the gospel, teaching and healing are never to be separated; physicians and nurses should blend spiritual ministry with physical treatmentPOSDAI 34.4+1.

• Educate for Life: Sanitariums are established so that people may not only receive prayer but also learn how to live healthfully and avoid the transgressions of nature’s laws that lead to disease7MR 379.2+2.

• Pray for Strength: Just as Christ prayed in the night for strength to complete His daily work of healing, we should seek vigor of soul and body through constant communion with the FatherST October 31, 1900, par. 8+1.

Praying for someone struggling with addiction requires a combination of earnest intercession, the teaching of health principles, and a firm call for the individual to cooperate with divine power to break the chains of habit6T 110.1+1. 🕊️

The Power of Intercession and Personal Choice

• Wrestle for the Soul: Like a man wrestling for his life, we should pray earnestly for those in bondage to habits like Freemasonry, tobacco, or alcohol20MR 168.2+1.

• Arouse the Individual: While others may put forth the most earnest endeavor to uplift them and angels may minister, all will be in vain unless the victim is roused to fight the battle in their own behalf2MCP 737.1.

• Strengthen the Will: Addiction often destroys the strength of the will, making it difficult for a person to perform what they know is right; therefore, they must look to Jesus for grace to "would" and to doMEDM April 1904, page 113.2+1.

• Watch and Pray: We are commanded to watch and pray against the stealthy approach of the enemy and against old habits and natural inclinations, forcing them back even a hundred times if necessary Mark 14:38KC 26.5+1.

The Role of Health Reform and Education

• Instruct in Healthful Living: Those struggling with appetite should be taught that violating health laws creates diseased conditions and unnatural cravings that lay the foundation for habits like alcoholismCH 440.3+2.

• Identify the Root Causes: Intemperance in eating and the use of condiments can irritate the nerves, making it difficult to control one's temper or impulses; thus, praying for patience or victory is most effective when combined with a willingness to correct physical habitsGCDB February 28, 1899, page 109.24.

• Total Abstinence is Key: For long-established habits, total abstinence is the only sure remedy, as even a single glass of wine or one deviation can lead back to the slavery of drunkennessCH 240.3+1.

• The Influence of Narcotics: Drugs, tobacco, and even tea or coffee can create a fictitious want and a bond-servant relationship to appetite that eclipses the desire for GodTe 58.1+1.

The Work of the Church and Professionals

• Blend Ministry and Medicine: God has ordained that Christian physicians and nurses labor in connection with ministers to reach those enslaved by evil habits, leading them to the cross of Christ6T 110.1+1.

• Call for the Pledge: In public gatherings and camp meetings, we should present the principles of true temperance and call for individuals to sign the temperance pledge6T 110.1+1.

• Practical Labor for the Youth: We must dedicate time to personal labor for the youth who are bound in habits as firm as steel, teaching them God's claims and praying with them to help them break away from Satan's allurementsT33 117.2.

• Use the Voice and Influence: Every church member is called to let their voice be heard in humble prayer and witness against intemperance, using their God-given gifts to win soulsChS 19.3+1.

Hope for the "Impossible" Case

• Never Despair: Although a person may have been overcome again and again, they need not despair; while they are weak in moral power, they can still choose to resist through divine strengthMH 174.6.

• The Lord as Restorer: Remarkable results follow when the unfortunate are placed on a simple diet and prayed for, leading to a quick dropping of tobacco and liquor habits19LtMs, Ms 8, 1904, par. 50.

• Reclaiming the "Lost": Even those who have used tobacco or alcohol for fifty years can find freedom and rejoice in the liberty gained through ChristLIFSK 378.1.

• Cast the Soul on God: If the helpless cast themselves in faith upon God and entreat Him for purity of thought, He will hear them and grant their petitions Luke 11:13SA 68.2.

• The Body is God's Temple: Remind the struggling soul that they are not their own but are bought with a price, and they must therefore glorify God in their body and spirit 1 Corinthians 6:19-2020MR 106.3+1.

Commanding the power of addiction is an act of spiritual warfare where the "Word of Power" spoken by Jesus is the only effective means of setting the captive freeLTJMB3 228.1+1. 🕊️

The Word of Power vs. Human Methods

• The Command of Christ: In the New Testament, the release of those under the influence of demons or destructive spirits was always accomplished by the "Word of Power" which Jesus spokeLTJMB3 228.1.

• Contrast with Exorcism: Unlike the magical formulas or complex incantations used by Jewish exorcists or later superstitions, Christ’s command was direct and the spirits always obeyed HimLTJMB3 228.1+1.

• Authority Entrusted to Disciples: This same authority was entrusted to His disciples, allowing them to speak words of deliverance to those bound by vicious habitsLTJMB3 228.1+1.

• Healing the Mind and Body: This "Word of Power" primarily affects the nervous system—the nexus between body and mind—bringing the consciousness back under the control of the individual rather than the "demoniser" or the habitLTJMB3 228.1.

The Reality of Spiritual Warfare

• Wrestling with Unseen Agencies: We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, and the rulers of the darkness of this world Ephesians 6:12.

• The Sword of the Spirit: The primary weapon in this conflict is "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" Ephesians 6:1721MR 427.3.

• Real Battles: The conflict between angelic agencies and the Satanic confederacy over a soul is as real as any battle fought by opposing forces on earthST October 29, 1894, par. 6+1.

• Forcing Back the Enemy: When we pray and speak in faith, holy angels are commissioned to force back the evil angels who encompass the tempted soulST October 29, 1894, par. 6+1.

Breaking the "Vise" of Habit

• Slavery of the Will: Intemperance, whether through tobacco, liquor, or drugs, holds human beings as in a vise, stupefying the senses and chaining the willTe 58.1.

• The Spirit of Command: To break these "shackles that bind," one must obtain power from God, as it is impossible for a man to find the strength within himself while continuing to indulge debasing habitsCTBH 10.2.

• A "Word" for the Intemperate: Like Christ, we are to proclaim "deliverance to the captives" and set at liberty those who are "bruised" by their own passions Luke 4:18RH June 2, 1891, par. 2.

• Sanctifying the Will: The root of the matter is reached when the human will is surrendered and bound to the cross; once the will is sanctified, victories in this spiritual warfare are wonST October 29, 1894, par. 6.

The Role of Personal Choice and Faith

• Decision to Resist: While the power comes from God, the individual must have a "firm purpose" to resist temptation and refuse to venture on forbidden ground where Satan can claim controlSA 68.2.

• Determined Effort: A determined effort must be made to keep the thoughts centered on Christ, bringing every thought into captivity to His obedience1MCP 235.3+1.

• Faith Overcomes Defeat: Many who have been slaves to habits for fifty years have found freedom by taking their stand on the side of reform and trusting in the Word of GodLIFSK 378.1+1.

• Divine Vitality: The church is called to possess "divine vitality" to strike the blows God designs, standing firmly in the closing conflict of the great controversy7BC 983.8+1.

The Promise to the Overcomer

• Strength for the Weak: God is just as willing to work through weak instrumentalities today as He was for Gideon or Joshua, doing exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think Ephesians 3:20PP 554.1.

• Victory is Possible: Through Christ, anyone engaged in this stern warfare can come off a victor, though it involves self-denial and a cross-bearing struggle3T 43.1+1.

• Eternal Reward: To the one who overcomes these "lusts of the flesh," Jesus promises a seat upon His throne Revelation 3:21LBFCG 6.1.

When praying for someone struggling with addiction, you should blend humble petitions to the Great Physician with a firm exercise of faith in His power to break the chains of habitARSH June 11, 1861, page 24.13+1. It is helpful to understand that while we ask for God's mercy, we must also recognize the spiritual warfare taking place and the necessity of the individual's cooperation with divine graceCE 122.2+1.

The Manner of Your Petition

• Pray with Submission: It is not always safe to ask for unconditional healing; rather, let your prayer be: "Lord, if it is for Thy glory and the good of this afflicted one, we ask in the name of Jesus that they be restored"SpM 6.3+1.

• Appeal to the High Priest: You can come with confidence because we have a High Priest who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities and understands the struggle against "filthiness of the flesh"ARSH June 11, 1861, page 24.13.

• Bring Them in the Arms of Faith: Just as the friends of the paralytic brought him to Jesus, you are to present the suffering soul to God in the arms of your faith, believing that Christ is just as willing to heal now as He was when He walked the earthHLv 175.4+2.

Speaking to the Power of the Habit

• The Power of the Word: While "commanding" a disease should not be done in a spirit of human pride, the "sword of the Spirit," which is the Word of God, is the legitimate weapon to use against the powers of darknessEVRR190+2.

• Claiming the Victory of Christ: You can speak words of hope and authority by reminding the soul that Christ has already gained the victory over principalities and powers, and this victory becomes ours through faithPTUK February 9, 1893, page 36.5.

• Directing the Individual to Choose: Help the addicted person to realize they must personally say, "I will have an interest for myself," and pass hours in prayer and struggle until they come off a victorCTBH 19.3.

Practical Elements of the Prayer

• Examine Hindrances: Before praying, check if there are known sins or a refusal to cooperate with the laws of health, as God cannot always work miracles for those who persist in the "heedless transgression of nature's laws"TSB 123.2+2.

• Pray for the Will: Often the addicted person "could quit if they would, but they can’t would"; therefore, pray specifically that God will empower their will to harmonize with His divine willCE 122.2+1.

• Intercede for Deliverance: Entreat the Lord to "purge" the individual from polluting habits and to provide the "healing, strengthening power" necessary to resist the unnatural cravings of appetiteHS 132.3+1.

Encouraging the Individual's Action

• Total Abstinence: Remind them that in habits like tobacco or liquor using, total abstinence is the only sure remedy and that they must look to Jesus for the grace to maintain this stand20MR 106.3+1.

• Daily Victory: Encourage them to live for today only, fighting the good fight of faith and maintaining the victory over self one hour at a timeST October 20, 1887, par. 2.

“Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name... Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases” Psalms 103:1, 3. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world” Ephesians 6:12. “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth” Mark 9:23. 🕊️