Christ-centered ministry reaching, engaging, & restoring hope to adults and families battling drug & alcohol dependencies.

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts”
– Psalm 139:23

We should all want to be closer to God and know Him more intimately. Part of the process is presenting ourselves fully to God, allowing Him to show us places where we lack and need to grow. The best way for this process to occur is to do a daily quiet time by setting a certain time of day aside for prayer and meditation on things of God. This consists of reading the Word of God. Despite the chaotic nature of families in general and families with addictions specifically, taking time aside alone with God allows Him to reveal Himself in an intimate, personal, and deep way that could not be achieved otherwise.

Practically, it’s best to find a place that is quiet, alone, and secluded. Jesus Himself withdrew to “lonely places” in order to pray and be with the Father (see Luke 5:16, Luke 22:39). For family members of people with addictions, this may include getting outside the home itself to separate from the addict.

If we want to grow into the likeness of Jesus, we must spend time with God alone. During quiet times, we can confess and repent, pray big prayers over family members and loved ones, and especially pray for ourselves. Taking time for ourselves, away from the chaos of addiction, allows God to address our needs as individuals, point out where we lack, and remind us of His unfailing love for us. Here is where we develop our one on one relationship with Him. Here is where we repent from our negative thoughts or attitudes of the day before. Here is where we confess our desires and wants before a holy, perfect, and loving God. Here is where we become in tune in what God, through his Spirit, wants for us in the day and in our lives.

This quiet time will reflect in your attitude for the rest of the day by making you more Christ-centered in interactions, thoughts, and feelings. Pastor and author Tim Keller wrote, “A triune God would call us to converse with him… because he wants to share the joy he has. Prayer is our way of entering into the happiness of God himself.*”  We are renewed and refreshed daily when spending a chunk of time with the Lord, even when it is hard or make excuses about time. God delights in our time with Him.

For more scriptures on quiet time, see Romans 12:1-2, 1 Thessalonians 2:12, Joshua 1:8-9, 1 Samuel 1:19, Philippians 2:2

*quote taken from Tim Keller’s book Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God, 2014.