Addiction Avoidance

Below are Jessica's thoughts on Chapter 23 of The Power of A Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian. Please know that what we all learn from a study is usually different. Therefore, we encourage you to share what you've learned from this chapter as well.

"The point is, the draw of the flesh and the devil's plans are alot stronger than we'd like to think. In a moment of weakness, such as is possible for all of us, we can end up doing something we never thought we would. Only the power of God, through prayer, can make the difference"
-Stormie Omartian, The Power of A Praying Parent, p. 160

I have to be honest, my first thought when reading this chapter and especially the above sentences, was of us as parents, not our children. I want to take a moment to encourage all of the moms who are feeling exhausted and overwhelmed right now. We all reach a breaking point and the important thing is that we reach out before we get there. The first person we need to reach out to is God. Cry out and surrender all to Him. The next step is to get support and prayer from your family in Christ and you will find strength in your weakness. Just as our children need to be covered in prayer, so do we. OK, back to the kids...

This chapter, to me seemed to point out the need to further cover our children in prayers of protection against the evil one. Tendencies toward addictive behavior can take the form of drugs, alcohol, but also worry, approval and striving for perfection. Even if we don't think our children are in imminent danger of being offered drugs or alcohol, we still need to cover them in prayer. We need to pray, as Stormie points out on p. 161, that our child will "choose life in whatever she (he) does and may her (his) only addiction be to the things of God." (Stormie Omartian, Power of A Praying Parent)

Bible Verses:

I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.
-Deuteronomy 30:19

Let those who love the Lord hate evil,
for he guards the lives of his faithful ones
and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
-Psalm 97:10

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.
The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
-Romans 16:20

Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.
Psalm 34:14