What's the most powerful way to pray for an alcoholic?

Question

What's the best way to pray for an alcoholic to realize he needs help and get better? Has anyone ever prayed for someone to heal and had them get better? How did they do it? How long did it take them to get better? This is for all faiths to answer. Thankyou for any help you can give, I need to save this person's life and I'm scared

Answer 1

Get them into rehab. Nothing else will work nearly as well.

Answer 2

An alcoholic has to come to the realisation he has a problem in his own time usually when he hits the 'rock bottom' which is bad enough to prompt him to consider the fact he’s alcoholic.

You can pray all you like if it makes YOU feel better.
It's similar to being in a room with a coupla dozen gamblers watching a horse race and they're all shouting 'come on' to 'their' horse.

I was in a 'bad way' for years before I went to AA back in 83.
I rang to tell Dad and he said he was glad I took his advice.
He doesn't lie but I didn't remember him ever telling me - it was a good lesson that we all do selective listening.

If you're scared, go to Alanon; you'll learn about the disease of alcoholism.

Answer 3

Pray that the alcoholic learns the lesson they need from excess alcohol consumption so they can move on to other lessons in life. Then, pray for the patience to stay in their life and be around for them while they go through this struggle. Pray for the wisdom to know when the time comes to let them struggle on their own.

Know that the time it takes for them to heal is uncertain. It is possible that they will be an alcoholic for their entire life because they came down to this life to be an example for others; an example of a life not to lead; an example of weakness and yielding to temptation.

Finish your prayer with "Thy will be done" and mean it. This struggle is not yours. The resolution is not within your control. Pray for acceptance of whatever is brought your way and whatever is brought to the alcoholic.

Answer 4

Do a centered prayer. Meditate and when you breathe in...take in the pain the alcoholic is feeling, when you breathe out send positive thoughts, healing, thoughts of going to AA? (send whatever you think will help heal this person). You can't make anyone do something they themselves do not decide to do. So, pray/meditate, send loving thoughts, and don't enable the alcoholism. I wish you the best, sweetie. I'm sure this is very hard to go through.

Peace, Love, and Blessings
Greenwood

Answer 5

the MOST important thing to remember is when you go to Jesus in prayer you MUST believe that he is going to answer you. theres no secret or best way to pray as far as what you say. its the faith you have when praying. ever heard of the persistant widow? she kept going to the judge for justice, he didnt fear God but she was really getting on his nerve so he granted her justice so he could have some peace. same way you, keep being persistant and keep going to the Lord until your prayer is answered. some our answered real fast, some are not as fast but no matter what keep praying and believing and it will come to past. non believers why are you answering this question when you dont believing in praying? she asked about praying therefore you should not have answered the question or thumbs me down cuz you have no clue about it anyhow. thats not discrimination toward you but if you dont believe you should not give a answer.

Answer 6

I prayed for years that my former boyfriend would get clean, but he chose to keep on using drugs.

I feel for you. It may be that for your sake you need to pull away from this person. I would seek the help of other family and friends to intervene, and try to get him to see that there is a problem. After that there is really nothing you can do, unless he wants help to stop. Continue pray, and ask for others to pray for him, but he must decide to quit...

And that may be a decision he is not ready to make.

God Bless.

Answer 7

On your knees.

God can't make an alcoholic get better unless the alcoholic wants and allows that. God won't force anything. Ask that the alcoholic's heart be softened, that he desires to be cured, that he begins to take the necessary steps, and that he allows other to help him. Pray that he be given the strength and time needed to fix himself. And let him know you're praying on his behalf!!

Answer 8

The power is not in the way you pray;-{ the power comes from GOD.
As long as you're sincere & asking for what is good & right;
GOD will answer.
So you can be sure that this is something which GOD wants too.
On the other hand, GOD gave us all 'free-will' so He never forces anyone.
The person has to come to realize their problem & want help.
They got into this by choice;-{ they must choose to get out.
What you can do is give GOD permission to help them change.

Answer 9

well, if its someone I really care about

since I have tendencies toward it myself

I might go drink with the person, for an evening
maybe

I would listen, really listen, not judge too much, try to point out what I was seeing, then and maybe a few days later

then I would say what I thought, without judging, would say the truth too

Answer 10

An alcoholic needs to hit bottom before they will bein to recover. I have prayed that the alcoholic in question hit bottom and fast, with safety to themselves and others.

Answer 11

I would pray for this person in the same manner as I would for anyone else. A prayer needs not to differentiate between drinkers and non-drinkers.