"But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ."
1 Corinthians 15:57

7211 Taylorsville Road
Huber Heights, Ohio 45424
937 236-3363 - 1 866 831-5315

Practical Counsel
For Christians In Recovery
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me. because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
   He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, 
to release the oppressed."
(Luke 4:18). Jesus, the long-waited Messiah, fulfills the Isaiah 61:1-2 prophesy of renewal.

1) The time to become drug-free is today. Drug free means to be free of all drugs, even alcohol and tobacco.   See Hebrews 3:7-8

2) Recovery is a process and not just a one time event. We must "work" our program in a step-by step process. It will take time for our mind and body to heal and time for us to mature in the Lord. See Matthew 8:22-25; 10:46-52

3) Although we celebrate our "clean time", what really counts is our relationship with Jesus Christ and maturing in our relationship with Him. See Prov. 11:12, 16:18; Luke 8:14; Ephesians 4:13; James 1:2-4

4) We should never give up if we relapse. While we are still on this earth it is never too late to get back on the right track. God is the God of second chances and more. However, we should never use this as an excuse to relapse. See 1 John 1:9

5) We should never struggle with drug addiction in our own strength. We must rely on God’s strength and power to stay clean. See Gal. 5:16; Phil 4:13

6) We must stay away from all alcohol - drugs and all alcohol-drug using friends. See 1 Cor. 15:33; 2 Cor. 6:14; Eph 5:11

7) Don’t be surprised when we are tempted to use again. Temptation in itself is not sinful, it is what we do with it that matters. See Nahum 1:7; 
1 Cor. 10:13; 2 Tim. 2:13; James 1:13-15

8) Recognize that it is easier to lie to ourselves than to anyone else we know. We must be aware of our ability to rationalize wrong attitudes and wrong behavior. See Jer. 17:9; Ps. 51:6

9) We should not become proud and self-sufficient once we become drug free, as we cannot claim credit for our recovery. See Prov. 16:18

10) Staying clean is not the ultimate goal of the recovering Christian. It is a good place to start, but the journey continues. Realize that God desires us to be transformed. Don’t be deceived by the lie that says; it’s more than I can handle. See Romans 12:1-2; Gal. 5:19-26

11) Have confidence in God. He has our best interest at heart. Murphy’s laws do not control the life of the Christian. See Rom. 8:28

12) Walk with God one day at a time. He knows our problems and our needs.
See Prov.27:1; Matt. 6:25-34; Phil. 46-7

13) Take time to pray everyday. Prayer is the "glue" that keeps us close to God. It is through prayer that God hears us. See James 5:13-18

14) We need to study the Bible everyday. God’s Word has the answers for our problems and the direction we need. We also need to apply what we study to our lives. See Pro. 3:5-6

15) We need to plug into a recovery friendly, Bible teaching fellowship. A fellowship that faithfully teaches in a Spirit of Love and Christ-like-ness. See Acts 2:42; Heb. 10:24-25

16) We need to maintain a support system of other recovering Christians with whom we can share our struggles and receive encouragement. See Gal. 6:1-2; James 5:16

17) After a relapse did you ever say to yourself; things seem to be getting seven times worse? See Matt. 12:43-45.

Ministering Life, Hope and Restoration