Introduction to Christian Recovery

Rom 5:1-25:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. NIV

In this first recovery devotion, I sat pondering where to begin. The Holy Spirit prompted, begin at the beginning...

Where is the beginning? Creation? We'll save that for another day. For us as Christians, life begins with faith in Jesus, the path to eternal salvation. We were lost in our sin, we came to believe that Jesus died for us and accepted His death on the cross as atonement for our sins. Romans 11:6 tells us by faith we are saved, not by works.

I know for a fact that some of you don't really understand what that means, even though you would say you're a Christian - you wouldn't be reading this if you didn't believe you're a Christian :-) But maybe you feel there's something missing, as I once did.

For many years I attended a certain church, had been sprinkled, confirmed, and received all the sacraments regularly, and I called myself a Christian. I attended worship daily and would kneel in this ornate cathedral, staring up at the crucifix praying, "Jesus, how can I know you?"

Despite all my piousness, I was living a life of terrible sin. No amount of confession could save me. I was lost. I was lost because although I looked at images of Jesus daily, I had no relationship with Him. He was just a statue, an icon, a painting, a sculpture on a cross. I didn't understand salvation, that it means far more than simply believing Jesus was a real person. There was a longing in my heart for Jesus that burned in my soul.

Look at it this way. Suppose I'm in the hospital with a deathly illness. The doctor comes in with a bag of antibiotics that he wants to connect to my IV. He says, "this medicine will cure you, will you accept it?" And you say, "I believe you." So again the doc says, "Will you receive this medicine?" and you say again, "I believe you." Do you see where I'm going with this? It's not enough to believe the chemicals can save your life, you must receive them.

The Jews struggled daily to live up to the law, which had become far more than the 10 commandments God gave to Moses. The list of rules was endless - no man could live up to them. But they tried and those who were righteous in their own eyes were full of pride - the greatest sin of all. If Jesus didn't die to deliver us from the law, then His crucifixion was for naught.

But God is faithful and just, He hears the prayer of our hearts and comes to our rescue. God knows the beginning and the end and He has known before you were born exactly where you would be at this moment. He knew who would choose Him and who would turn away. He knew I desired to know Him more than anything. So many years ago, the Holy Spirit prompted me to be in the right place at the right time to hear the right message - the message of salvation. That day I finally understood, and came face to face with Jesus, recognizing my deficiency, asking His forgiveness, seeking His lordship to rule me, a Shepherd to guide me forever.

Since that day I began an unforgettable journey with Jesus. The transformation was instantaneous and amazing. The Holy Spirit gives me the fuel to keep going when I'm sure I can't go on. He gives me hope, strength, joy and compassion. He prompts me to reach out to others, to write, to bring hope and encouragement to a hurting world.

Today I live for the Lord, not myself. I have purpose. When the world shadows me in darkness He lights my way. When I feel hopeless He comforts me. When I'm afraid He is my shield. When I doubt He reassures me. When I'm weak He is my strength. When I fall down He picks me up.
If you're in that place of searching, if you've always longed for a real relationship with Jesus but just didn't get it, today is the day. He stands at the door knocking. Open the door and invite Him in. He will change your life.

It's this simple, really. You can pray a prayer along these lines - but make it your own. Speak from your heart to the One who loves you. It's not about the words you pray but the heart that prays them. It's about acknowledging our unworthiness and God's awesome mercy and ability to heal and lead us. It's about emptying ourselves of self and allowing the Holy Spirit to fill us for God's purposes. Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you now, with your own words from your innermost being.

Jesus, I know I'm a sinner and that nothing I can do, no works of my own can change that. Only You have the power to change my heart and make me whole. I know You died to cover my sins, that You are the atonement for my sins. Come into my life Rabbi! Teach me Jesus. Be my Savior, my guiding light. Give me that heart of daily, moment by moment repentance that convicts me the instant my heart strays. Walk with me through life and show me the way. I trust in You and give my heart to You, that You would take up residence in me. Holy Spirit move in me to fulfill Your purposes in my life. In the name of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, amen.

That's it. You're made new. Today begins the most amazing journey of your life for the rest of your life. Welcome to the kingdom of heaven! Real recovery begins today.

Eph 2:8-108 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. NKJV

Our faith rests in Jesus who has all power and authority. Through Him, we have endless power over food, alcohol, cigarettes, drugs -whatever has a hold on you. Through Him we have victory. We can confess our temptation the minute it enters our thoughts and dispel those attacks of the enemy with the tools we've been given. Today, I turn my sinful compulsions over to Jesus who gives me the power to make wise choices and the weapons to fight the devil's lure.

Lord Jesus, thank You for paying the ultimate price for my sake. Thank You for infusing me with Your amazing power to overcome that which threatens our abstinence. We claim victory over our compulsion through Your power within us. In the name of Jesus we pray, amen.

Keep coming back. Today's devotion was a much longer than you can expect in the future. We covered a lot in one session here today. My commitment is to provide fresh daily recovery devotions, based on Scripture, to help you along your journey to recover from whatever it is that keeps you from being the man or woman God intended you to be. My service ensures my recovery too!