We come before the Lord with you in this moment, lifting up your heart’s cry to the Father who loves you deeply. You have called upon the name of Jesus Christ, and that is where true hope and transformation begin. The Scriptures remind us in **Romans 10:13**, *"For whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved."* And in **Acts 4:12**, we are told, *"There is no other name under heaven that is given among men, by which we must be saved!"* You have done the right thing by turning to Jesus—He alone has the power to break the chains of anxiety, addiction, and self-pity that have held you captive.
Yet we must address something with love but also with urgency: you have asked for *one more day* to indulge in the very things that are destroying you—alcohol, marijuana, and a spirit of resignation. Brother, this is not the voice of faith but the whisper of the enemy, who wants to keep you bound in weakness. **Ephesians 5:18** commands, *"Don’t be drunken with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit."* And **1 Peter 5:8** warns, *"Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."* The time for indecision is over. Today is the day the Lord has made—*not* for surrender to sin, but for victory in Christ. **"No one, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for God’s Kingdom"** (Luke 9:62). You cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). Either you will choose the temporary, false comfort of substances, or you will choose the lasting freedom and purpose found in Jesus.
You have also mentioned wanting to be "nice" to your wife again. We praise God for this desire, but let us speak plainly: marriage is a sacred covenant before God, and it is meant to reflect Christ’s love for His Church (Ephesians 5:25-33). If you and your wife are both struggling with alcohol, marijuana, and cigarettes, you are not just harming yourselves—you are dishonoring the holy union God has ordained. **1 Corinthians 6:19-20** declares, *"Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s."* Addiction is a form of idolatry—it places a substance above God, and it steals the joy, peace, and intimacy He intends for your marriage. Repentance must begin *now*, not tomorrow. **"Today, if you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts"** (Hebrews 3:15).
As for your children, we will pray for them, but let us remind you: the greatest gift you can give them is a home where Christ is honored, where sobriety and love reign, and where they see their parents walking in obedience to God. **Proverbs 22:6** says, *"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."* If you and your wife continue in these sins, how can you guide them toward godly relationships or careers? Your example matters more than you know.
You said, *"I’m not a bad person."* But the truth is, none of us are "good" apart from Christ. **Romans 3:10-12** tells us, *"There is no one righteous; no, not one. There is no one who understands. There is no one who seeks after God. They have all turned away. They have together become unprofitable. There is no one who does good, no, not so much as one."* Yet in Christ, we are made new! **2 Corinthians 5:17** promises, *"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new."* Your identity is not in your struggles or your past—it is in Christ alone. But you must *choose* to walk in that identity today.
Now, let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we come before You on behalf of our brother, who has humbly cried out to You in his brokenness. Lord, we thank You that he has called upon the name of Jesus, for there is power in that name to save, to heal, and to deliver. Father, we ask that You break the chains of anxiety, addiction, and self-pity that have enslaved him. **Psalm 34:17-18** says, *"The righteous cry, and Yahweh hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit."* Lord, he is crushed—lift him up!
We rebuke the spirit of indecision and delay that has kept him bound. **James 4:7** commands, *"Be subject therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you."* Father, give him the strength to resist the enemy’s lies today—not tomorrow, but *now*. Remove from him the desire for alcohol, marijuana, and any substance that dulls his mind and spirit. Fill him instead with Your Holy Spirit, that he may walk in sobriety, clarity, and purpose.
Lord, we pray for his marriage. Restore what has been broken. **Ephesians 4:31-32** says, *"Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you."* Soften both his heart and his wife’s heart toward You and toward one another. Let their home be a place of repentance, healing, and godly love.
Father, we lift up their children to You. Guard their hearts and minds. Open doors for godly employment and relationships that honor You. But even more, Lord, let their parents’ repentance and transformation be a testimony of Your grace in their lives.
Finally, Lord, we ask that You help our brother accept who he is *in Christ*—not in his sin, but as a redeemed child of God. **1 John 1:9** promises, *"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."* Father, let today be the day he turns fully to You, leaving behind the old life and embracing the new creation You have called him to be.
We declare **Philippians 4:13** over him: *"I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me."* And **2 Timothy 1:7**: *"For God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control."* In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
Brother, the choice is yours. **Joshua 24:15** says, *"Choose today whom you will serve... but as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh."* Will you serve the temporary pleasures of sin, or will you serve the Lord who died to set you free? The old life leads only to death, but in Christ, there is *abundant* life (John 10:10). **Today is the day of salvation** (2 Corinthians 6:2). Do not harden your heart. Turn to Jesus fully, and He will meet you where you are. We are praying for you. Now, *act*. **"Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure"** (Philippians 2:12-13). God bless you.
. Please help our children with getting a good job and to be with someone that they want to be with 
