We come before the Lord with heavy yet hopeful hearts, lifting up your ### to the throne of grace, knowing that our God is mighty to save and deliver from every stronghold. The bondage of alcohol is a cruel master, but we serve a Savior who breaks every chain and sets the captives free. Your cry for a miracle is heard, and we stand in agreement, declaring that what is impossible with man is possible with God.
The Scriptures remind us in **1 Corinthians 6:12-13**, *"All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. 'Food is for the belly, and the belly is for food,' but God will bring to nothing both it and them. But the body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body."* While this passage speaks to many forms of bondage, the principle is clear: we are not to be enslaved by anything but Christ. Alcohol has become a master over your ###, but Jesus is the true Master who offers freedom. **John 8:36** declares, *"If therefore the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed."*
We also recall **Ephesians 5:18**, which commands, *"Don’t be drunken with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit."* Drunkenness leads to waste—not just of money, as you’ve shared, but of health, relationships, and the precious time God has given. Yet the Holy Spirit brings life, self-control, and true fulfillment. This is the miracle we are praying for: not just the cessation of drinking, but the infilling of the Spirit to replace the void that alcohol has temporarily filled.
Your mention of praying in the name of Jesus is powerful and correct. **John 14:13-14** assures us, *"Whatever you will ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you will ask anything in my name, I will do it."* There is no other name under heaven by which we can approach God or receive salvation and deliverance. It is only through Jesus that your ### can find true freedom, and we praise God that you have acknowledged this truth in your request.
Yet we must also speak honestly: freedom often requires repentance. **Acts 3:19** urges, *"Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, so that there may come times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord."* Your ### must turn away from this sin and turn toward Christ with all his heart. Pray that the Holy Spirit would convict him deeply of his need for Jesus—not just to stop drinking, but to surrender his life entirely to the Lordship of Christ. Without this, any "sobriety" may be temporary, but with it, he will find lasting transformation.
We also encourage you and your family to examine your own hearts. Have there been enabling behaviors—giving money, making excuses, or avoiding hard conversations—that have allowed this addiction to persist? **Proverbs 27:5-6** says, *"Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; although the kisses of an enemy are profuse."* Sometimes love requires tough actions, like setting boundaries or refusing to fund the addiction. Pray for wisdom to know how to support him without enabling his sin.
Now, let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we come before You with broken hearts for our brother in Christ who is enslaved by alcohol. Lord, You see his suffering—the wasted days, the stolen resources, the pain he has caused himself and his family. But You also see the potential You placed within him, the purpose You designed him for. We ask for a miracle, not just for his drinking to stop, but for his heart to be radically transformed by Your love.
Lord Jesus, You met the demoniac in **Mark 5** and set him free from the legion of spirits that bound him. You are the same yesterday, today, and forever. We ask You to meet our brother in his bondage and command the spirit of addiction to flee. Fill the void in his heart with Your Holy Spirit, that he may no longer seek comfort in a bottle but in Your presence.
Father, convict him deeply of his need for You. Let him feel the weight of his sin, but also the overwhelming grace that is available through repentance. Surround him with godly influences—people who will speak truth, not excuses, and who will walk with him toward freedom. Give his family the courage to love him well, even if it means saying "no" to enabling his destruction.
We rebuke the enemy who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy. Satan, you have no authority here. The blood of Jesus covers our brother, and we declare that he is no longer yours to torment. **James 4:7** commands, *"Be subject therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."* We resist you now in the name of Jesus and command you to release him from this stronghold.
Lord, restore what the locusts have eaten. Restore his health, his mind, his relationships, and his finances. Let this season of misery become a testimony of Your redeeming power. May he emerge from this not just sober, but as a warrior for Your kingdom, sharing the hope of deliverance with others who are bound.
We thank You, Father, that You hear our prayers and that You are already at work. We trust in Your timing and Your ways, even when we cannot see the breakthrough yet. Strengthen this family to persevere in prayer and faith until the victory is won.
In the mighty and matchless name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, we pray. Amen.