How to Listen to God during Recovery
Anyone considering going to drug rehab should know the importance of letting God be a part of the recovery process. But do we really know how to listen to God? Whether you have been a religious person in the past or not, trusting God’s power and guidance throughout your recovery will end up being a blessing to you and those around you. God is powerful enough to take care of you and loving enough to help you through any situation.
You might already know the benefits of listening to God. God is the Creator, Provider, and Director of our lives, and He has the power to take care of our every need. He can certainly give us the strength to overcome addiction, no matter how severe. God is also loving and He cares for us with unconditional love. No matter what we’ve done in our past, God still loves us and takes care of us. Not only does God see fit to provide for our everyday physical needs, but He also forgives our sins, providing spiritual healing, and giving us the motivation to live a renewed life.
Even if you know that allowing God to be part of your recovery is important, figuring out how to practically do that might be a little more difficult. There are several ways you can let God into your recovery and listen to His loving voice as you strive for sobriety.
Listen to God with the Help of Christian Rehab
A Christian rehab program is helpful because it allows us to focus on God during recovery. Our problem of addiction is not solved by our own power. Your Christian rehab program should give you plenty of opportunities to hear God’s plan for you, and learn about His love, forgiveness, and will for your sober life.
A solid and effective Christian rehab program will use proven social and medical therapy methods to help you deal with past issues, help retrain your thinking, and help you develop skills to avoid relapse. But it will do so from a Christian perspective in order to help you dig deeper into the problem of addiction and the solution. A non-Christian program might help you find various answers to the question of why you want to be sober, but a Christian perspective helps provide the true answer: it is what God wants for you and expects of you. Most programs can ask if we deserve happiness after all the mistakes we’ve made in life, and a Christian program will show us that God loves us, no matter what, and has forgiven all our mistakes. Our past is wiped clean. We might wonder during recovery how we can forgive our loved ones who have hurt us, and how we can face those people again. God tells us we have a perfect model in our Savior, who shows us how to love and forgive.
A faith-based treatment program also gives the opportunity to dig deeper into God’s word through Bible study and worship. If your treatment center gives you the chance to study the Bible or hear God’s word, make use of those opportunities. You will find yourself getting closer to God as you do so, and will more clearly hear God’s will for you.
An extra benefit of a Christian treatment program is that it brings together groups of Christians during recovery. You don’t have to walk this road alone. There are staff members and others in recovery who are there to help, encourage, and point you to your loving God. Having positive influences around you during recovery is a good way to help you stay on the right track.
Christian Loved Ones Provide Guidance
Regardless of whether you go to a Christian rehab for recovery or not, it is important to surround yourself with family and friends who will be good influences throughout the recovery process. A trustworthy Christian friend or family member can be counted on to encourage you spiritually. Listen to those voices of truth; be receptive to their suggestions and encouragements. If they invite you to church or Bible study, go along so your faith can be strengthened. These loved ones can also help you avoid the temptation to drink or get high and can provide you with constructive and fun social activities. Most importantly, these Christian loved ones of yours can be counted on to pray for you and your recovery. If you have not been blessed with close Christian friends, try to connect with people at your Christian rehab program because having positive influences around during the tough days of recovery will help in your recovery.
Draw Close to God Yourself
It is good to be surrounded by treatment staff and loved ones who will encourage and guide you through God’s word, but don’t underestimate the importance of your own personal walk with God. To God, you are a dearly loved child. Get close to God through personal Bible studies. Read the Bible or devotions every morning to help you prepare for the day. Pray regularly. When you face the temptation to use or drink, ask God for strength to stay sober. Repent and accept God’s forgiveness. Pray for others. Keep God at the forefront of your mind every day, so that you can hear His loving voice guiding you through recovery.
Praise God for Christian rehab programs that help us hear His will for recovery. Make use of the Christian resources you have been given to help you achieve true sobriety.