Set free from Alcoholism
I had been a Christian for many years but could not ditch the habit of drinking. I guess it anesthetized childhood sexual abuse and the lost of my sister who died when she was 25 years old. I went to church, sing in the worship group but would come to church hung over.
How did my drinking start
It started when I was young, 11 to be precise. I would drink cider and as I got older it progressed to ale and gin. To the point when I would drink and not feel drunk.
When I gave my life to Christ this stopped but I picked up a drink again after getting married. When my husband wanted to make love, I would use drink to help the pain of childhood abuse. This habit went on into my thirties when one day I was taking my two boys to school and wanted a drink at 8am in the morning. I thought this is not good. I have got to do something about it. I tried to stop drinking but could not. I prayed asking God to help me. Every time I went into a shop where alcohol was being sold, I wanted a drink. I just carried on praying and one day the desire lifted. I still had the odd glass of wine socially. But now I am totally set free and do not drink at all. Praise God.
There is Power in The Nehemiah Call
When I first became a Christian, I stared to pray for my family. They would make fun of me, but I would make them cups of tea. They would look at me strangely as if I had two heads. They were seeing something different in their elder sister that they had not seen before. Love in action.
Every Saturday night I went to a youth club that Wycliffe Church put on. One Saturday evening members of my family and their friends were standing outside the door. They had been ordered by my Mum to go there and ridicule me. As I went in the door, they called me names such as Jesus freak. I did not say a word. Turning the other cheek, I just smiled.
After many years of praying for my family, my mum, dad, brother and sister gave there lives to Christ.
Not only is there power in turning the other cheek, there is power in prevailing prayer. I prayed every night for my family as I had found in Christ something beautiful. I had found peace and a different way to live. It was my desire that my family had that as well.
Now I am praying for my own children, their spouses, my grandchildren and my extended family. God gave me this call to pray for my family years ago and showed me recently that it is called the Nehemiah call. A call for our families to repent and come and experience the unfailing love of God.
In the times of Nehemiah, the walls and doors of Jerusalem were broken down by people against the Israelites. Nehemiah gave a section to each tribe of Judah to rebuild Jerusalem. This is the simple essence of the Nehemiah call. In the same way our prayers are the bricks and mortar that can rebuild the broken-down lives of our families. In my area this week there will be a prayer group starting up, for prayer with this vision in mind. I hope this testimony inspires you to set up a prayer meeting in your area based on the Nehemiah call.
James 5:16 New King James Version
Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
Bless you, Linda.