Yet, addicts will often act out sexually in an attempt to block out the very pain of their addiction. Days or weeks later, the scene is repeated. The second step is an extension of the first, to believe that God can restore our sanity and give us the power to overcome. Orthodox Judaism values routine above all there are specific windows of time for morning, afternoon, and evening prayers, in order to ensure consistency. When youre addicted to something, you feel compelled to pursue it even though you know its unhealthy for you. Father Theodore Stylianopoulos provides an excellent perspective on the rite of Marriage with deep theological insights . Amen. It was a social movement toward moral decay. Sin is a regress in the marital journey; but, they can get up and start over. ***Note: that this could potentially be changed based on whatever one's specific need might be, e.g. The following is an Orthodox prayer for the dying that may be said by a priest or by a departed person's friends, relatives and loved ones, who gather around his/her deathbed, provided they are Orthodox Christians. O Lord Almighty, healer of our souls and bodies, Who putteth down and raiseth up, Who chastiseth and health also; now, in Thy great mercy, visit our brothers and sisters who are sick. Jesus promises us in John 14:27: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. Therefore, the initial sessions are meant to be a re-alignment to the path to theosis. Prayer for the blessing of any object. Justice Finding a support group in the spouse, and together in God, with the help of the spiritual father is the foundation of a successful recovery. Father God, I confess that I have not honoured You with my whole body, soul and spirit, but have rather indulged in greediness and gluttony, which has become a thorn in my flesh. Prayers to the Holy Martyr St. Ephraim of Nea Makri, who intercedes on behalf of those with addictions to alcohol and drugs. We canpray about everything we needwith confidence that God will deliver us from any type of addiction. Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA. But Gods power is far stronger than any addiction. In Jesus' holy name, I pray. I would like to emphasize a point of tremendous importance: the wife is the victim and needs to be tending to, but she also plays an important role in the healing process, through forgiveness and loving attitude. Temptation of Christ Unfortunately, this is not the case in many situations. Prayer of Extending Your Hand. Heres how to seek Gods help to break free of addiction, and 5 powerful prayers for addiction deliverance. As such, the goal of any Greek Orthodox rehab center is to assist people in overcoming their addictions by focusing on spirituality and using their faith to guide them through the healing process . Prayer at the Blessing of a Medal. My bookWake Up to Wonder describes the most common types of addictions that can numb our senses, blocking our ability to feel our emotions and preventing us from noticing the wonder that is happening all around us. Show me the reasons why Ive been compulsively gambling, and work with me to heal those issues in my life. Peregrine Novena is the patron saint for cancer patients, known not only for his holiness but also the miraculous healing that he received. Please forgive me for mistreating the people you love through porn, by looking at them as objects to be used rather than as souls to be loved. What this means is that when you click on an Amazon link and complete any purchase within 24 hours, Orthodox Church Quotes receives a small percentage of the price you paid as a commission, even if you don't buy the item that was linked to. Pray it daily and let God flood your heart with his infinite love and mercy. Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous are popular 12-Step Programs that have helped many people overcome alcohol and drug addiction. Theodore, Toward a Theology of Marriage in the Orthodox Church, in Greek Orthodox Theological Review, Boston, 1977 volume XXII, number 3). Almighty God, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, come to my help and deliver me from this difficulty that besets me. Father, I have been living a fantasy. Fr. Only you can reliably provide what I need. Send me the emotional healing I need as I turn to you rather than food for my emotional needs. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.". Pornography addiction is one of the most subtle and yet dangerous, because of its private character. We do not become sober by relying on our own thinking process. You aren't alone. Open my heart to Your healing power. This prayer is for a person who is addicted to sex. Amen. 89. This is possible only through an authentic and ontological unity in the Holy Spirit . "This Siddur seeks to reflect a sensitivity to women's prayer experiences.". St. Ephraim of Nea Makri or St. Ephraim of Mount Amomon (Greek: ), believed to have lived from 1384 to 1426, is a martyr and miracle-working saint.Saint Ephraim is regarded as a "newly revealed" ("") saint. I want to be sober, but I still find myself drinking, because Im overwhelmed with cravings for my favorite alcoholic beverages. When exhausted by cry, we are truly ready to see Gods love. How can Eastern Orthodox faith help addiction? In pain, the beauty is revealed. Like a person affected by stroke, who lost the ability to talk or walk, the addict has to re-learn in small steps how to love sacramentally and turn away from sin, toward his spouse and God. Gadarene Demonic I commit to stopping my drug use, and to accepting support from others who care about me and can help me heal including doctors, counselors, family, and friends. The Orthodox approach focuses on the removal of character defects which hinder ourrelationship with God and others; the emphasis is on replacing these defects with virtues. Retrieved on February 21, 2020, from: Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles. Prayer for my struggling son. Orthodox Prayers against Addiction: Akathist to the Icon of the Theotokos - Inexhaustible Cup Kontakion I . He was an opium addict at the time of his death. [deleted] r/OrthodoxChristianity. . O Lord, Jesus Christ, through the prayers of Thy Holy Martyr Ephraim, have mercy on me and deliver me from this cruel bondage. Dear God, Let your healing hand rest over the heart of my son. Thank you for giving me everything I need at all times, and teaching me to trust you. Get confidential help 24/7. Please heal my mind from the unhealthy neural pathways that have been wired into my brain from watching porn. Among the new crop plaguing us include an addiction to stress, Internet pornography, and overeating. The first step is trust in the priest and the spouse can play an important role in building this trusting relationship. $6.89 $ 6. Reprinted with permission from Jewish Pastoral Care: A Practical Handbook from Traditional & Contemporary Sources, edited by Dayle A. Friedman (Jewish Lights).. I choose tostart new, healthy habits like prayer and meditation to replace my drug habit. I am the only one fighting this and I am not hurting anybody. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. A short prayer to be said continually by one who is struggling with addiction to drugs or alcohol***:O Lord, Jesus Christ, through the prayers of Thy Holy Martyr Ephraim, have mercy on me and deliver me from this cruel bondage. The conclusions are in accordance with the example presented above. Our treatment providers offer 24/7 assistance. Prayers to the Holy Martyr St. Ephraim of Nea Makri, who intercedes on behalf of those with addictions to alcohol and drugs. O Holy Martyr Ephraim, look with compassion upon my distress and, as thou didst deliver the young man from his cruel addiction, so also pray for me that our Lord and Saviour, for Whom thou didst witness unto death, may deliver my soul from captivity to Satan. The future I put into Thy hands, O Lord, and I follow Thee to a life in Christ. Instead of realizing that the struggle has to be against the flesh, the spouses turn against each other. However, Reverend Harakas also points out that spiritual healing should not be disregarded. 732-356-0090 (Phone) 732-356-5556 (Fax) Prayer to Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco. Counseling from a spiritual leader. For I am in cruel bondage and suffering because of my weakness and sinfulness. O Lord, Thou who steadied the hand of Peter as he began to sink on the stormy sea, if Thou are with me, no one is against me. The feeling of betrayal creates a large amount of anger and the priest should help them direct this anger against the sin and to make this a joint effort. Prayer for Perseverance in Goodness. Call now for: Addiction Center is not affiliated with any insurance. Learn how you can leverage your faith to overcome addiction and call 844-268-8412 for help. [4] Most of the 90 percent of 8-16 year olds having viewed porn online was while doing homework, which leads to another painful statistic: the largest consumer of Internet pornography id the 12-17 age groups.[5]. For many Orthodox Christians an important form of prayer is the Jesus Prayer. Before answering this question, let us see what a healthy relation looks like. You are my everything. Lord, the guilt and shame is tearing me . I do not give to you as the world gives. She leads the communications work atGeorge Mason Universitys Center for the Advancement of Well-Being. When Orthodox Christians struggle with drug or alcohol addiction, they can benefit from rehab which emphasizes faith in God and incorporates prayer and fasting together as 1 important aspect of recovery. Creating the giant Neo-byzantine Christ Pantocrator mosaic for the east conch of St Sava's, Belgrade, in 15 pics. Addiction Prayers against addiction (Akathist - Theotokos, Inexhaustible Cup) Prayer for healing (very short) Prayer for mental health Prayer to the Theotokos/Mother of God for healing Daily Morning prayers Midday prayers Evening prayers The Angelic Salutation Closing prayers: Prayers after praying The Great Doxology . Unlike the Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church is divided into several independent churches which hold communion with one another, yet remain distinct with regard to administration, culture, language, and customs. According to the Internet Filter Review website, Porn revenue is larger than all combined revenues of all professional football, baseball and basketball franchises.[1] The same source cites that out of the total search requests made in one day, 25 percent of them are pornographic in nature . If you are suffering from any form of addiction, please consider joining the ministry of the Inexhaustible Cup. We then shall rejoice in Your mercy, and exalt and praise Your Holy Name, O Father, Son and Holy Spirit, both now and forever and to the ages of ages. Prayer to accept God's will. The addict experience grief, as he looses his best friend, the addiction and only by violent anger against sin (Gal 5:13-25), can he succeed. A healthy romantic relation should have the following characteristics: investment in the well-being of the loved one, respect, admiration, sexual desire, intimacy, commitment, exclusivity and understanding. All Rights Reserved. In this kind of society, we will find people like Anthony DAmato, famous legal theorist, who praises pornography for its educational role in society and claims that access to pornography caused a significant decrease in the number of rapes in the United States (DAmato, Anthony. A short prayer to be said continually by one who is struggling with addiction to drugs or alcohol***: The Orthodox theological literature on this issue is extensive and in depth. Learn more about how to be featured in a paid listing. "Saint Matthias" by Simone Martini. The notion of repentance is often misused and in order to understand its true meaning, one needs the guidance of a spiritual father. Amen., My generous God, please help me break the grip that gambling has over me. This significantly limits the amount of Gods wonder that we can notice and enjoy. St. (Stavropoulos, A.M. Prayers to the Holy Martyr St. Ephraim of Nea Makri, who intercedes on behalf of those with addictions to alcohol and drugs. The Orthodox Church recognizes substance abuse as one of the most dangerous risks to our society. More information regarding this ministry and its outreach pastoralcounseling services provided as part of this nonprofit work can be found at the website ofwww.inexhaustiblecup.org. [3] With 12 billion a year in United States and 57 billion worldwide, the porn industry is one of the leading industries and by far the most profitable industry considering the balance between initial investment and revenue. if someone wants to be saved, no person and no time, place or occupation can prevent him. . Jewish Alcoholics, Chemically Dependent Persons, and Significant Others (JACS) is a mutual support network to help individuals of the Jewish faith that are struggling with substance abuse overcome addiction in conjunction with Judaism. I, too, struggled with hardcore addiction and I can tell you peace and sobriety is possible.