I was leaving church. Had my coat on. My scarf around my neck. I passed a tight circle of people and I looked to see who was praying. And that’s when I saw her.
Her face crumpled as our eyes met. She pushed out her arms and I opened mine and held her tight.
She’s the age of my own daughters. A young woman I love and admire. A young woman who discovered that God loved her, that she wasn’t meant for addiction and living in the street, a young mom who was hugely pregnant the first time I met her in a small rehab class where I taught The Mom I Want to Be.
And now a young mom who had relapsed.
As I held her, she wept, and I prayed. I was angry — not at her — but at the enemy who desires to kill, steal and destroy. My heart was broken. I am crying even as I write this, my heart so heavy at her pain, at the story she shared with me.
But this is where I have to inject hope. It’s what I shared with her.
We can never get so far that God loses sight of us. There is no depths so deep that He can’t pull us up and out. And He does not see our failure near as much as He does us reaching out to Him, trying once again to follow in His footsteps.
Rehab a second time is hard. Trying to find your way back into your child’s heart again is hard. But staying down, walking away because you feel you’ve gone too far, is not an option.
“Make the best decision for you today,” I said. “The best decision for your baby girl. I know that you can do this.”
Today I am asking women — moms and grandmas and spiritual moms — to join me as I pray, as I war, for this sweet mom. Prayers of a righteous man or woman are powerful and effective (James 5:16). I am asking for prayers to rise with her name — Stephanie — to Heaven all over the nation.
Just a few months ago, as I sat with this beautiful young mom, I felt these words in my heart: strong woman of faith. I embraced the image God had placed in my heart, and shared it with her. I shared it with her again yesterday.
She struggled to believe it, but she held me tight as I spoke them.
There’s power in our words, in the way we see ourselves. My prayer is that she will see herself as God does, as what she can be through Him.
I know, I know what God can do. And I know, I know that this beautiful young mom is loved and cherished by Him.
Thank you for allowing me to share my heart with you today, and thank you for praying for a beautiful young woman loved by God.
This is something I’m very close & familiar with. I pray for a loved one in this manger too. I’ll join you in this one also.
Reminds me of the book LIES WOMEN BELIEVE! Too often we hear in our heads that we are not worthy. Addiction only magnifies the negative.
Glad to pray!
Father empower Stephanie so that she can realize that you love and care for her so much and that she is worthy and do not need the lies of the enemy. Empower her so that she can make that bold move to you and to recovery for herself and her precious baby girl who needs her mother. You who started the work in her the first time is faithful to complete it to the end and you will get the glory for her restoration and recovery. Thank you Lord for Stephanie’s victory in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Suzie I struggled with addiction myself & I know how it is & yes its the devil that’s trying to kill her, destroy her inner self, so he can steal her daughter he is a liar & I rebuke him right now in & with the blood of Jesus!!!!!!! For so long I was lost, but I didn’t know that people was praying for me & how bout it was folks I didn’t even know & for along time I struggled with “LOVE”. Loving myself cause I didn’t know how so I thought that if I had a baby or babies I could love them. But Suzie I couldn’t love myself so how could I love them, these precious children that didn’t ask to be here. But now at the age of 36 I am now loving me & my children, my fiance / baby daddy 🙂 & most of all God & His Son Jesus Christ. So Suzie I would like for Stephanie to know that she’s not alone & whatever shame or guilt she may be feeling now that’s nothing but the devil trying to put to make her feel like that because he want to keep her in BONDAGE!!!!! But their One that’s Almighty & He’s more powerful & awesome then the devil & she have to call on Him & God will & can remove all those negative emotions. If possible can u give her my email & tell her to please email me cause I have to do what God wants me to do & I’m being obedient to Him. Email: sneedshuquin@yahoo.com
May Stephanie know that she has victory in Jesus’ name over her struggle with addiction. May she be fully blessed because of her belief in the one and only Saviour of her sins, the giver of true life. God, break the storngholds that have threatened her again, and may she know your peace and love.
We rejoice in her victory!!!
Father, I lift Stephanie up to You. Please wrap Your loving arms around her and just love her beyond what she can imagine. Empower her to see Your light not the darkness the enemy is revealing to her. Give her the strength, power, courage, peace and hope that only You can give in this messed up world. Jesus, help Stephanie to break free from the bondage that is trying to enslave her even more and just continue to work in and through Stephanie’s life and give her courage to stand up and say the name that has the power over the darkness and that name is “Jesus”. The victory is Stephanie’s through Jesus. I ask this in Jesus precious and holy name. Amen!!!!
Dear Lord,
I need you now because my friend and sister Stephanie is full of stress and anxiety. As I ask you to come and take her heavy burdens. I take each burden, one by one, and lay them at your feet. Please carry them for Stephanie so that she don’t have to. Replace them with your humble and gentle yoke so that she will find rest for her soul today. Let her receive your gift of peace of mind and heart. Thank you that I can lie down tonight in peace and sleep. I know that you, Lord, will keep her safe. She is not afraid because you are always with her. Please keep her daily, Lord, in your perfect peace.
Amen
ps…… I really want that book 🙂
Stephanie is my sister of Christ and Heart.. I pray this prayer for you.
Standing in battle array along with you all!
Father I pray that the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead will also give life to Stephanie so she may live again. Give her the willpower to overcome. Bless her little girl and father I pray that you angels will encamp round the both of them. Thank you father for the victory in Jesus Name. Amen
Praying with you for this precious sister. The enemy can NOT have her. Matthew 18:20 For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them. Let the power of the Father protect her heart, her mind and her desires. May she conquer this addiction once and for all and put her need for God in it’s rightful place.
Jesus, we lift up sister Stephanie to you. You know her struggles and you know her fears. We pray you wipe away her tears, the fog clouding her judgment and you give your power and strength to overcome once and for all. We pray that she reaches out for help when the cravings come and above all else, that she reaches for you to hide her and keep her. We know that she is your precious treasure. Please let her feel and know this. We pray this in Jesus name, AMEN!
Stephanie, take back your power! ♥
Praying for Stephanie to allow herself to feel God’s love and his power over her life. My soon to be brother in Law just gave his life to Christ and is on his way back to rehab but this time with Christ as his power. I pray Stephanie will remember she is not doing this alone and know that God loves her so much and will bring her out of this if she will just trust him and believe all the truths he has for her.
As a sister in Christ I pray that you will be strong and be able to get back to where you want to be and need to be. God is right with you loving you so much Stephanie and it’s okay to have to fall into his arms he want us to.
Love and prayers,
In Christ,
Melissa
Dearest Stephanie, don’t give up. That is exactly what satan wants you to do. You our very special because god created you.
Remember that God sacrificed his only son on the cross, because he knew that we could never make it on our own.
I was a mother at fifteen and married to a very abrusive husband.
After six years, and a child that had died, I was lead by god out of that situation. I was pregnant when i left, but God saw me through the hard times ahead. The child I was carring is Suzie, Eller. I am her mother. She has been a gift from God.
I’m praying and rooting for you. you were born for a reason. God has special plans for you. God Bless. Suzie, Eller’s mother. karen Morrison.