Having had a Spiritual awakening with Jesus, we continue to work with others and to practice Christian principles in all our affairs.
Read the Scriptures below with your sponsor or within your Christian group making sure that you acknowledge Step 6.
Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. (2 John 1: 8-9)
through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope. (Romans 15: 4)
So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (1 Corinthians 10: 12-13)
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Romans 10: 14-15)
Continuing your spiritual growth with Jesus at your side will remove any temptations that you may have. To manage this, it is essential that we read and study the Bible for the sole purpose of finding the true heart of Jesus, which allows us to further our own personal inner truth. Our hearts grow through knowing His. We must not however, read the Bible as a factual, or even fictional account of somebody else’s life story. The Bible is the truth, which is more than mere facts. We must not enter into wishy washy agreements that Jesus was simply a great person or a ‘good teacher’ as we often hear and read. We must not put our swerve of what the Bible ‘really means’. We must attempt to see how God sees, listen how God listens and talk how God talks, which happens when we attend Christian groups that get together to study Gods word. We meet at church, in home groups or social groups or wherever we can, but we always meet up with our newfound Christian friends to focus on the Word of God.
But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. (Matthew 13: 16-17)
There are many books that detail great human achievements and the Bible, in essence, is not one of them. The primary ingredient that affirms the Biblical Prophets is, they all had God on their side. The achievement is therefore in God and not man.
To be sure, there is nothing abstract about the Bible too that will help a particular part of your life, like keeping fit and healthy or a self-help book to embrace newness like perhaps a New Years resolution would. The Bible tells us paradoxically that all these things will be given to you as well because God knows you need them.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6: 33)
“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
(Matthew 18: 19)
The Bible’s key ingredient is to change us personally, completely and thoroughly. It is to save us from death itself, a death that we created through our own ego’s, failings and defects. In the book of Joshua we are told.
The Holy Spirit is poured into our hearts through His word, Christian prayer, fellowship and Bible study groups. This is the only way we are able to change the interior state of our minds, which society, psychology or self like gods ever could. When in the throes of our illness, we saw God as an antagonist, an obstacle that slings unexpected law abiding ‘tho shall’ and ‘thou shall nots’ at us like a nonchalant police officer or judge. Saint Paul tells us that ‘the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God’ (Romans 8: 7)
When in an obsessive state we revolt against God, our spiritual selves and all those around us. Now that the Holy Spirit has taken hold, a change comes about that ignores our previous rancour against our true spirit. At last, we now know that God is inside us and a part of our very being. God is favourable and benign. He is an ally and not an enemy. He is our creator, and we are made in His image.
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15: 13)
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened”. (Mattew 7: 7-8)
“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1: 7-9)
Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup,
you make my lot secure.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places,
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
I will praise the Lord, who counsels me,
even at night my heart instructs me.
I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices,
my body also will rest secure,
because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
(Psalm 16: 5-11)
Prayer is powerful; it is an absolute. Prayer defines everything that you have confessed, bringing it to a positive and forgiving conclusion. Prayer, then, allows us to move forward in faith. Amen is our ultimate ‘yes’. Amen says that we really mean what we pray, it is our affidavit of the area that we are particularly praying for. Amen is more than our signature on a contract, it is our mark of acceptance from deep within our soul. “So what” “big deal” “don’t care” are not words that we say before we whisper Amen, are they? Think about prayer for a while, and you will understand how your words are formed and structured in solid and profound sentences, it just happens to be that way because God gets His way without reservations from us. We don’t get in the way anymore.
Praying is such a difficult thing to do when we are angry. Often, I hardly have time to kneel down when anger gets a grip on me, but praying is the most essential thing I can do to help me lift the anger from me, and it works. There is nothing that we can say, ever, that has more depth than when we pray. It is our new ‘meaning’. It is us finally turning away from resolutions to absolutes. The tension in our white-knuckle rides determining our sobriety is a thing of the past. To gain that power, Jesus tells us how and where to pray to receive the full benefits.
But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6: 6)
In Matthew 6 Jesus highlights the value of private, wholehearted prayer, which nurtures our relationship with God. Praying alone with fullness of heart shows that we are serious and determined to foster Gods word. This is where the seriousness of our faith comes from, when we are alone and with God, our truth emerges. Many theologians tell us that the Lords’ Prayer is the most precious passage in the whole of the New Testament. These simple words from Jesus Himself, encompass every conceivable element in prayer that we may need. Its simplicity is reduced to a clearly understood pattern that engulfs our primary dilemmas. Let’s take a brief look at what the Son of God says in this formidable piece of Scripture.
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and forever Amen.
(Matthew 6: 9-13)
Let’s see where each part is so relevant to each of us, not just our sobriety, but our very lives. To recognize God and to determine His Kingdom comes first, places us on the right plain. The concept of ‘one day at a time’ is highlighted twice in the 6th line, and the temptation of going back to our old ways is there too. Lead us not into temptation is key. At this stage of our new lives the temptation to indulge again has left us and we end the prayer by thanking God for that deliverance from evil Amen. It is a beautiful prayer that I pray out loud every morning before my feet touch the ground. As soon as I wake up, I utter the Lord’s Prayer.
Pray continually.
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (Thessalonians 5: 16-18)
Praying in hope that something will change for the better in us is fine, but it is certainly devalued without giving thanks to Him who gave us this newness in the first place. Saint Paul tells us to ‘rejoice’ which is a word that is rarely used now-a-days but nevertheless, we rejoice in our new campaign of life.
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful
(Colossians 4: 2)
Throughout much of my life, being ‘watchful’ rarely ran alongside being ‘thankful’. Watchful, always had a hint of paranoia attached to it; I was always looking at those who may try and take something from me, particularly drink. Now-a-days, being watchful is governed by prayer often generated by questions that I ask myself on a daily basis. Did I pray today? Did I kneel with humility, or am I strolling along praying with pride, which does not work for me.
How and where we pray is important. We all know and see mature Christians that can pray standing with hands outstretched and palms up, although I am not one of them, not yet. Praying can only work in the way Jesus tells us how to pray, any other way is an add on. We must pray alone, in a room so God sees our hearts. And after a while;
we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. (Ephesians 4: 14-15)
“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
(Matthew 6: 31-34)
The Bible’s key ingredient is to change us personally, completely and thoroughly. It is to save us from death itself, a death that we created through our own ego’s, failings and defects.
Jesus tells us to go to a room alone to pray. Saint Paul also teaches us how and what to pray.
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3: 14-19)
The Spirit of Jesus, or The Holy Spirit if you like, is poured into our hearts through His word, Christian prayer, fellowship and Bible study groups, which is finally able to change the interior state of our minds that the law, psychology or self like gods ever could. When in the throes of our illness, we saw God as an antagonist, an obstacle who slings expected law abiding ‘tho shall’ and ‘thou shall nots’ statements at us like a nonchalant police officer or judge. Saint Paul tells us ‘the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God’ (Rom 8: 7) When in an obsessive state we rebel against God, our spiritual selves and all those around us. Now that the Holy Spirit has taken hold, a change comes about that ignores our previous rancour. At last, we now know that God is inside us and a part of our very being. God is favourable and benign. He is an ally and not an enemy. He is our creator, and we are made in His image. My new affirmation is ‘God above, Jesus beside, Holy Spirit within, Amen.
My hope is that for the rest of your life you read, study and re-read the Bible never to put it away. After reading it through once, you simply smile your achievement and start again. To be sure, it will be a good idea if you put aside half hour, or better still an hour a day to read your study Bible for eternity.
Confession should not be a mere admission of failure but a sorrowful moment over the years we have been addicted, and more a futures commitment to strive toward God, like we have no choice; all that is left for us is Jesus.
The 6 Steps from within the Bible allows us to gain recovery and spiritual renewal with Jesus. By completing the steps with its original biblical principles, you will receive freedom from addiction and develop a closer rapport with God. For those of us on this great expedition, the collective wisdom of Scripture, your efforts and Jesus will serve as a leading light illuminating the way to spiritual wholeness.
To be sure, the steps focus on deepening spiritual connection through prayer and meditation. This step is crucial as it highlights unending spiritual growth and an affiliation with God’s purpose. The biblical connections to the steps are profound.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4: 6-7)
This verse highlights the importance of prayer as a means to experience divine peace and guidance. “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10)
The Bible encourages stillness and attentiveness to God’s presence, which aligns with the practice of quiet reflection to strengthen spiritual awareness. Through prayer and meditation, Step 6 encourages a closer relationship with God, echoing the Bible’s call for an effective spiritual life. It’s a step that exceeds further than just recovery, leading us toward a life of dedication, peace and a reliance on divine wisdom in Jesus name Amen.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfilment, to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will. (Ephesians 1: 3-11)
I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.
Praise be to you, Lord;
teach me your decrees.
With my lips I recount
all the laws that come from your mouth.
I rejoice in following your statutes
as one rejoices in great riches.
I meditate on your precepts
and consider your ways.
I delight in your decrees;
I will not neglect your word.
(Psalm 119: 10-16)
“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.
(Matthew 18: 11-14)
Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in their addictions, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ. (Galatians 1: 1-2)
I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are gathered up, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, proving yourselves to be My disciples. (John 15: 5-8)
There is an abundance of Scripture that details what we must do to keep within the Spirit of God’s law. Jesus refers to ‘I am the vine and you are the branches’, meaning that Christians must bear good fruit by turning others toward God. The vine is Jesus, which waters the branches and the branches are Christians who bear fruit that offers the Spirit to those who still suffer from their afflictions.
By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. (Matthew 7: 16-20)
When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Matthew 9: 36-38)
Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
(Matthew 10: 1)
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Galatians 1: 7-10)
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or seen in me, put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4: 8-9)
There are many Bible verses that highlight the importance of God’s newness in our lives, offering guidance on nurturing a closer relationship with Jesus, the Lamb of God. One of my favourite conclusive passages is Revelations 21.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. ‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.”
And the One seated on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are faithful and true.” And He told me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty, I will give freely from the spring of the water of life. The one who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son. But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”
The New Jerusalem.
Then one of the seven angels with the seven bowls full of the seven final plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”
And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the holy city of Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, shining with the glory of God. Its radiance was like a most precious jewel, like a jasper, as clear as crystal. The city had a great and high wall with twelve gates inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, and twelve angels at the gates. There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south, and three on the west. The wall of the city had twelve foundations bearing the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
The angel who spoke with me had a golden measuring rod to measure the city and its gates and walls. The city lies foursquare, with its width the same as its length. And he measured the city with the rod, and all its dimensions were equal 12,000 stadia in length and width and height. And he measured its wall to be 144 cubits, by the human measure the angel was using.
The wall was made of jasper, and the city itself of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were adorned with every kind of precious stone:
The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.
And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, with each gate consisting of a single pearl. The main street of the city was pure gold, as clear as glass. But I saw no temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its lamp. By its light the nations will walk, and into it the kings of the earth will bring their glory. Its gates will never be shut at the end of the day, because there will be no night there. And into the city will be brought the glory and honour of the nations. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who practices an abomination or a lie, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. (Revelations 21)
There is nothing on earth quite like the Bible. It is inherent like a life form all of its own accord, and the great book represents God alone. The Bible is our refuge, a harbour for life where we can reside in a safe port regardless of what other people think. We are safe and protected in the storm of life. We walk on the surface of life’s torrent, so to speak, rather than the old way of battling upstream knee deep in the hellish place we once lived in. We have a bolthole, a resort, a hotel where we have booked in and there is no leaving date, it is our new reality, our new super-nature that resides in us and we in Him. The ceiling is aligned with universal stars and the corridor walls heaped with scriptures where, as we walk along, we have this view of God’s Word constantly with us. We pray without ceasing as Saint Paul tells us. The sun sets and rises everyday right infront of us and the view is magnificent, and we are aware of such distance and knowledge. Distance becomes our new knowledge from His word to fulfil us deep within to a deep without. We have no fear of this new universal expansion. Everything we do from this moment on changes. Our perception on music, clothes, food and how we appear to others has less attraction to what they once had. Placing God first, and He tells us that all these things will be given to us also, we have no need to stress about such things; nor do we spend too much time glancing at our reflection in the mirror to see how we are. God knows how we are and works out the needed changes within us Himself, and we leave it at that. We dress appropriately, and we eat sufficiently well with fasting in mind, but we reflect on all that we do under the protective wing of God, our new and loving celestial Eagle. Scripture becomes our new food for living, just as important than food and water itself, if not more so, we live out our new lives by the word of God. Amen.
Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. (Luke 9: 23-24)
The paradox here, which in the Christian faith there are many, is that the life we lose is the old life that was killing us off anyway. The new life is freedom with real wholesome blessings from Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
(1 Thessalonians 5: 4-11)
Each Bible verse sheds light on different aspects of prayer and meditation, whether through studying Scripture, spending quiet moments with God and His people, or focusing on gratitude and trust. The Scriptures within this book underline the Bible’s emphasis on maintaining a deep and reflective relationship with God and how this alone keeps us both sane and sober. We have a new freedom that we never knew existed until now.
My hope is that for the rest of your life you read, study and re-read the Bible where you never put it away. After reading it through once, you simply smile at your achievement and start again. To be sure, it will be a good idea if you put aside half hour, or better still an hour a day to read your study Bible for eternity.
Blessed is the one
who trusts in the Lord,
who does not look to the proud,
to those who turn aside to false gods.
Many, Lord my God,
are the wonders you have done,
the things you planned for us.
None can compare with you;
were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
they would be too many to declare.
(Psalm 40: 4-5)
God bless you and keep the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ Amen.
Finally, we remind ourselves what we are to do with our new lives in collaboration with our Lord Jesus Christ. Berid of the old and put on the new. Amen
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3: 1-17)
My hope is that the peace of Jesus is with you now and forever, Amen.