How do I ask God to help me be free of an addiction?

Jeremiah 3:13“Only acknowledge your guilt. Admit that you rebelled against the Lord your God and committed adultery against him by worshiping idols under every green tree. Confess that you refused to listen to my voice.”

Acts 3:19“Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.”

James 4:7, 10So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. . . . Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

1 Peter 5:6-7So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

God longs to free each of us from our addictions. We can freely admit our unhealthy dependencies to God in prayer, release all our fears to him, and rely fully on the promise of his help.

1 Kings 8:58“May he [the Lord] give us the desire to do his will in everything and to obey all the commands, decrees, and regulations that he gave our ancestors.”

Psalm 51:10Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.

Psalm 141:4Don’t let me drift toward evil or take part in acts of wickedness. Don’t let me share in the delicacies of those who do wrong.

Ezekiel 36:26“I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.”

Romans 6:13Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.

We can pray for God to be in control of our desires and our actions.

Matthew 6:13“Don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.”

1 Corinthians 10:13The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful . . . When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

We can pray for, look for, and follow the path God provides for us to resist our addictions.