Praying for Those with Addictions: A Mission of Love, Mercy, and Hope

by Anne Costa

We all know people who struggle with addictions. Sometimes they are our dearest loved ones. We often feel helpless in the face of their struggle, and yet our prayers are the best weapons we have to help them break free. Anne Costa shows us that we can cooperate with God's grace as we wait in hope for healing to come. And as we wait, our prayers will help us as well. As someone who herself struggled with an addiction for ten years, Anne Costa writes with wisdom, experience, and conviction and helps us to view our prayers of intercession as a mission of love, mercy, and hope. Features a weekly Scripture verse that readers can pray, claim, and reflect on, as well as two simple prayers to pray that same week. A powerful message that will resonate with readers.

176 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2016

Reviews

[Julie Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helpful, inspiring, practical, and a good road map for anyone who has a loved one struggling with addiction.

[Talea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has opened my heart to possibilities I didn’t really think were there anymore. I have used this book to help me understand and deal with not only the addictions of family members and friends but also my own disordered view of food. I have been seeing results already.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Speaker, author and spiritual coach Anne Costa has written a new book and it's for people who are affected by others’ addictions. “Praying for Those with Addictions: A Mission of Love, Mercy and Hope” offers a Catholic spiritual approach that would be an excellent aid for those coping with a family member or other loved one suffering from addiction.

“Praying for Those with Addictions” is divided into twelve chapters, one for each month of the year. The idea is that this book can be used as a sort of “workbook” throughout the year, each chapter taking you along a spiritual road leading you towards a greater degree of freedom in dealing with your loved ones’ addiction problem and how you can best assist them. Along the way you will learn much about God's compassion and love.

Each chapter concludes with four sections, one for each week of the month. Each section has a passage from Scripture for you to meditate upon for that week. There are prayers helping you with the meditation, along with a “reflective question” paired off with the verse. All these assist you in starting a prayer journal.

While the book is intended for people in Al-Anon and similar groups for other addictions, I do feel it is worthwhile if the addict or alcoholic is yourself. There are many useful practices that can be applied to anyone in recovery. For example, there is a wonderful examination of conscience for each line of the Lord's Prayer in Chapter 5: "One Day at a Time."

There are not very many books published that specifically serve Catholics in dealing with addictions relative to those serving the non-Catholic Christian community; Costa has done all of us sober Catholics in particular and the Church in general a great service in writing this. I highly recommend this book, it is a needed treasure and most definitely fills a void. This is a book that should be on every Catholic's recovery bookshelf, or better yet, on your prayer table or wherever you do your daily prayers and meditations. It will have a lasting and positive impact on your life as well as the ones you love who are addicts.

[Walleye23 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, this has been one of the best helps for me in dealing with my addict and my own addiction.
Anne Costa gives wisdom, helpful prayer and tools for surviving this disease.

[Jennifer Flath · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book I have recommended it to many people dealing with similar struggles. I read sections daily as part on my daily reading routine.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read with different topics for each chapter on how to handle having an addict in your life. Each chapter ends with prayers and scripture passages to ponder, so you can read this over a year’s time. I did not do this (I am bad at committing myself), but I could see the long-term benefit of reading and studying this book that way.

[Crissy Barbosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a daily read for me - I highlight lots and reflect daily. A must have for anyone loving an addict

[Jill Stirling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful. Too catholic in parts. We have no need to pray to saints, we have the Lord Jesus who is our Mediator. But on the whole-some encouraging information.