Alcoholism, drug use, pornography, and video game addiction are some of the most common addictions in men. It’s extremely difficult to watch anyone, especially you brother, suffer through these kinds of addictions. It can be hard to know how to navigate addiction with your brother. Luckily, you can always pray for an addicted brother.
Oftentimes addiction takes hold of people because they are trying to fill the God-sized hole. They are unhappy and think drugs, alcohol, etc. will help them forget it or numb the pain. As Christians, we know that worldly things will never satisfy us.
At Jesus’ crucifixion, he said “I am thirsty” (John 19:28, NIV). He did not thirst for wine, water, or anything from this world for that matter. He thirsted for the Divine. He thirsted for Heaven. God is the only one who can quench our thirst. Please help all brothers to have that same thirst for You.
I have given you 7 prayers for an addicted brother. Feel free to customize them to your specific situation. Please leave prayer requests in the comments so we can pray with you!
Short Prayer For An Addicted Brother
Lord, please help my brother who is struggling with addiction. I know that deep down he doesn’t want to be bound by addiction. I don’t understand why he is doing this, but I know he needs Your help to overcome his addiction(s). Heal him of his emotional wounds so he can be the man he was called by You to be. In Your Name, I pray. Amen.
Prayer For A Brother Addicted To Video Games
Lord, please help my brother who is addicted to video games. It started as just a hobby, but now it’s taking over his life. He’s withdrawing from the things he loves. It’s all he thinks about and it’s starting to worry me more than ever.
I worry about the violence and sexual nature of these games. When he is spending 5+ hours a day consuming this content instead of content that is glorifying to You. Lord, help him to see that he needs to get help for this addiction. Video games are okay in small doses, but this lifestyle is unhealthy.
He is using video games to fill the God sized hole in his life. Help him to know that You alone are the one thing that will make him truly happy. In Your Name, I pray. Amen.
Prayer For Brother Addicted To Alcohol
Lord, my brother is addicted to alcohol. Many people can easily fall victim to alcoholism, but you never think it will be someone you’re close to. I know that life is hard. It is exhausting, but alcohol is not the answer. Lord, please show my brother that You are the answer. You alone can heal his wounds.
Help my brother to turn to You instead of alcohol in his times of distress. Show him that laying his burdens at the foot of the cross is more freeing than addiction. Help (Name) to better know and understand Your presence and overwhelming faithful love.
Lord, please place someone in his path who knows your love and can share it with him. I want it to be me, but I’m not sure if I’m the right person to do this. At times I feel defeated, and disappointed with his choice, but I don’t want to damage my relationship with my brother any more than it already is. Give me the wisdom to know how You want me to help him. May I always be an ear to listen to his struggles and a pillar of strength for him in times of distress.
Please help (Name) to overcome her alcohol addiction. Give him the courage to seek the help that he needs. In your name, I pray. Amen.
Prayer For A Brother Addicted To Illegal Drugs
Lord, please help my brother who is struggling with illegal drug use. I can’t imagine the pain, the suffering, or trauma that someone must endure to turn to illegal drugs. My brother has many wounds. Please help him to know that his wounds cannot be healed through the numbing of illegal drugs.
Lord, please place someone in his path who knows your love and can share it with him. I want it to be me, but I’m not sure if I’m the right person to do this. I don’t want to damage my relationship with my brother any more than it already is. Give me the wisdom to know how You want me to help him. May I always be an ear to listen to his struggles and a pillar of strength for him in times of distress.
Illegal drugs are not going to solve his problems. They’re only causing more problems! Help them to know that they will only feel healed and fulfilled through You (and rehab and therapy)! In Your Name, I pray. Amen.
Prayer For A Brother Addicted To Sex/Pornography
Lord, please help my brother who is suffering from sex and/or pornography addiction. I’m frustrated with our world because it’s advertisers who are rubbing sex in the faces of kids at a younger and younger age. I’m mad at my parents for being naive too. I wish our parents would’ve had stricter parental locks on our browsers.
Ultimately, this addiction is no one’s fault but (Name) because he chose to keep watching/participating, but I know there are other factors and people that drove him to this behavior. Please show (Name) that he is worth more than cheap sex. He was formed by You and has a beautiful path ahead of him if he can overcome this addiction.
Help me to be a supportive (brother/sister) to help him through this difficult time. It’s a really awkward topic and I don’t know how to be there for Him. However, I know You do. Give me Your wisdom on how to proceed so I can help my brother begin a new journey of purity and chastity.
Please help give him the desire to quit (watching porn/having sex). I know, deep down, he wants to follow You, but he feels ashamed and doesn’t know how this part of him can fit into Your plan. Help him to see that he needs to overcome this to be truly happy. May he remember these words from Scripture in his moments of fear and doubt,
“‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me” (2 Corinthians 12:9, NASB).
In Your name, I pray Amen.
Prayer for a Brother Addicted to Gambling
Lord, please watch my brother who is addicted to gambling. He’s damaging his financial future and the relationships with those that he loves. Show him that he doesn’t need the thrill given to him through gambling. He needs You. I know he will be restless until he rests in You.
Lord, please place someone in his path who knows your love and can share it with him. I want it to be me, but I’m not sure if I’m the right person to do this. I don’t want to damage my relationship with my brother any more than it already is. Give me the wisdom to know how You want me to help him. In Your Name, I pray. Amen.
Prayer for Brother Addicted to Social Media
Lord, my brother is addicted to social media. He needs your help to overcome this toxic addiction. He is constantly on his phone or computer. It’s starting to negatively affect so many different areas of his life.
If you’re consuming the wrong content for hours on end each day you can start to get depressed. You can fall victim to the lies that you aren’t good enough or don’t have enough. Please help (Name) to know that everything he sees on there is just everyone’s perfect world. He does not see the difficulties and struggles each person is facing on a daily basis.
Help (Name) to know that he is a child of God. He is not defined by what other people think of him or by how many likes he gets. It doesn’t matter what other people are doing. Remind him that he only needs to keep his eyes focused on You. When there’s too much noise, Your voice gets lost.
Help him to be attentive to your voice and to get the help he needs to stop the social media addiction. In Your Name, I pray. Amen.
Concluding Thoughts
Whether your brother is addicted to pornography, gambling, or social media, know that his addiction is caused by a desperate search to quench his thirst. Unfortunately, your brother is looking in all the wrong places.
The Lord is the only one who can quench our thirst. We can look for fulfillment in all the worldly places. It might help quench your thirst short term, but eventually, it’ll wear off and you’ll continue searching.
May the Lord bless you and your brother as he works through his addiction and comes to know the Lord more intimately.