A Prayer After Relapse: Grace for Starting Over
A prayer after relapse is not a speech to earn your way back. It’s coming home. Pray something like this: “Lord, I drank. I’m sorry. I don’t want to hide from You. Thank You that You haven’t left me. Help me get back up today and tell someone. Amen.” God isn’t waiting for you to feel less ashamed before He’ll listen. He’s waiting for you to turn around.
A prayer after a slip
“God, I drank. I don’t have an excuse, and I won’t make one. I’m ashamed, and part of me wants to hide, or to keep drinking because I’ve already blown it. Don’t let me do either.
Thank You that Your mercy is bigger than what I did. I confess it to You now. Wash me clean. Take away the shame that tells me I’m worthless, and leave me the honest sorrow that turns me back to You.
Give me the courage to tell someone today. Show me what led up to this, so I can learn from it. Keep me sober for the next 24 hours. I’m starting again, with You. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
What God says to someone who fell
David wrote one of the most honest prayers in the Bible after a terrible failure. He didn’t hide. He asked for a clean heart.
“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.”
And there is no condemnation waiting for you in Christ.
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
A relapse is a serious thing. It can be dangerous, and it hurts people. But it isn’t the end of your story, and it doesn’t make you a fraud. It makes you someone who needs God, which is what you were all along.
Shame vs. sorrow
Shame says, “I am bad, so I may as well give up.” Sorrow says, “I did something wrong, and I want to turn back.” Shame keeps people drinking. Godly sorrow leads somewhere better. When you pray, ask God to take the first and keep the second. More on this in shame after drinking.
The next few hours
- Stop where you are. Pour out what’s left.
- Tell one person. A sponsor, a friend in recovery, a pastor. Today.
- Get to a meeting or a church in the next day or two.
- Look back, not down. What happened in the hours and days before? Hungry, angry, lonely, tired? Write it down.
- Pray morning and night again, starting tonight.
If you drank heavily for several days, be careful. Stopping suddenly after a long run can be dangerous. Talk to a doctor.
Safety first. If you drink heavily every day, stopping suddenly can be dangerous. Talk to a doctor before you quit.
If you’re thinking about hurting yourself, call or text 988 now.
For a fuller guide to the first 24 hours, read relapse after sobriety. If you’re afraid God is done with you, read Will God forgive me for drinking?
Something to do today
Pray the prayer above. Then, before you do anything else, send this text to one person: “I drank. I’m okay, but I need to talk. Can you call me today?”
Common questions
Will God forgive me if I relapsed again?
Yes. God's forgiveness isn't a punch card that runs out. Confess it honestly and turn back. Peter denied Jesus three times and Jesus restored him three times.
Do I have to start my count over?
Your current streak starts again, but the sober days you lived are still real. They happened, and what you learned in them is still yours. Don't let a slip erase the good God did.
How do I pray for someone else who relapsed?
Ask God to keep them safe, to protect them from shame that keeps them drinking, and to bring them back to help quickly. Then let them know you still love them and are glad to see them.
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