Faith-Based Intervention: A Guide for Addicts and Their Families

Are you considering a faith-based intervention and faith-based treatment for a loved one?

Faith-based rehab can provide a potent and effective means of assisting those who are battling an addiction to recover and lead sober lives. For those who are recovering, professional treatment may offer a sense of hope, community, and purpose. Additionally, a structured, Bible-based environment may give addicts a chance to connect with others who have gone through comparable situations, enabling them to share their experiences and draw strength from one another.

For believers, this is especially poignant. As we see in 2 Corinthians 1:3 – 4 (emphasis added):

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

A Christian treatment program (such as ours) may also offer faith-based interventions as an additional service. Let’s learn more about what a faith-based intervention is.

Faith-Based Interventions for Christians

The Bible gives us a very clear procedure to follow when we see a professing believer living in sin. One of the first places to turn is Matthew 18:15-20.

The steps as outlined by Jesus in the case of an addiction situation with a fellow believer would be as follows:

1. Don’t gossip about it, but speak privately (and lovingly) with the believer about their addiction.
2. If they won’t listen to you, take one or two more people with you, “that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.” (Matt 18:16)
3. If they still won’t listen, bring it to the church.

Faith-Based Interventions for Non-Christians

The steps above are for talking with a brother or sister in Christ about something like addiction. If the loved one suffering from addiction is not a professing believer, than by all means approach them lovingly and prayerfully–and don’t give up on them.

No matter what the scenario is, never stop praying for your loved one. Remember James 5:18: “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

J. Oswald Chambers wrote this in his book Spiritual Leadership (Chicago: Moody Press, 1978):

“When asked if he really believed that two men for whose salvation he had prayed for over fifty years would be converted, George Muller of Bristol replied, ‘Do you think God would have kept me praying all these years if He did not intend to save them?’ Both men were converted, one shortly before, the other after Muller’s death.”

What Is a Faith-Based Intervention and How Does It Work?

If your loved one struggling with addiction is a professing believer, faith-based interventions are a precursor to an addiction treatment program in alignment with the second step from Matthew 18 (see the section above, ‘Faith-Based Interventions for Christians’). This is intended to assist people who are struggling with addiction in a way that is far more lasting than relying on secular tactics. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

If your loved one does not profess to know Christ, a faith-based intervention can still seek to assist them in love, bearing witness to them not just with the offer of help for their addiction but with the overriding good news of the Gospel. Faith-based interventions can help demonstrate the power of God’s love: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

The difference between a faith-based intervention and a regular intervention is that a faith-based intervention makes use of prayer, Scripture, and a reliance on God to soften your loved one’s heart to at least accept the help that you are offering.

The Benefits of Using Faith-Based Interventions to Help Addicts Overcome Addiction

“If God is for us, who can be against us?” – Romans 8:31

Faith-based interventions are becoming more and more common in the field of addiction treatment. This approach to recovery is based on the idea that God can help addicts get over their addiction. In their most difficult moments, addicts in a Christian treatment program can find solace, courage, and hope by prayer, studying God’s word, and fellowshipping with fellow believers.

With the right encouragement and guidance, faith-based interventions can be a fruitful way to help those who are struggling with addiction achieve long-term sobriety.

What to Expect When Participating in a Faith-Based Intervention Program

For those battling addiction, taking part in a faith-based intervention program can be a powerful and rewarding experience. It gives people the chance to strengthen their ties to their faith and convictions while also giving them the support and direction they need to continue on the road to recovery.

Throughout the course of the program, participants can expect to receive spiritual guidance and support from a group of peers who are also on the road to recovery. They will have access to resources like group meetings and one-on-one counseling, as well as relapse prevention techniques rooted in Scripture.

If you are looking for a place for faith-based treatments, consider the LINKS program at Northbound Treatment in Newport Beach, California. We want our clients to reach sobriety and maintain it, and we offer both inpatient and outpatient treatment options.