Is it any use at all praying to help a relative who's been heavily dependent on drugs for a long time and has no will to resist? I cannot do anything else since he lives across the ocean, has little to no support from family who are also desperate.
And, how do I pray? I feel an aversion to standard Christian "prayers". Do I visualize him in the hands of Master, healthy and well? And how do I rid myself of the nagging inner doubts: "You're wasting your time", "You're too weak to be of any help," etc.?
—BP, usa
I can appreciate the feeling of futility you have as you pray for your loved one without seeing any improvement in the situation.
I’ve come to regard prayer as a sincere and beautiful gift we can give on behalf of others at any time. I regard prayer as ALWAYS helpful at least on a soul level even if outwardly there is no evident change for the better.
I too have a loved one who has been addicted to very dangerous drugs for about 3 to 4 years. Swami Kriyananda suggested I pray for my relative visualizing the Masters all around him and repeating AUM, TAT, SAT three times whenever I think of him.
Prayer is as powerful as the one praying and the recipiant’s abiity to recieve the prayers. Rather than doubt yourself, make it a habit to always pray whenever you think of your relative. You can tell yourself at least I’m aligning my energies with the forces of good rather than negativity (in doubting my prayers). Become very earnest in your prayers and simply give the results to God without attachment.
I once read about a woman who died in an auto accident who received prayers from a motorist driving by the seen of the accident. She was conscious of the woman’s prayers and chose to come back to life in that moment. Somehow, later she was able to find the motorist who prayed for her and tell her if it weren’t for the prayers she wouldn’t be alive.
We are all part of God’s great unfolding plan and any loving action to help another is never futile. The conscisousness of sharing all of ourselves is what magnetizes us to be purer and stronger instruments for the Divine Light in this world.
Your relative may or may not overcome addiction to drugs in this lifetime. Your energies on his behalf aren’t wasted. See your prayers as rays of loving blue light to him and at some point he will respond to the Light.
God bless you as you pray!
