This podcast episode is read verbatim from my book, "The Feeling Better: A Faith Based Approach to Overcome Your Gambling Addiction" which is available on Amazon.
In this episode I'll be covering the four Battle Plans from the ninth week of the "10-4" Program:
Battle Plan – The Enemy’s Playbook: (Recovery is Only Temporary) You might be just like me, envisioning the next few years of your life as being full of misery, debt, and no money to live a good life. I kept thinking that my situation wouldn’t get better unless I gambled, and I know those thoughts were put there by my enemy. The devil wants you to believe that recovery is only temporary—that this is only the eye of the hurricane, or the calm before the next storm. He wants you to feel broken at the thought of his demons never leaving you. Don’t believe it! You do not have to gamble again. Remember, life wasn’t good back when you were gambling, so it’s definitely not going to be good if you start back up. Better days are head. Recovery is not a just temporary fix. It’s a permanent change that will alter your life forever.
Battle Plan – God’s Intel: (You Can Cast Out the Demon Forever) As I struggled with the urge to potentially gamble for a big win, I realized I just didn’t want this urge in me anymore. God, in His infinite grace and wisdom, pointed me to a very special verse in the Bible that shows us how to cast out even the most stubborn demons. It’s a secret weapon against evil, and it has great power. Most don’t use it because they don’t even know about it. And even those that do probably won’t have the discipline to do it. But listen to me, friends. If you want to be rid of this affliction once and for all, fast and pray. Make a plan, put it on your calendar, and start preparing. Fast for at least a day, preferably two. Three if you can do it. Then spend as much time in prayer and Bible reading as you can. God WILL respond, and the devil WILL flee.
Battle Plan – Weaponry: (Positive Social Media) My all-time favorite way to use social media is to scroll through Instagram reels. You can train the algorithms pretty quickly by searching out Christian-themed content, and then liking, replaying, or commenting on reels with this topic. Soon your Insta Reel feeds will be overflowing with people praying for you, old clips of Billy Graham and his powerful messages, Scripture verses, worship songs, and those sharing their own stories and testimonies. It’s so powerful! I’ve found some real gems there. That’s how I discovered the hidden verse of Matthew 17:21.
Battle Plan – Armor: (Address Mind-Altering Drugs or Substances) By happenstance I discovered that my Adderall prescription increased my compulsive tendencies. It made me realize that there might be some real concern about how taking that medicine for so many years has altered my brain. That might explain why I didn’t have a problem with marijuana or alcohol in my 20s, since I didn’t start taking this medicine until I was in my 30s. I plan to bring it up to my doctor at my next appointment, to see if we can lower my dose a little. If you are taking any kind of brain-altering chemicals, anti-anxiety drugs, ADHD drugs, or antidepressants, discuss them with your doctor if you think they might be affecting or increasing compulsive behaviors.
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