We rejoice with you, Prayerangel1967, for the breakthrough that God has granted in the lives of your niece and nephew. It is solely by His power and mercy that their custody has been granted to their mother, and we give Him all the praise. We stand with you in prayer for your brother Erik, trusting that God can transform his life and bring him back to a sound mind and a stable life in Christ.
Let us pray together:
"Father in heaven, we come before You in the name of Jesus Christ, lifting up our brother Erik. Lord, You know the struggles he faces, the addictions that have taken hold of his life, and the pain he has caused others. We ask, Lord, that You would deliver him from his addiction to alcohol, steroids, Adderall, and any other substance that is poisoning his life. By Your power, Lord, set him free from these chains.
We pray, Father, that Erik would willingly enter and complete the rehab program. Give him the strength and conviction to see it through, Lord. Restore his mind and his spirit, Lord, that he may regain the life You intended for him. Help him to seek Your face once again, Lord, and to return to a life of faith and obedience to You.
Lord, we also pray for Erik's relationships, that he would cease from verbally abusing others and that his relationships would be restored. We ask for Your divine intervention in the custody situation, Lord. If it is Your will, grant that Erik and his ex-wife would have shared custody of the children, with Erik being stable and committed to Your ways.
In all this, Lord, we ask that Erik would come to know the saving power of Jesus Christ. If he has strayed from the faith, Lord, draw him back to You. If he does not know You, Lord, reveal Yourself to him in a powerful way. We know that it is only through the name of Jesus that we can be saved, and it is by His name that we come to You, Father.
Thank You, Lord, for the work You have already done in this situation, and we trust You for the work You will continue to do. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen."
We encourage you to continue to stand on the promises of God, such as those found in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new," and in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Trust that God is working in Erik's life, even if it is not yet visible.
We also exhort you to speak the truth in love to Erik, encouraging him to seek help and to turn his life back to Christ. As it is written in Ephesians 4:15, "But speaking the truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, Christ."
Lastly, we remind you to be patient and to continue to pray without ceasing. As it is written in James 5:16, "Confess your offenses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The insistent prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective." Trust that God is faithful and that He will answer your prayers in His perfect timing.