As many mark Recovery Sunday (on the last Sunday of October), we give thanks for the work of Y Stafell Fyw / The Living Room in Cardiff, and invite you to join with them in remembrance and prayer.
The last Sunday in October will be Wales’ 15th Recovery Sunday, remembering those who are entrapped by any substance, addictions, or relationships, and to celebrate the freedom to which many have been guided over the years, through the work of organisations such as the Living Room and Cynnal.
Here is a prayer prepared for this year’s Recovery Sunday:
Our Father, in this world of wonders, despite all the good things you have created for us to enjoy, we are so often also ensnared by addiction – sometimes to things which are inherently evil, sometimes to things which you created as good but that we have misused. We remember before you today all those who have been caught, and who remain caught, in addiction’s web, and especially for those who have not yet recognised their captivity and who are not therefore seeking help. We pray that you will enable organisations such as the Living Room and Cynnal to offer that help and the ongoing support which offers and sustains freedom.
We celebrate the fact that so many of those who were entrapped have found freedom. We give thanks for those who accompany them on the path of freedom and who encourage them when the going is hard, as it will be for everyone in various circumstances throughout their lives. We celebrate hope.
Lastly, we pray that you would sustain our own freedom, and if we remain entrapped in any way, give us your strength, because our own strength can avail nothing without you, to dare to seek the help that can release us. And if we are blind to our true situation, open our eyes to dare to see. All this we ask in the name of the One who bought our ultimate freedom, Jesus Christ. Amen.
You can find a full service prepared for Cynnal and the Living Room by Siôn Aled Owen below. You are welcome to use this service in your churches to remember those who are recovering or who are still addicted to substances or harmful behaviors, and to pray for them and for those who offer them help and support.