Alcohol unravels things slowly: first the evenings, then relationships, then your trust in yourself. A prayer to stop drinking can be the first step for someone who wants to quit and a support for the family living next to someone who drinks. Here you will find prayers for both situations, the saints believers pray to against drunkenness and, just as important, the practical help that must accompany prayer.
Prayer for someone who wants to give up drinking
A prayer in your own words (suggested by us, not a liturgical text):
Lord, I can no longer do this alone. I admit that drink controls me and I ask for Your help. Give me the strength to say “no” today, just today. Take away the shame that holds me back and give me the courage to ask people for help. Forgive me for the harm I have done to my loved ones and help me make it right. Amen.
A “just for today” prayer is easier to keep than a lifelong promise. Say it in the morning and in the moment the craving comes.
Prayer for a husband, father or loved one who drinks
Lord, I entrust to You (name), whom I love and who is bound by drink. Enlighten his mind to see the harm he is doing to himself, give him the desire to change and place in his path people who can help him. And guard me from despair and teach me where to love and where to set boundaries. Amen.
Praying for someone who drinks does not mean putting up with anything. If there is violence or danger, your safety and that of your children comes first: call for help at 112.
The saints we pray to against drunkenness
- Holy Martyr Boniface (December 19) – traditionally invoked by those struggling with the passion of drunkenness;
- Saint Moses the Ethiopian (August 28) – a former robber who became a saint, a model showing that any passion can be overcome;
- The Mother of God, through the icon “The Inexhaustible Cup”, venerated especially for healing from alcoholism;
- Psalm 50, the psalm of repentance, read daily.
Prayer needs practical help
Alcohol dependence is an illness, not just a weakness of character. Prayer and medical help work together:
- Talk to your family doctor. Stopping alcohol abruptly after heavy, long-term drinking can be dangerous; it is best done under medical supervision.
- Support groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, hold meetings in many cities in Romania and online.
- The family needs support too: a psychologist or a group for family members helps you not to lose yourself in caring for the other person.
- Your spiritual father can be a steady companion on this path, through confession and counsel.
Many families have carried the same wound of drinking for generations. We wrote about what is passed down through the family line in the article on ancestral karma, and the materials in the Unbindings for Mind & Well-being collection can accompany the healing process, alongside prayer and treatment.
Frequently asked questions
What prayer is said for someone who drinks?
A prayer in which you mention their name and ask for light and strength for them, said daily. Many pray to Saint Boniface and to the Mother of God “The Inexhaustible Cup” and submit a prayer list (pomelnik) at church.
Which saint helps against drunkenness?
In the Orthodox tradition, the Holy Martyr Boniface and Saint Moses the Ethiopian, together with the Mother of God through the icon “The Inexhaustible Cup”.
Can I change the other person through prayer?
Prayer supports them, but the decision to stop is theirs. You can pray, show them the way to help and take care of yourself and your children.
