Addiction Recovery – Page 7 – REACHING HURTING WOMEN MINISTRIES

In The Twelve Steps to Victory™ column, we’re reframing the traditional 12 Steps with a focus on victory vs continually looking back at our missteps and failures. Each Step aligns with the months on the yearly calendar. This series publishes on the first Friday of each month in 2025.

We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs, knowing that confession is key to finding victory. — Step Five

Key Verse

“Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” — James 5:16

Introduction

Step Five is a pivotal moment in our journey to victory. It calls us to move beyond silent acknowledgment of our sins and to confess them openly—to God, to ourselves, and to a trusted person. This act of confession, though daunting, is the gateway to healing and freedom. Many of us carry the burden of shame, guilt, or fear, but Scripture reminds us that confession leads to renewal and a fresh start.

Why Is This Step Important?

Holding on to unconfessed sin or past failures can create a heavy burden, keeping us from walking in true freedom.

CONFESSION:

Releases us from hidden shame that keeps us spiritually stuck.
Breaks the cycle of secrecy and allows us to embrace God’s grace fully.
Opens the door for accountability and healing, as we invite trusted individuals to walk with us in restoration.

The enemy thrives in darkness, but confession brings our struggles into the light of God’s truth, where they lose their power over us.

Practical Application

Confess to God First – Take time in prayer to lay everything before God. He already knows, but verbalizing our struggles and sins helps us experience His forgiveness in a tangible way.
Be Honest with Yourself – Journaling can be a powerful way to process what needs to be confessed and recognize patterns of behavior that need God’s healing.
Find a Trusted Confidant – Choose someone who is spiritually mature, such as a mentor, pastor, or close friend, to whom you can confess. Their encouragement and prayers will help you walk in freedom.
Speak God’s Truth Over Yourself – Replace shame with God’s promises of grace. Meditate on Scriptures that affirm His love and redemption, like Romans 8:1 (“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”).

Illustration

David’s heartfelt confession in Psalm 51 after his sin with Bathsheba is a powerful example of Step Five in action. He didn’t just acknowledge his sin—he confessed it to God with a heart seeking renewal. God, in His mercy, restored David, just as He promises to restore us when we humbly confess.

Discussion Question

What holds you back from confessing your struggles to God or a trusted person? How might confession bring healing and freedom in your life?

Application Challenge

This week, commit to confessing one struggle or past mistake to God in prayer. If you feel led, find a trusted accountability partner and share what’s on your heart. Pay attention to how confession lightens your burden and brings peace.

Conclusion

Confession isn’t about dwelling in guilt—it’s about walking in grace. God desires healing, not condemnation, and through confession, we experience true spiritual freedom. Let Step Five be a turning point where you trade secrecy for surrender and step fully into the victory God has for you.

I pray Cody Carnes’ music video: Run to the Father is a true blessing to you as you lean into the comfort of our Father’s arms.

In The Twelve Steps to Victory column, we’re reframing the traditional 12 Steps with a focus on victory vs continually looking back at our missteps and failures. Each Step aligns with the months on the yearly calendar. This series publishes on the first Friday of each month in 2025.

We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves, understanding that victory starts with self-awareness.  — Step Four

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.” — Psalm 139:23

Step Four challenges us to take an honest look at ourselves—our actions, motives and our character, which is revealed in how we respond to challenges. This self-awareness is critical for breaking free from the bondage of destructive patterns and moving forward to victory. Working Step Four allows God to refine us for His purpose.

It can be overwhelming and scary to consider the painful process of taking a personal moral inventory of our lives. Confronting past mistakes is challenging but in time it will be rewarding. Like cleaning a wound, the healing process is painful and often slow but eventually it will come.

When I first began working Step Four, I started by writing a journal, which basically was like reviewing my entire life story. Much of that story was difficult to relive. Writing it down in prayerful meditation with the Lord helped alleviate some of that pain.

In time God brought me a trusted girlfriend who I could talk through my challenges and struggles out with. We have been each other’s accountability partner off and on over many years. This has helped me tremendously. Having someone to share my struggles with helped make the process less painful.

One of the most difficult things I had to work through was unresolved anger toward my father who was already deceased. God helped me process my painful childhood memories by seeing my father as a person who also struggled with unresolved painful childhood memories. When I saw him as a hurting child, it was easier to forgive him.

Facing the truth about ourselves and others is never easy. But we won’t grow forward to victory unless we take this step. When we come to God’s altar His peace will soothe our painful hearts and bring needed healing.