LK 11:24 "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, `I will return to the house I left.' 25 When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. 26 Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first."

When you have finally quit all of your addictions you may still have to deal with a chemical imbalance, and if you do not find healthy ways to relieve the anxiety a chemical imbalance generates, then you will take the path of least resistance and return to your old addictions. It is automatic. You see, we leave a void when we stop using addiction that must be filled with God, or that addiction will soon come back with a big vengeance. Anyone that has relapsed knows what I am saying; it's like things are even worse now after you relapse than when you first quit way back when. But God has given us a way to fill that void left over after quitting.

PS 34:8 Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

When people first started telling me about Jesus Christ I was so used to using any form of pleasure that I could to relieve my anxiety, that if there was anything to this God thing then I wanted to find out because regardless of other people I really needed something more in my life to get me through a day. After I let God into my life I felt a certain amount of peace for a time, but it just didn't seem like enough to keep me interested. I had heard about the infilling or baptism of the Holy Spirit, and that it would give me more of God in my life, so I started to pray for this free gift because I really needed more than what I was getting up to that point.

PS 145:16 You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

After having people from a church pray and lay hands on me to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit nothing happened, so I just figured I was too evil to receive this gift. Then I went house-sitting for someone for a weekend, and while there I was watching the 700 Club and they talked about this baptism of the Holy Spirit thing as well. So even though I thought it probably wouldn't do much good I called them anyway and the guy on the phone said, "You are going to get filled with the Holy Spirit now". I then felt something like warm honey being poured over my head, and I started speaking in a beautiful heavenly foreign prayer language.

LK 11:11 "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

The main thing I felt though, was a great love and closeness to God that I really needed badly in my life. God knew I was a mess, but that didn't make any difference whether He filled me or not, He just wanted me to really want it, and to believe that He was good enough to give it to me as my Father if I asked Him for it. But you don't even need someone else to pray for you, I told one of my friends what happened and she was filled while walking down the street. So, if you want more of God then I would encourage you to first ask Him to come into your life and then to seek this gift. Do it for yourself because it can really help you a lot.

JER 2:13 "My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns (water wells), broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

Trying to find happiness and peace in life through addiction is like trying to quench your thirst while drinking muddy water from a cup with a big hole in it. It satisfies you just enough to tease you and make you more desperate to work harder to find more of it to quench your thirst. Most of you know what I am talking about. Addiction seems like the ultimate answer especially at first, but then you have to use more and more of it, to get less and less of a fix from it. It can be so very frustrating to keep trying to find what we need from something that doesn't truly satisfy us; not to mention all the money we have to generate to keep buying it.

AC 2:38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call."

We are all created needing something more in life, and that something is Jesus Christ. But it is really up to us whether we let Him into our life or not. Once you have received Him and been filled with His Spirit, I would encourage you to make Him your final addiction. Pray in tongues and worship when you are hitting a rough spot and read your bible and pray when you are tempted to relapse. This actually works. Just understand that you will always need something, so that something might as well be good and healthy for your life and something that can satisfy. Make God you final addiction today, and you will see that He really works.

JN 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Here is a prayer to pray if you need it:

"Dear God, I am sick of trying to find my happiness, peace, and joy in life, through empty addiction. I ask that you would come into my life, and that you would save me from hell and from my poor choices. I give you all of my sin and failure right now, and I ask that you would forgive and help me this day to change for the better. I also ask Lord that you would baptize me with your Holy Spirit so that I can have more of you in my life from now on. Thank you for saving me and for filling me with your Holy Spirit right now. In Jesus name I pray, amen."

If you prayed this prayer and meant it, then God has truly saved you. Keep praying for the baptism of the Holy Spirit if you didn't just get filled because God will fill you no matter how messed up your life is right now. It's the sick that need a doctor, so trust Jesus to help you.

MT 9:12 On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: `I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."