A prayer in a paperback stopped me drinking my life away

Elim member Peter Lindahl says he’s no longer an old soak after turning to God left him happier than he ever could have imagined

A 99p Christian paperback helped rescue Peter Lindahl from alcoholism after a desperate prayer brought his overwhelming craving for drink to an abrupt end.

Twenty-four years later, Peter says the desire has never returned.

Peter’s remarkable story resurfaced when he spotted So What Next? featured as Book of the Month in Direction’s June edition. For a moment, he thought the book that had transformed his life was back in print.

It was an understandable mistake. The book that helped Peter was Tom Bathgate’s So What’s Next? – a similarly titled guide for young people beginning their Christian journey.

But the confusion revived powerful memories of the day in 2002 when a prayer printed in Bathgate’s book became Peter’s lifeline. “At the age of 55, I became a born-again Christian after attending an Alpha course,” he explains.

Although Peter regarded himself as a Christian, he had not attended a Sunday church service for more than 40 years and admits he knew very little about Christianity.

Alpha changed that.

“The course completely changed my mind about Christianity,” he says. “I discovered that there is meaning to life, and it is found in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.”

Drink problem

As Peter’s faith grew, so did an uncomfortable awareness that he could no longer ignore his dependence on alcohol.

By his sixth weekly Alpha meeting, he felt compelled to admit to the group that he had a serious drink problem.

Peter had been drinking heavily since his late teens and had come to associate alcohol with enjoyment. Over the years, however, it had become an attempt to escape deep unhappiness and disillusionment.

“Is this all there is – a materialistic world where everyone is out for themselves?” he would ask.

Another drink might numb the pain temporarily, but the consequences were mounting. Peter was experiencing blackouts, and his GP warned that his liver was hardening.

“I was bitter, cynical and immature,” he says. “I hated my life and I hated the world. I drank to kill the pain.”

Peter is convinced that if he had continued drinking at the same rate, he would have died within a few years.

His growing relationship with Christ forced him to confront the truth about his behaviour. Supported by members of his Alpha group, Peter decided to stop drinking completely.

Everything changed

It could not be a matter of cutting down or reserving alcohol for birthdays, Christmas and special occasions. In the past, one drink had always led to another.

For three months, Peter’s determination appeared unshakeable. He could even visit pubs without feeling tempted.

Then came the Saturday afternoon that changed everything.

Peter was in a pub with his brother, drinking an apple and mango J2O, when he noticed a group of young people laughing and playing pool. Suddenly, he became convinced he was missing out on a good time.

The thought followed him home – and the craving intensified. “The desire to drink was getting worse all the time,” he recalls. “I knew that if I went back to the pub, I would get absolutely wrecked. I was scared – the craving for alcohol seemed too great.”

During Alpha, Peter had been encouraged to pray whenever he faced trouble.

At that moment, however, prayer did not feel practical enough. He needed immediate help.

In desperation, he picked up Bathgate’s book. He remembered seeing a prayer asking God for freedom from temptation and turned to the page.

“I’ve nothing to lose,” he thought.

He began reading aloud:

“Dear Father,

“I praise you that you are Almighty God, Lord of heaven and earth. I want to spend my life doing your will and fulfilling your purposes.

“I want to live my life as an obvious citizen of your kingdom, saying in word and deed a big NO to Satan and a huge yes to Jesus.

“Forgive all the sins that I have committed. Free me from any area of darkness where your light has not entered.

“I offer my life afresh to you. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit so that with your help and guidance I will obey you as my Lord.

“In Jesus’ name,

“Amen.”

What happened next astonished him.

“The split second I finished reading the prayer aloud, all desire for drink vanished,” Peter says. “It was like flicking a switch off. I had no idea that God would intervene in my life so dramatically.”

That moment came 24 years ago. Peter says he has never experienced another craving for alcohol.

Amazing grace!

Since becoming a born-again Christian, Peter has been a member of Elim’s Oasis Christian Centre in Long Eaton, Derbyshire.

He was baptised there a year after becoming teetotal.

“As a Christian, my life has improved 100 per cent,” he says. “I am happier than I ever imagined I could be. I am no longer a miserable old soak. I am confident and content, and grateful every morning when I wake up to a new day.”

Peter believes his experience reveals the transforming power of Christ – and shows how God can use even an inexpensive paperback to reach someone in desperate need.

“Christ not only saved my life, but gave me a new one – far better than I could ever have imagined. Amazing grace!”

This article first appeared in Direction Magazine. For further details, please click here.