God Touching Addicts' Hearts

As we minister to addicts in group meetings or as we share God's heart for addicts in workshops, we almost always use songs that God has placed in the heart of gifted musicians. Many of you are familiar with popular songs which speak into addiction like Does Anybody Hear Her?, The Altar and the Door, and Slow Fade by Casting Crowns. Probably many of you have also heard songs like Breathrough and When I Don't Know What to Do by Tommy Walker. However, I would guess that very few of you have heard of Keith Naylor or his group ASIAM.

For years I had used Keith Naylor's song Spring Street as short term mission teams would come to Philadelphia to minister with us on the streets. Most of the people coming on these mission trips would arrive convinced they were "bringing Jesus" to Philadelphia. The challenge that we gave these missionaries was to "find Jesus" on the streets, in abandoned homes, in crack houses, in His children caught in the snare of addiction. The lyrics to the song Spring Street are an awesome portrayal of this call on each of us as we minister in addiction.

God speaks powerfully and lovingly through the words of Keith Naylor's music as we play his songs at the beginning of groups in prison and at our office. In Lancater County Prison whether the group is men or women we always need to have several rolls of toilet paper available to wipe the tears that begin to flow as the inmates are touched by the lyrics.

Keith's song Is There Love begins with the emptiness of young woman caught in addiction and ends with an alcoholic under a neon sign. Like all addicts, they are "looking for a touch that will cleanse their soul" and "make them whole." In the song Footsteps, Keith hauntingly introduces us to the loss of innocence and pain of sexual abuse of children. In each of his songs, Keith Naylor weaves the hope of Jesus Christ as the love, the healing, the wholeness, the restoration that is so desperately needed by everyone in addiction. The song A Flower Grows promises that "in this decayed and dying soul, a flower grows."

If you haven't heard Keith Naylor's music, I urge you to seek it out online. You will truly be blessed. If you facilitate groups at your church or other places, I want to encourage you to watch God work as you utilize this music in your ministry. If you wish you had groups available in your area, please contact us at david.hain@gmail.com. We'd love to come and help get groups started. Our ministry's mission is to share the passion that He has placed in our hearts to set His children free from the bondage of addiction.

I mentioned Keith's group ASIAM at the beginning of this blog update. I'd like to close with excerpts from their song As I Am. As you read the words, can you hear God's heart for His children...your brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, spouses, neighbors...searching for something to make them feel whole?

As I Am from the CD Living in the Forever Now

And as I am my mind is broken
As I am my heart is cold
As I am my life is only shattered pieces
And pieces that are worn
As I am, As I am

And as I am my dreams they've fallen
As I am my failure's strong
As I am my hope for sacrificial loving
Is calloused by my lust for what is wrong
As I am, as I am

...
And as I am my words they're empty
...
As I am behind this mask of strength and courage
Is only a lost and broken soul
...
As I think about my life without Your hope
...
And I think about this life and all it's blackness
Cause in Your eyes, in Your eyes
As I am is whole