Changed Forever: My Life Altering Prayer

By Alexis Lackey

At one time Alexis Lackey’s life appeared perfect from the outside. Yet on the inside, she was hurting. With an empty heart, she turned to something that ultimately prevented her from ever finding peace or joy. What she mistakenly thought was going to give her freedom from her pain, became her worst nightmare. Before she knew it, Alexis slid down a long dark hole. As her life took a devasting turn, the person she once was no longer existed.

In a moving testimony about her complete restoration from alcoholism, she reveals how God removed the disease from her body. She was NOT in recovery but was CURED. Alexis shares insight into how one prayer, changed her entire life. She discloses how God rescued, the one that went astray, silenced her monster and lead her to witness nothing short of a MIRACLE.

Throughout her testimony Alexis inspires others who are hurting to connect with the one they need the most, their Heavenly Father.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Mar 10, 2024
• ISBN: 9798385013975

Alexis Lackey

Alexis Lackey is a woman on fire for Jesus who loves serving God and His people. She is a loving wife and mother to three beautiful children. Alexis is dedicated to living a Christ-centered life and continues to glorify God for the miraculous act He performed for her life. Changed Forever: My Life Altering Prayer is her first book.

Book preview

1333_c.jpg

CHANGED

FOREVER

MY LIFE ALTERING PRAYER

ALEXIS LACKEY

Copyright © 2024 Alexis Lackey.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

844-714-3454

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

All Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 979-8-3850-1395-1 (sc)

ISBN: 979-8-3850-1396-8 (hc)

ISBN: 979-8-3850-1397-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023923095

WestBow Press rev. date: 03/07/2024

I dedicate this book to my loving sister, Sandra Shea.

Who like myself was fighting a horrific battle with addiction. However, she was unable to escape the chains that held her captive.

Addiction is a powerful and deadly disease, that robs, steals and destroys good people. Sandra’s death occurred after I wrote this book.

It breaks my heart that she was unable to get away from this stronghold, like I was with our Heavenly Father.

If you, or anyone you know, is fighting an addiction, please get help.

THERE IS HOPE WITH GOD.

Contents

Preface

1. People Pleaser

2. Happy Wife, Happy Life

3. My Hidden Secret

4. Slippery Slope

5. Reality Hits Me

6. Flashing Lights

7. My Downward Spiral

8. Shopping Nightmares

9. Trying to Find a Way Out

10. Rehab Time

11. Consequences

12. The Road to Relapsing is Long

13. Giving Up

14. Chain Breaker/Miracle Maker

15. My Three-Part Miracle

16. Unwavering Love

17. Pressing the Reset Button

18. Our Pain Has a Purpose

19. When Life Is Put On Pause

20. Changed Forever

Preface

This book was not by my design. I give full credit to God and God alone. I had absolutely no desire to write a book, ever. But I wanted to share my testimony because I knew it was powerful and would changes lives and therefore needed to be shared. I knew God had placed a calling on my heart, but I wasn’t sure how to begin.

I took steps, and that’s when God intervened. I was thinking I should begin one way when in fact He wanted me to do something much different. So every door I tried to open He kept locked, and when I approached people in the ministry to share my story, I was shut down. Not one person was willing to give me the opportunity to share my testimony. I felt frustrated and defeated because I knew my story had to be told. It was too profound to keep to myself.

Sometimes we are headed in the wrong direction, so God doesn’t allow doors to open because that is not where we are supposed to be. Once I realized I was on the wrong path, God started placing people in my life who would ultimately open my mind to the idea of writing a book. This goes to show that what we may think is too big to dream is possible with God. It was God’s plan for me to write this book. He ignited a fire within me and fully equipped me to handle every aspect involved in writing and publishing my book. I’m so in awe and truly thankful to my heavenly Father, for his faithfulness, love, and amazing grace. To Him I give the glory!

I would be remiss if I didn’t also thank my family for their part in the execution of my book. They were all on board from the moment I told them my plan. They have all supported me and shared in my excitement. Our three children Alexandra, Austin, and Victoria have been the greatest blessings in my life. Each has given me so much love, compassion, and forgiveness for the mistakes I made during my addiction. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for never giving up on me. You stuck by me when I was at my worst and cheered me on as I found my way back. Your encouragement, faith in me, and support have helped me greatly and motivated me to keep pushing forward. I am so appreciative of each of you because you have believed in me, stood by me, and loved me beyond measure. You are a gift from God, and I will be forever grateful for the blessings you brought to my life. I love you with all my heart.

Most especially I want to thank my husband, Tom. There are no words that can adequately convey the gratitude I feel in my heart for him. He has stuck by me through thick and thin. He has loved me at my lowest and stood beside me through the best and worst of times. Tom has supported me more than anyone in this world. When I told him I decided to write a book, he jumped right on board. He has been a constant source of strength, encouragement, and reinforcement when I needed it most. He was a sounding board and the best ear when I needed input. He had the patience of a saint each time I asked him to listen to what I had written. This process has been easier than I originally thought because I wasn’t doing it alone. I had a husband who cheered me on and delighted in my success. Thank you, Tom, for being my husband and the love of my life for thirty-seven years and for walking this journey beside me. I love you immeasurably. You complete me.

Last but certainly not least, I want to give a heartfelt thank you to our sweet dog, Finley. She stayed by my side throughout this whole process. Every time I sat down to write, she lay on the floor next to me. She has given me comfort when I felt overwhelmed and made me smile when I was tired. I would look down and see her sweet face looking back at me. Finley has been a true blessing in our lives and was just another gift God gave our family. She will remain in our hearts forever.

Finley, our dog.

To God I give all the glory. May my powerful testimony inspire you, give you hope and make you want to run to Jesus.

1

People Pleaser

I never dreamed my best friend would be a bottle of vodka, but it was, and we were thick as thieves. We went everywhere together, drove recklessly around town, hung out at bars, acted wild, and let our inhibitions down. I never had a friend like me like this, one that was loyal and never left my side. It was there with me through thick and thin and made me forget about my problems. It was fun for a while—until my best friend became my worst enemy. The fun times came to a screeching halt, and there I was, lying on the bathroom floor drunk, alone, depressed, and crying.

How on earth did this become my new reality? How did a girl with the perfect life, so it seemed, end up in a state of shambles? I felt like I was living in a nightmare, and it caused me fear and anxiety. I just wanted to wake up and be back in my picture-perfect life. However, this was no nightmare; it was a new world. In a blink of an eye, everything around me changed, including myself. The big question in my mind was, How did I ever get here?

When I look back on my life, there were so many factors that contributed to my ultimate downfall. It took me many years and much therapy to see my actual reality. Looking from the outside, it looked like I had the perfect life, but the truth was I had many insecurities and a deep desire to be validated.

My dad/My Hero

My problems began when I was a child. I grew up in Michigan and had what I thought was a normal, happy childhood. The youngest of four girls, I lived in a nice home with both parents. I was happy being the baby and loved my three sisters. My mom was a homemaker, and my dad worked long hours to provide for our family. I guess you can say he was a workaholic. He worked long hours and many nights; I was already asleep when he got home. But I loved my dad, and I looked up to him in so many ways. I only wished he would have spent more time with me. We didn’t have a lot of time together because he was always working hard to create his own business. As if that was not enough, he also became a part-time police officer.

My parents

My dad had very little free time at home. I would hide in the front closet to surprise him when he opened the door to hang up his coat. He would act surprised and give me a big hug. I missed having that father-daughter time like most girls long for in their lives. But the moments we had together I cherished.

My mom was a busy mom, raising four girls essentially on her own. She was an only child and came from a broken home. Her father was an alcoholic, and her parents divorced