I Was Homeless & Addicted... Then I Heard a Voice Say "Pray"
Adam Vibe Gunton is a TEDx speaker, international recovery advocate, and the bestselling author of From Chains To Saved. After overcoming addiction and homelessness, Adam found his life's purpose in helping others find recovery. He is the Founder and Executive Director of Recovered On Purpose, a nonprofit recovery media platform that helps people in recovery share their stories and reach the still-suffering addict. He is also the Founder and Managing Partner of Behavioral Health Partners, a Denver-based agency that helps addiction treatment centers open, grow, and reach more people in need, and a founding member of Radix Recovery, an addiction treatment center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Adam's story and work have been featured on NBC News Daily, CBS News, and ABC News. He has been sober since November 6, 2017.
The Darkest Valley and the Voice in the Silence
We all hit moments in life where the weight of the world feels way too heavy to carry alone. For Adam Gunton, that weight pulled him from being a high school football captain down to the painful realities of homelessness and severe drug addiction. After a tragic event during his freshman year of college—losing his best friend to suicide right after a brief phone call—Adam tried to numb his broken heart with drugs and alcohol. What started as a way to hide from pain spiraled into a decade-long trap of daily survival.
At his lowest point, Adam was sitting at a desk with a syringe in his hand, tears streaming down his face. He didn't want to use anymore, but he felt he had no choice. In that exact second of absolute brokenness, he heard a gentle voice say, "Pray." Crawling over to his bed, he could barely whisper a single word: "God."
"These weren't arms of someone standing over me telling me to get it together... these were arms that got down on the ground with me in my lowest moment."
— Adam Gunton
Right then, Adam felt the loving presence of Jesus wrapping around him like a warm embrace. It showed him something profound about christian living: God doesn't wait for us to clean up our mess before He comes near. He meets us right in the middle of our mess, offering unconditional love when we need it most.
Breaking the Chains Through Radical Faith
Even after feeling God’s love, Adam still had to walk through the hard process of getting clean. Real change isn't always an instant fix; it’s a journey that takes willingness and honest surrender. Sitting in a car on November 6, 2017, completely out of options, Adam finally gave up his own plans and cried out to God, telling Him he was completely done trying to do it on his own. In return, he heard a soft whisper in his heart: "It's time. Go."
Adam walked into a local Bible study, dropped to his knees, and surrendered his life completely. That night, faithful leaders gathered around him to pray, speak freedom over his spirit, and stand in the gap for him.
This pivotal moment shows the beauty of spiritual growth and practical christianity in action. Healing doesn't happen in isolation. It happens when we are brave enough to be honest about our struggles and let other believers pray over us, support us, and walk alongside us on our journey toward freedom.
From Brokenness to Purpose in Business
Five days after surrendering his life, Adam had a powerful vision of Jesus that washed away his inner shame and gave him a fresh sense of direction. He still had to push through painful physical withdrawals, but everything inside him had shifted. He finally knew who he was in Christ.
God took Adam's past pain and turned it into his life's passion. Adam went from being homeless to building a thriving career. Through Behavioral Health Partners, Radix Recovery, and his nonprofit platform Recovered On Purpose, he has dedicated his life to helping treatment centers scale and empowering others to share their stories.
As christian entrepreneurs, our work isn't just about making money or hitting business targets. It's about using the talents God gave us to build solutions that bring hope, heal the hurting, and point people back to Jesus.
Adam's business work directly flows from his personal mission: to make sure nobody who reaches out for help ever feels abandoned or forgotten.
Leading with a Servant’s Heart
Adam's approach to leadership looks completely different from traditional corporate models. Instead of leading from an elevated position, he leads from a place of humble service, personal accountability, and genuine connection. Whether he’s helping open treatment centers or taking time to speak with someone struggling on the street, his goal is simple: to share the love of Christ in every single interaction.
Adam believes that true leadership starts on the inside. When you stop trying to impress people and focus on pleasing God, fear falls away. You gain the freedom to lead with love, extend grace to others, and build teams rooted in trust and shared purpose.
Bringing Heaven to Earth in Your Everyday Life
Adam’s story shows us that no matter where you are today or what you've been through, God isn't finished with your story yet. True faith isn't just something we talk about on Sunday mornings; it’s something we live out every day through our actions, our work, and how we care for the people around us.
"Our eternity might be sealed, but Jesus tells us to bring heaven to earth while we're here."
— Adam Gunton
Every smile you offer, every encouraging word you speak, and every small act of kindness creates a ripple effect that can change someone else's life forever. When we surrender our personal plans to God, He guides our steps and turns our hardest trials into our greatest strengths.
Author: Jovilyn Abella
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“These weren’t arms of someone that had gotten down on the ground with me in my lowest moment and embraced me as if it doesn’t matter what I’m doing. I can’t earn his love.”
