What disturbed me was that many people shared that they are not very good at prayer and meditation. You know what I think? They must not be bad at it or they wouldn’t be sitting in a meeting sharing. I am positive that everyone in that meeting at one time said the prayer that I said and still say, the alcoholic’s prayer, “God help me!” It doesn’t need to be any more complicated than that. But we good addicted people are always looking for more, even if it is in our prayer life.
Any attempt at prayer is good. There are many ways to pray and one is not better than the other. If you are stuck have someone who is familiar with the Big Book point out to you the prayers that go along with each step. They are in there. Some people use more formal prayers such as those you may have learned in childhood. You clergy can also help you with prayer. One method I use is my daily Bible readings. Before I read, I clear my mind and ask God to let me learn the lesson found in His Word. I then sit quietly for a few minutes afterward and try to think about what was said. Remember one thing though as you pray, your prayers should be for others and when you do pray for yourself it should be as unselfish as possible.
Meditation is something that also seems to throw people for a loop. We think of Buddhists chanting, monks sitting in caves contemplating the nature of God, thoughts taking us into a far off cosmos. It is much simpler than that. My ritual as I said before is to quietly think about what I just read and try to let it absorb deep into my being. I find another great time for meditation is while walking. I love ecclesiastical spaces. I find, especially after a meeting, walking through a church courtyard seems to empty my mind for a few minutes. Meditation at its simplest is listening for God’s answer.
We are all good at prayer and meditation. What do you think started you on that journey of recovery? That paper from the courts is actually God’s answer to your prayers for help.
