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Subject: Prayers and Stars
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Glenn H User is Offline
Supreme MINION
Supreme MINION
Posts: 161

03/19/2007 10:42 PM Alert 
Prayers and Stars.

Todays reading in the daily reflection was on prayer. It works.

In a house where one was agnostic and the other atheist prayer was of no concern. My sisters and I attended church with our mother when she went. Dad never went unless someone died or was getting married. As a teenager I had no interest in the church or God and definately not prayer. Unless of course I had an exam or a girl I wanted to date. Then as a young adult prayer was only used to get that job, that car, that bonus. As my drinking increased prayer was used to get me out of a bind, get me home, or get me another drink or that dollar for a drink. Near the end of my drinking prayer was used to take my life and in the end to save my life.

My prayers were always self serving, selfish and always as a last resort. That last resort happened a few weeks shy of my getting sober. It was a simple prayer. Having fallen on hands and knees I cryed, God please help me. And remembering all in His time, a few weeks later that prayer was answered as I walked into my very first AA meeting. You see before then all my prayers were never answered for I only prayed for things I wanted, never for what I needed. I never prayed for others, not even as my best friend was dying in a hospital bed. I then prayed for God not to take him. (God did not take him, epilepsy did.) Then I cussed God in anger and if I had any faith in Him or in prayer I lost it then.

In recovery I learned how to pray rightly. Slowly my faith began to grow and my prayers began to come from the heart instead of the head. Then as I entered into step 3 they left my head and entered my heart and left from there. I no longer prayed for self, instead for others I laid out my prayers, informal as they be God doesn't require fancy words and rythme. I asked God to keep me sober and thanked Him at night. I ask that he use me as He wishes for whatever He feels nessesary. The 3rd step prayer is my daily morning meditational devotion and desire. That I strive to follow that prayer throughout the day. The 7th step prayer at night and the 11th right before lights out. Throughout the day I seek His guidence, we have many conversations.

What I have learned about prayer and the power of prayer I have learned in AA. It is one of my most powerful tools. I believe that someone, or someones prayed this drunk into AA and just as we stand together and close our meetings we are praying someone else in here too. Someone we know and thousands we have yet to meet. Never underestimate the power in prayer.

Tonight I looked up into the sky and thought this.

Every star in the sky represents a prayer. One you have made for someone and one someone has made for you. So tonight when you look up in the sky look for your star, your prayer. It's there I made one for you. And don't worry if the clouds are thick, that prayer is still there even if you can't see it yet, you will.

Namaste...    Glenn H.

Center your heart, and cultivate your spirit.
carrie User is Offline
Grand MINION
Grand MINION
Posts: 519

03/19/2007 11:10 PM Alert 

As I gently wipe away a tear, I must say thank you....sometimes when you really need it you see a post, you stop, you read, you weep.....I hear the deep calling (along with wondering where the original post i had submitted went....hugs) and I think, wow, the depth of what you wrote, where did that come from?  Then i believe i know, but i keep it to myself, because for now, i simply want to cherish it.....tonight there are clouds, I cannot see the stars, but I know that from THIS day forward, when I do see a star, I wont ever look at those the same.  For now I've been touched, in my heart, and it was because of the spirituality within you....that which u chose to share.  Tonight, I got to see what I needed to see, and I wonder, how do people really love that deep?  Where does that come from?  Tilts head to see the screen better, and begins to cry once again.......someone is praying for me?  I recall the last time I laid on my couch, praying for God's help, for over 2 hours, only to rise up and go the the bar, driven by the obsession within me.  I was angry after thinking God didnt hear me, and I can never stop.....see, the thing was God did hear me, for it was not 2 weeks later, that I too, found myself in an AA meeting, and I've not picked up a drink since.  I believe that being here, getting REAL seeing honesty and love is the right road for me.  I say that alot, and i realize i prolly come across as ppl pleasing, but that is ok....God and I know the real truth, the struggles, the pain, the hurt.  The growth.  Glenn, God is using you in ways you prolly dont really understand...depth, oh the depth i feel when you post, wow....Just want to whisper 'thank u God for glenn, for this place, for the ppl here, for all those who love just the way they are"........gently hops over to kiss glenn's forehead, thanks and hops away knowing, i'll never view them stars the same.............


To a desolate person an act of kindness can be the difference between getting bitter and getting better..............
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