The very first prayer of Alcoholics Anonymous is a conscious appeal to God and higher powers. To understand the message in that prayer, you need to at least understand that the complete destruction of your “I” becomes more and more inevitable with every glass you drink.
After an alcoholic gets to that sharp edge that separates life from death, after he has almost crossed this edge several times and looked beyond the line of existence, he can understand the meaning of this small but very powerful prayer.
God, give me the intelligence and peace of mind to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can change, and the wisdom to tell the difference.
A person goes through all the circles of hell from not understanding what is happening to him to realizing that he is not like everyone else, that he is actually sick not only physically, but also mentally. At this moment, a clear desire appears to come to faith in a better future, which is only possible with a complete cessation of alcohol and the return of one’s spiritual strength.
Help yourself, or How to find yourself among strangers
This faith can most often be found in the divine principle, since any other faith is rather unstable and not constant. The most contradictory of them is faith in yourself and your strengths. This prayer for peace of mind from Alcoholics Anonymous helps addicted people get on a smooth road and, if possible, get away from fears and soul-searching that destroy an already tormented soul.
The Alcoholics Anonymous prayer addressed to God gives confidence that if you still don’t have enough strength to cope with your addiction at first, then there is some higher entity that will definitely help. The power of the saying “Help yourself” also has a deeper meaning. It contains the idea that you need to find the same people suffering from the same ailments and help them or ask for help from them.
No one knows the problem of alcoholism as deeply as a drinking person knows. The entire community of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is built on this idea, which actually helps many people get out of the abyss that is rapidly drawing them deeper and deeper. AA has a program consisting of 12 steps, after completing which someone who wants to be cured finds the truth, gains his sight and becomes a different person.
Narcotics Anonymous 12 Step Guide
In twelve steps, you can turn from an alcoholic or drug addict into a normal person, full of strength and desire for new achievements and victories.
The only thing you need to do is to strictly follow the rules and not skip, but go step by step. Spiritual Principles of Step 1
Narcotics and Alcoholics Anonymous
Recognition of the problem, awareness of powerlessness in the face of a painful addiction that has turned life into an uncontrollable nightmare. The starting point in solving any problem is recognizing it. As long as a person says that he does not have a problem, it means that he does not see it, does not realize it, which means there is nothing to solve, nothing to get rid of.
Important:
Relatives must understand that they cannot be forced, weaned or forced to take the first step. The addict himself must do this, draw this conclusion himself, and a frank heart-to-heart conversation can help with this.
Step 2
Narcotics Anonymous program
The second step follows from the first. At this stage, you need to understand that there is a more powerful Force that will help restore sanity. This power is not inside a person, it is not his strength, but help from outside. Those anonymous drug addicts or alcoholics who go through the second step realize that this is not the end, but the beginning of a new life. Step 3
- transfer of your life and will For a religious person or an atheist, there is no difference in how the third step of the drug and alcohol addiction anonymous program goes. Believers simply entrust their lives to God, and atheists can come up with something of their own - be it the forces of nature, some kind of entity, or something like that. At this stage, a person must surrender the right to control his life to God, who is indifferent to drugs and alcohol.
Step 4
Alcoholics and Drug Addicts Anonymous programs At this stage, a person must examine himself from a moral point of view, evaluate his motives and behavior. At this moment, a feeling of guilt may appear, which can play a bad joke if you do not immediately move on to the next step.
Step 5
– searching for the reasons for one’s behavior According to the 12-step program, a person who has already completed 4 steps approaches a serious task. Now you need to direct your feelings of guilt from an internal state to an external one. At this stage, addicts are helped to find the reasons why they became addicted.
Fourth step
Alcoholics Anonymous begins to read and meaningfully understand the prayer of an evil person at the fourth step of the program. Its text is:
God, I understand that (name), who harmed me, was perhaps spiritually ill,
Although I do not like the symptoms of his illness and the way this person (name) offended me, he was spiritually sick just like me.
God, help me treat him with the same tolerance, pity and compassion with which I would treat a sick friend.
(Name) offended me. He is a sick man, how can I help him?
God, help me forgive him.
I want to do Your will!
By reading prayers, doing good deeds, forcing his mind to delve deeper into the true motives of human existence, understanding and realizing his purpose, the alcoholic returns to society as a completely different person. Neither psychologists, nor psychotherapists, nor family and friends will help here. Only a person himself can heal his soul and body by changing his attitude towards the universe and finding the right point of support. Alcoholics Anonymous prayer also helps.
Prayer – “Put aside”
(Stories from the Big Book, Part 3, Story 14 "Emancipation from Slavery", page 533)
Example of a prayer for Fears
“God, help me to be honest with myself so I can see the truth about my fears. I humbly ask you to remove these fears from me. Lord, help me overcome my fears. Direct my attention to what I should be according to Your will. God, show your will through me and help me fulfill what You have predetermined for me. Help me to do Your will always! Amen" (67:1)
Example of Preliminary Prayer for Inventory
Sexual relations
Lord, free me from fear so that I can truly see my past sexual relationships. God, show me where my behavior has hurt others. Help me see honestly what this relationship meant to me. Help me see my mistakes and what I should have done.”
(From thoughts on page 68)
“God, help me to reconsider my own behavior over the past time. Point out when I have been selfish, dishonest, or inconsiderate. Where I have caused pain and where I have unduly aroused jealousy, suspicion or bitterness. Help me see my mistakes and what I should have done. Please help me in my quest to take a deep and fearless inventory of my sexual relationships.” (68:1)
Preliminary Prayer - Step 5
“God, please help me complete my housecleaning by admitting to some other person the true nature of my wrongs. Remove any fears about this step and show how taking it will overcome selfishness and fear. Help me see how through this I will learn humility, fearlessness, honesty, and strengthen my character. Direct me to the right person who knows how to keep secrets and who will fully understand and approve of what I am about to do. Help me to humble my pride and get down to business: to illuminate every character flaw, every dark spot in my past, so that I can complete this step and begin to feel Your closeness.” (70:1, 70:2, 71:0, 72:3, 73:2)
Prayer - 5th Step
“Lord, thank you for helping me complete my housecleaning.” Now I can look the world in the eye. My fears disappeared. I began to feel Your closeness. I had a spiritual experience. I feel myself on the Broad Road, moving in accordance with the Spirit of the Universe.” (73:2)
“God, thank You for giving me the strength, faith and courage I needed in Step 5. I thank You from the bottom of my heart for helping me get to know You better by showing me what is blocking me from You. Point out my omissions and help me honestly see whether everything is in its place or whether I have not completed any part of this work.” (73:3)
Prayer - 6th Step
“Lord, I am ready to accept Your help in freeing me from character defects, which, as I now realize, are an obstacle to my recovery. Help me continue to be honest with myself and guide me towards spiritual and mental health.” (73:4-74:0)
Prayer - 7th Step
“I am ready, my Creator, for You to accept me with everything that is in me, both good and bad. I ask You to free me from all the shortcomings of my character that prevent me from being useful to You and others. Give me strength, when I leave here, to do Your will. Amen". (74:1)
Preliminary Prayer - Step 8
“Lord, free me from fears and reveal the truth to me. Show me all the damage that I caused to people with my behavior and help me be ready to make amends to everyone. Grant me the willingness to do anything to defeat overeating.” (74:2)
Prayer - 9th Step
“Lord, give me strength, courage and show me the right path to make amends, no matter what the consequences may be for me. Help me not to give up on anything and not to put these things off. Help me to be reasonable, tactful, attentive and humble, but at the same time, not to scrape around and not to be servile.” (77:1, 81:1)
Prayer - 10th Step
“My Higher Power, my daily prayer for how to best serve You, I pray for the opportunity to continue to grow in understanding and effectiveness; help me observe selfishness, dishonesty, resentment and fear; help me to be ready so that You will immediately deliver me from them; I must be prepared to discuss this with someone immediately; I make amends quickly if I have caused harm to anyone; and then I will turn my thoughts to helping someone; help me remember to practice love and tolerance for others.” (page 82)
Prayers - 11th Step
Prayer upon awakening:
“God, please direct my thoughts in the right direction and keep me from self-pity, dishonesty or self-interest. Free my reasoning from wrong motives and help me to keep my thoughts pure and sublime.” (84:0)
Morning prayer:
“God, if I feel anxious, unsure or hesitant to act today, grant me inspiration, intuitive thoughts and solutions. Help me not to fight with anyone or anything, but to calm down and accept it easily. Help me to know what I must do and remember that You are the Leader. Free me from the shackles of my selfishness. Thy will be done, not mine! Amen". (84:1)
Morning prayer:
“God, show me all day long what my next step should be. Grant what is needed today to solve my life problems. I especially ask that You free me from the slavery of self-will.” (84:2)
Night Review Prayer – Step 11:
“God help me to review my day constructively. Was I filled with resentment, selfishness, dishonesty, or fear? Should I apologize to someone? Have I hidden something that should have been discussed with the other person right away? Have I shown kindness and love to others? What can I do better? Did I only think about myself most of the time? Or was I thinking about what I could do for others, what I could contribute to the overall flow of life? Forgive me, Lord, for my mistakes today and let me know how to correct them.” (83:3)
Prayer - 12th Step
“Lord, having achieved awakening, I must now remember that “faith without action is dead.” And practice shows that nothing provides more lasting immunity against overeating than intensive work with other overeaters. Therefore, Lord, help me convey the meaning of our ideas to other overeaters! Provide me with guidance and wisdom when talking to another overeater, because I can help when no one else can. Help me gain his trust and remember that he is sick.” (86:1)
Twelve Step Prayers
From the Big Book of AA
The Twelve Step prayers were based on the BK. Links to the text used to create the prayer are given at the end of the prayer in parentheses (page number and paragraph). We hope that these prayers will serve as a basis for expanding and creating your own prayer. (Source: "Twelve Step Prayers from the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous" Friends of Bill W.)_
Prayer – “Put aside”
“Lord, help me to put aside everything I think about people, places and things so that I can open up and have new experiences. I ask you, help me see the truth! Amen".
(This prayer is based on the chapter addressed to agnostics, primarily pages 46 and 47)
Prayer – 1st Step
“Lord, help me see and admit that I am powerless over compulsive overeating. Help me understand how my overeating has led to uncontrollability in my life. On this day, help me realize the true meaning of my powerlessness. Spare me from not recognizing my illness.”
(This prayer is based on the chapter “More on Alcoholism”)
Prayer 2 steps
“God, help me get my life back on track. I don’t control my emotions, I feel depressed and filled with fears. I feel useless that I can't help others. I am convinced with all my heart that only You can restore me to sanity if I express my willingness to stop my doubts in Your power. I humbly ask You: help me understand that there is more power in faith than in unbelief; that You are either everything or nothing.”
(page BC 51:1, 51:2, 52:1, 52:2)
Prayer - 3rd Step
“Lord, I surrender myself to You, so that You create and do with me as You please. Free me from the shackles of selfishness so that I can do Your will. Remove everything that weighs me down, so that this victory will be a testimony to those whom I could and will help with Your power, Your love, Your way of life. May I always fulfill Your Will!”
(61:2)
Preliminary Prayer for Inventory
“Lord, help me take an honest inventory: identify the character flaws that have caused my failures. Help me see how resentment and anger destroyed me and led to spiritual illness and, more importantly, understand my guilt in these resentments. Give me the strength to resolutely find my own mistakes and see where I have been selfish, dishonest, self-seeking, and cowardly. Please help me to be thorough and fearless in my endeavor to write my inventory."
(62:3, 62:4-63:0, 65:5-66:0)
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Flight into the abyss
At the same time, it is worth knowing that there are no former alcoholics and this disease is incurable. A person may not touch alcohol until the end of his days, consciously understanding the consequences of the first glass.
But he still remains an alcoholic. Until the first sip, until the next breakdown, until the inevitable flight into the abyss. To prevent this from happening, the prayer of Alcoholics Anonymous will help, read at moments when your soul becomes inexpressibly empty.
