Alcoholics Anonymous
(A.A. Big Book) Page 417
Acceptance is the answer to ALL of my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing or situation- some fact of my life- unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing, or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment. Nothing, absolutely nothing, happens in God's world by mistake. Until I could accept my alcoholism, I could not stay sober; unless I accept my life completely on life's terms, I cannot be happy. I need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and in my attitudes.
After a moment of silence for the alcoholic who still suffers within and outside these rooms, will you please join me in (Readers’ Choice): the Lord's Prayer or the Serenity Prayer?
(A.A Big Book) Bottom of Page 83
If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through. We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away; our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.
Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us-sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize if we work for them.
After a moment of silence for the alcoholic who still suffers within and outside these rooms, will you please join me in (Readers’ Choice): the Lord's Prayer or the Serenity Prayer?
(A.A Big Book) Page 164
Our book is meant to be suggestive only. We realize we know only a little. God will constantly disclose more to you and to us. Ask Him in your morning meditation what you can do each day for the man who is still sick. The answers will come, if your own house is in order. But obviously you cannot transmit some-thing you haven’t got. See to it that your relationship with Him is right, and great events will come to pass for you and countless others. This is the Great Fact for us. Abandon yourself to God as you understand God. Admit your faults to Him and to your fellows. Clear away the wreckage of your past. Give freely of what you find and join us. We shall be with you in the Fellowship of the Spirit, and you will surely meet some of us as you trudge the Road of Happy Destiny. May God bless you and keep you—until then.
After a moment of silence for the alcoholic who still suffers within and outside these rooms, will you please join me in (Readers’ Choice): the Lord's Prayer or the Serenity Prayer?
Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, The power, and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen.
lords prayer pdf GOD, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can;
and the Wisdom to know the difference.
***************
(Full Version) Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardship as the pathway to peace. Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it. Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will; and that I may be reasonable happy in this life, and supremely happy with Him in the next. Amen.
Lord, make me a channel of thy peace; Where there is hatred, I may bring love; Where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness; Where there is discord, I may bring harmony; Where there is error, I may bring truth; Where there is doubt, I may bring faith; Where there is despair, I may bring hope; Where there are shadows, I may bring light; Where there is sadness, I may bring joy.
Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort than to be comforted; to understand, than to be understood; to love, than to be loved.
For it is by self-forgetting that one finds. It is by forgiving that one is forgiven. It is by dying that one awakens to eternal life.
Amen.
On awakening let us think about the twenty-four hours ahead. We consider our plans for the day. Before, we begin, we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives. Under these conditions we can employ our mental faculties with assurance, for after all God gave us brains to use. Our thought-life will be placed on a much higher plane when our thinking is cleared of wrong motives.
In thinking about our day, we may face indecision. We may not be able to determine which course to take. Here we ask God for inspiration, an intuitive thought or a decision. We relax and take it easy. We don’t struggle. We are often surprised how the right answers come after we have tried this for a while. What used to be the hunch or the occasional inspiration gradually becomes a working part of the mind. Being still inexperienced and having just made conscious contact with God, it is not probable that we are going to be inspired at all times. We might pay for this presumption in all sorts of absurd actions and ideas. Nevertheless, we find that our thinking will, as time passes, be more and more on the plane of inspiration. We come to rely upon it.
We usually conclude the period of meditation with a prayer that we be shown all through the day what our next step is to be, that we be given whatever we need to take care of such problems. We ask especially for freedom from self-will, and are careful to make no request for ourselves only. We may ask for ourselves, however, if others will be helped. We are careful never to pray for our own selfish ends. Many of us have wasted a lot of time doing that and it doesn’t work. You can easily see why.
Opening Prayer
Our Father, we come to you as a friend. You have said where two or more are gathered,
there You will be in the midst. We believe You are here with us now and this is
something You would have us do, and that it has Your blessing. We pledge with You to be honest and to search
our hearts for weaknesses and errors, that we may deserve Your help.
We believe that you want us to be real
partners with You in the business of living, accepting our full
responsibilities, and certain that the rewards will be freedom, growth and
happiness. For this we are grateful. We ask You at all times to guide us. Help
us daily to come closer to You. Grant us new ways of living and of gratitude.
Third Step Prayer
God, I offer myself to Thee – to build
with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that
I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may
bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy
love & Thy way of life, May I do Thy will always!
Seventh Step Prayer
My Creator, I am now willing that you should
have all of me, good and bad. I pray that you now remove from me every single
defect of character which stands in the way of my usefulness to you and my
fellows. Grant me strength, as I go out from here, to do your bidding.
Prayer of Saint Francis of
Assisi
Lord, make me an
instrument of thy peace! That where there is hatred, I may bring love. That
where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness. That where there is discord, I may bring
harmony. That where there is error, I may bring truth. That where there is
doubt, I may bring faith. That where there is despair, I may bring hope. That
where there are shadows, I may bring light. That where there is sadness, I may
bring joy. Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort, than to be comforted.
To understand than to be understood. To love than to be loved. For it is by
self-forgetting that one finds. It is by forgiving that one is forgiven. It is
by dying that one awakens to Eternal Life. AMEN
Serenity Prayer
God,
grant me the Serenity To accept the things, I cannot change. Courage to change
the things I can, And Wisdom to know the difference. (extended version)
Living one day at a time, Enjoying one moment at a time, Accepting
hardship as the pathway to peace. Taking as He did, this sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it. Trusting that He will make all things right if I
surrender to His will. That I may be reasonably happy in this life, And
supremely happy with Him forever in the next. AMEN.
Morning Prayer
God
direct my thinking today so that it be divorced of self-pity, dishonesty,
self-will, self-seeking and fear. God inspire my thinking, decisions and
intuitions. Help me to relax and take it easy. Free me from doubt and
indecision. Guide me through this day and show me my next step. God give me
what I need to take care of any problems. I ask all these things that I may be
of maximum service to you and my fellow man in the name of the Steps I pray.
AMEN
Set Aside Prayer
God,
please set aside everything I think I know about myself, my disease, the Big Book,
the 12Steps, the Program, the Fellowship, the people in the fellowship, and all
the spiritual terms, especially about you God. That I might have an open mind
and a new experience with all these things. Help me to see the truth. AMEN
Upon Awakening
On awakening let
us think about the twenty-four hours ahead. We consider our plans for
the day. Before we begin, we ask God to direct our thinking, especially
asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking
motives. Under these conditions we can employ our mental faculties with
assurance, for after all God gave us brains to use. Our thought-life
will be placed on a much higher plane when our thinking is cleared of
wrong motives.
In thinking about our day we may face indecision. We may
not be able to determine which course to take. Here we ask God for
inspiration, an intuitive thought or a decision. We relax and take it
easy. We don’t struggle. We are often surprised how the right answers
come after we have tried this for a while. What used to be the hunch or the occasional inspiration
gradually becomes a working part of the mind. Being still inexperienced
and having just made conscious contact with God, it is not probable
that we are going to be inspired at all times. We might pay for this
presumption in all sorts of absurd actions and ideas. Nevertheless, we
find that our thinking will, as time passes, be more and more on the
plane of inspiration. We come to rely upon it.
We usually conclude the period of meditation with a prayer
that we be shown all through the day what our next step is to be, that
we be given whatever we need to take care of such problems. We ask
especially for freedom from self-will, and are careful to make no
request for ourselves only. We may ask for ourselves, however, if others
will be helped. We are careful never to pray for our own selfish ends.
Many of us have wasted a lot of time doing that and it doesn’t work. You
can easily see why.
Accepted by Others
Lord, help me to be accepted in a world of indifference.
My tastes, personality, and beliefs don’t always fit in with those
around me. Help me to accept, and be accepting of these differences.
Help me find friends and loved ones who will see the uniqueness in my
spirit. Show me where to find spirituality, to find a fellowship, and
enjoy time with others in a comfortable environment. Keep my soul filled
with positivity and hope as I search for acceptance. Lead me to the
right situations, show me good, genuine people, and allow me to find
life-long relationships. I ask these things in your compassionate name, I
pray. Amen.