Latest / Sober Readings / Prayer: It Works
Transcript
- Scott Hayes: Alright, good morning everyone, welcome to Sober Readings. Today is Thursday, March the 19th. Let's start off with daily reflections. Prayer. It works. It has been well said that, almost the only scoffers at prayer are those who never tried it enough. That's a line from Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, page 97. Having grown up in an agnostic household, I felt somewhat foolish when I first tried praying. I knew there was a higher power working in my life. How else was I staying sober? But I certainly wasn't convinced he, she, it wanted to hear my prayers. People who had what I wanted said prayer was an important part of practicing the program. So I persevered. With a commitment to daily prayer, I was amazed to find myself becoming more serene and comfortable with my place in the world. In other words, life became easier and less of a struggle. I'm still not sure who or what listens to my prayers, but I'd never stop saying them for the simple reason that they work. Today's reading from 24 Hours. March 19, AA Thought for the Day. When we were drinking, we used to be ashamed of the past. Remorse is terrible mental punishment. Ashamed of ourselves for the things we've said and done. Afraid to face people because of what they might think of us. Afraid of the consequences of what we did when we were drunk. In AA, we forget about the past. So ask yourself, do I believe that God has forgiven me for everything I've done in the past? no matter how black it was, provided I am honestly trying to do the right thing today. The Meditation for the Day God's Spirit is all about you all day long. You have no thoughts, no plans, no impulses, no emotions that He does not know about. You can hide nothing from Him. Do not make your conduct conform only to what the world sees and do not depend on the approval or disapproval of men. God sees in secret, but He rewards openly. If you are in harmony with the Divine Spirit, doing your best to live the way you believe God wants you to live, you will be at peace. and today's prayer for the day. I pray that I may always feel God's presence. I pray that I may realize this presence constantly all through the day. And for the final reading today, we'll go to the grapevine from February of 2021. And the title of this piece is, I'm Someone Cool. When I was drunk, everything was dark, lonely and negative. Happiness didn't seem realistic. I was always lost and wanted so bad to be someone else. Someone cool. I yearned to fit in. It took liquid courage to fill that void. I couldn't accept myself for being gay. I didn't want to be with gay people and I didn't want to be with straight people. I thought God hated me, so alcohol became my best friend. It took three strikes to bring me into AA and actually stay seated and listen. And it took 30 days to get the willingness to go to any length to find a sponsor. Finding a higher power was hard. My sponsor suggested I make a list of 10 things I liked about God and 10 things I did not. When we looked at the list of 10 things I didn't like, she helped me realize that they were all I statements that contradicted my like. statements. That drew me closer to a God of my own understanding. Today, I accept myself for who I am with no regrets, and I continue to go forward with full trust and reliance on a God of my understanding. I remind myself about self-acceptance often. Everything is much more bright, lovely, and positive now. I have a new view on life. And that's from Angela R. in Austin, Texas. And that's it for today's readings. for listening. If you'd like to share your thoughts and your comments with me, or if you'd like to request that I include some other reading into an episode, send me an email at soberreadingswithscott at gmail.com, or you can go to my website soberreadings.com and fill out the form. And while you're there, if you'd to drop a dollar in the donation basket for today's reading, click the donate button. So again, thanks for listening, everyone. Take care of yourselves and each other. And remember, just for today, don't drink, go to a meeting, and keep coming back. Have a great day, and as my friend Larry says, best day ever.