It was VERY awkward for me at first since I hadn't done it since I was like 5 asking for a pony and to never have to throw up again.
So I think the first time I was driving down the road having an alcohol craving and prayed out loud for that craving and my desire to drink to be removed.
I did that for a while - just that.
Then I started saying a quick thank you in the morning and night. Just "Thank you God for another sober day" and that was it.
Then I started praying for other people who I had resentments toward.
Then I worked the steps and things started getting a little deeper.
It just kind of grew on me. If you don't know where to start... pray about it lol! : )
"God, please help me to feel comfortable talking to you." Would be a great start maybe?
__________________
Thanks for everything. Peace and Love on your journey.
My approach was similar to what Tasha described above. I had a very.. tangled relationship with and views on a HP. I started with a quick "thanks" and asking for help in the morning and evening. I said the Serenity Prayer a LOT. Eventually I would include prayers for others I knew- that I had resentment towards or not. I eventually found my groove.
When I look back, I am convinced that prayer was a major influence in my recovery. I didn't understand the first thing about it but I remember hearing in the meetings how important prayer was, so I asked my sponsor how to go about it. As I recall his advice was pretty much from the book, pray for the good of others and say thank you for being sober today. Don't pray for selfish things. So I started kneeling by my bed, asking God (who I didn't understand) to please look after mum and dad, my sister, the folks in the AA meetings, especially those having a bad time, and please give me the strength to stay sober and maybe help someone else.
I guess this was me acting on step two, I was willing to believe that a power greater than my self could restore me to sanity, the action of step two being to take step three.
A few days after this a strange thing happened. My resistance to step 4 dissappeared and I found myself on my sponsor's door step asking him to help me with step 4. A complete change of attitude NOT brought about by me. Thus the action in step 3 is to take step four. And so it went on through the steps.
My experience is almost identical to Mike's above ... including the kneeling (I feel this is an expression of sincerity) ... and like Dean, I too, begin with a gratitude list ...
What helped me a lot was re-reading pgs. 85 - 88 in the Big Book ...
Pg. 63 has a good reference point for helping us see the purpose of prayer and how to go about it:
We were now at Step Three. Many of us said to our Maker, as we understood Him: "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, and Thy Way of life. May I do Thy will always!" We thought well before taking this step making sure we were ready; that we could at last abandon ourselves utterly to Him.
__________________
'Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything.'
Praying has been a catalyst for me too. My prayers have changed from when I first showed up. Selfishness and self centeredness was oozing from every poor as I would demand that God give me things like Santa clause. Keep ME sober, fix MY marriage, I need a better job, dont let her find out about the other her, make them kids behave, and on and on aught nauseum. Lame, but at least I was doing it. I heard in a meeting about 911 or fox hole prayers and identified that was where I was at with my prayers. My sponsor said I should get on my knees in the morning and thank God Im alive and ask for help to stay sober that day, and do the same at night thanking Him for my life and the help He gave through out the day. I have always had a desire ( sometimes in secret ) to be connected to God, The power, The Source, so when people im meetings talked about prayer, my ears and heart were open and I took all their suggestions. some I discarded and some I still use today. In my experience, my prayer have evolved from give me prayers, to thank you prayers, to help them prayers, and then to ( as mother Teresa said ) the use me prayers. I would like to tell you that I have become so benevolent and spiritual that all my prayers are cleansed from selfishness and are about what I can do for others. I would like to tell you that, there not. But they are so far away from where the once were Im not the same guy i used to be. Sometimes I pray on my knees, sometimes while laying in bed, other times I talk to God like Hes working along side of me or driving down the road with me.
The night I stopped being a visitor in AA, I was walking out of the room as they were circling up to pray out. I was not going to pray with them. The guy in the meeting who I heard the message from that night came out to get me and tell me that I didnt have to run away. He understood, he was an athiests too and that the prayer circle was just a symbol that we could not do this thing alone, and then asked me to come back. I did, and I stayed since 11/1/99. When ever we talk about God I always have to say that, it was an atheist in AA that opened the door to me to bring me back to the best relationship with God I have ever had. What a place, what a deal for a guy like me. Like Pappy, im glad i dont get what I deserve. Thank you, good thread and some really good stuff in it.
__________________
Since it cost a lot to win, and even more to loose, you and me gotta spend some time just wondering what to choose.
