In the Fourth Step as I began working with the four column inventory of my resentments, fears and sexual conduct, my sponsor suggested that I begin to pray for and to forgive all those on my lists. In the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous there is a prayer for each of these lists, three prayers in total.
The Eighth Step "made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all" is ANOTHER CHANCE TO PRAY FOR AND TO FORGIVE all those on my lists and to begin doing the same with new situations which may arise. We are already in possession of an Eighth Step list extracted from our Fourth Step inventory. As we begin to pray for and to forgive all I am making a beginning on Steps Eleven and Twelve.
Prayer and forgiveness are essential tools if we are to recover from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body We learned in the Fourth Step that resentments toward others is the number one offender to a relationship with God, as we are called to love all, although we are never to be accepting of evil.
The Eighth Step provides for us ANOTHER CHANCE TO PRAY FOR AND TO FORGIVE all those on our lists which is necessary to bring the Spirit to our Ninth Step amends,
The acts of praying and forgiving are connected to the issue of motivation in the Fourth Step. Many of my resentments and those on my list were products/objects of my self-centered, childish, alcoholic thinking and acting. It never should have been "about them" in the first place. So praying and forgiving is really an act of self prayer and self-forgiveness as much or more than anything else. Either way, it is a cleansing of my spirit and a freeing of my heart in order to move closer to the Power within me, and to grow in love and understanding. This is the way I want to live. The Steps make that possible .
ReplyDeleteMichael Love your line "a cleansing of my spirit and a freeing of my heart in order to move closer to the power within me." In the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous it says and this is paraphrased "as we move closer to Him, He will reveal himself to us."..Thank You for your wonderful comment...Armand
ReplyDeleteAs we move closer and All will be revealed, the Truth looks at us, and in it's Glory we bow our heads in all of Him. I am commanded to be obedient , how dare I reject any of this . I must turn from my wickedness, and sin no more. To live in the Light , to accept, to be Willing, to receive His Grace, then I may bask in His glory. There will be no basking if I am to hold on to resentments. I am commanded to forgive, continue to pray for the wicked, I must also repel from this wickedness. Never to join forces with them, allow God to judge them. I must remain steadfast with prayer and forgiveness . When I am in this state of higher consciousness, a God mind set I cannot drink alcohol, but in my human nature full of character defects & self fear I'm doomed to an alcoholic death. As an alcoholic , I'm required to ad hear to the tools of Alcoholics Anonymous . The thoroughness of my practice of the 12steps of A.A. I have through the Grace of God had been spiritually awakened.
ReplyDeleteDon prayer is essential and forgiveness is not conditional if we are to live a life where we are at peace. In the beginning, sometimes difficult but it is in the difficult times that we are forced to surrender more of our human nature and seek God with an increased passion and love...thank you...Armand
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