Freedom From Bondage

Flesh can't fix the flesh !

PRAYERS FOR ALL TWELVE STEPS

FIRST STEP PRAYER
Dear Lord, I admit that I am powerless over my addiction. I admit that my life is unmanageable when I try to control it. Help me this day to understand the true meaning of powerlessness. Remove from me all denial of my addiction.

SECOND STEP PRAYER
Heavenly Father, I know in my heart that only You can restore me to sanity. I humbly ask that You remove all twisted thought and addictive behavior from me this day. Heal my spirit and restore in me a clear mind.

THIRD STEP PRAYER
God, I offer myself to Thee--to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of bo***ge 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.

FOURTH STEP PRAYER
Dear God, it is I who has made my life a mess. I have done it, but I cannot undo it. My mistakes are mine and I will begin a searching and fearless moral inventory. I will write down my wrongs. But I will also include that which is good. I pray for the strength to complete this task.

FIFTH STEP PRAYER
Higher Power, my inventory has shown me who I am, yet I ask for Your help in admitting my wrongs to another person and to You. Assure me and be with me, in this Step, for without this Step, I cannot progress in my recovery. With Your help, I can do this, and I will do it.

SIXTH STEP PRAYER
Dear God, I am ready for Your help in removing from me the defects of character, which I now realize, are an obstacle to my recovery. Help me to continue being honest with myself and guide me toward mental and spiritual health.

SEVENTH STEP PRAYER
My Creator, I am now willing that You 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.

EIGHTH STEP PRAYER
Higher Power, I ask Your help in making my list of all those I have harmed. I will take responsibility for my mistakes and be forgiving to others, as You are forgiving to me. Grant me the willingness to begin my restitution. This I pray.

NINTH STEP PRAYER
Higher Power, I pray for the right attitude to make my amends, being ever mindful not to harm others in the process. I ask for Your guidance in making indirect amends by staying abstinent, helping others and growing in spiritual progress.

TENTH STEP PRAYER
Dear God, I pray I may continue to grow in understanding and effectiveness; to take daily spot check inventories of myself; to correct mistakes when I make them; to take responsibility for my actions; to be ever aware of my negative and self-defeating attitudes and behaviors; to keep my willfulness in check; to always remember I need Your help; to keep love and tolerance of others as my code; and to continue in daily prayer how I can best serve You.

ELEVENTH STEP PRAYER
God, as I understand You, I pray to keep my connection with You. Open and clear from me the confusion of daily life. Through my prayers and meditations I ask especially for freedom from self-will, rationalization, and wishful thinking. I pray for the guidance of correct thought and positive action. Your will, not mine, be done.

TWELFTH STEP PRAYER
Dear God, my spiritual awakening continues to unfold. With the help I have received I shall have the opportunity to grow. I am grateful. I pray most humbly to continue walking day by day, practice the principles of this way of life in all I do and say. I need You, my friends, and the program every hour of every day. This is a better way to live.

Oldtimer said, "The truth will set us free, but before it can, we need to know exactly what lie is holding us hostage. The big lie that held us hostage and exacted a high ransom for our release was the lie we told ourselves about drugs,alcohol or both. We believed they were doing something for us when, in fact, they were doing something to us—destroying us one drink,hit,line,snort,pill,needle,blunt at a time.

This lie overrode our most powerful instinct: that for survival. Once we overcome it, we are faced with the more subtle lies we hold about our instincts for s*x, society, and security. If we were willing to sacrifice our lives to support a lie that was killing us, how deep must our deception be about what we need to live long and happily in this world?

These not-so-blatant lies keep us in bo***ge to self-will, the antithesis of God's will. Only through rigorous honesty can we uncover the untruths that we have, for so long, mistaken for the truth. With each layer of falsehood we expose to the light of truth, we find a greater degree of freedom from bo***ge to the ideas, emotions, and attitudes that work against our spiritual development.

We can only experience spiritual growth to the extent we embrace the truth about ourselves. The ugly truth we uncover allows us to discover the hidden beauty that is our spiritual essence. For every fear we discard, we find that behind the False Evidence Appearing Real was a courage we did not know we possessed that revealed itself only when we exercised the simple act of pursuing the truth.

Every resentment we hold reveals a commitment to the beliefs we hold. If we passionately defend that which will destroy us, how much greater will our passion for forgiveness grow when we discover its true benefits? When we discover that giving is truly receiving, how richly charitable shall we become? When we uncover, discover, and discard the falsehoods that block us from the truth of God's love for us, how much deeper shall be our commitment to serve Him?

Identifying our falsehoods only takes the key of willingness to walk the path of truth, holding nothing sacred but truth itself. In fact, we seek not God, but the truth, and in the truth we find God. It is our pride that blocks the pathway to true happiness that awaits our arrival in the fourth dimension of existence. When we humbly lay aside our desire to be right and accept the error of our ways, we begin to build a life that gets infinitely more wonderful as time passes. The true gift worthy of God's creation!"

My Spiritual teacher once told me after I asked him, "Why do i have a hard time surrendering to God?" He said, "FEAR! It's not that we're afraid to surrender to God but rather we're afraid of what it will cost us."

MIND BLOWN. 🤯

Thought for Today

The deal that God makes with us Alcoholics/Addicts
By: Pharm C.

A drunk/addict is walking home, feeling sick and hurt. He is at that magic moment of surrender.

On his way he sees God and notices He has something in his hand. The addict/drunk asks "What's that?" God responds "This is sobriety". The drunk/addict said "Oh man, I need that! Geez, I need sobriety. How much does that cost?" as he only understands buying things. God returns with "How much do you have?" The addict/alcoholic says "I have about 20 dollars." God responds "All right, for you, sobriety costs 20 dollars." The man, trying to back out of says, "If I give you all twenty dollars, I won't be able to buy any gas for my car."

God responds "Oh! so you have a car? I'm sorry, but sobriety is going to cost you your car."
"Whoa, whoa!" Says the man. "If I give you my car, how am I going to get to my job?"

"You have a job?!" Exclaims God. "No, no, no. Sobriety is going to cost you your job."
The drunk responds "But, if I give you my job, how am I to pay for my house?" House!!

You have a house!?" God says with surprise. "I thought you lived in a cardboard box under the bridge! Your file is completely out of date! Sobriety is going to cost you your house."

The man responds "If I give you my house what about my wife and kids?"

"A family! That's right, you have a family! Yes, yes. Sobriety is going to cost you your family.

The alcoholic/addict responds "But if I give you all that, what good is my life?"

God states "That's right. Sobriety costs you your life."

The alcoholic/addict, because he is at that magic moment of surrender is willing to give his God his money, and his car, and his job, and his house, and his wife and his kids, and his life and for that God gives him sobriety.

Then God looks him deep in the eyes and says:

"All right. I'm going to give you your money back but, it's not your money anymore, it's my money. I'm going to let you spend it for me."

"I'm going to give your car back but, it's not your car anymore, it's my car. You get to drive it for me."

"I'm going to give you your job back but, it's not your job anymore, it's my job. You get to work at it for me."

"I give your house back but, it's not your house anymore, it's my home. But, you get to live in it for me."

"I give your family back to you but, it's not your family anymore, it's my family. You get to take care of them for me."

"I give your life back but, it's not your life ever again. But, you get to live it for me."

That's the deal a loving God makes with us in the 3rd step.