Spiritual Awakening
One definition of a spiritual awakening is the ability to do, feel, and
believe, through God’s power, that which a person could not do before with his
or her own power. Working the S-Anon Programme 28
Review of the day
Every night I reflect on the happenings of my day. From Survival to Recovery
260
Now, though prayer and meditation, I humbly ask for God’s will rather than my
idea of the perfect outcome. Reflections of Hope 133
Relationship with the Higher Power throughout the day
Asking only for God’s will means surrendering our own. Paths to Recovery
113
How do we know what is God’s will? That’s easy—just get up every day, keep
moving, and when you hit a wall, turn left! Paths to Recovery 116
Conscious contact is making myself deeply aware of God’s presence. Knowledge
and power is when I stop giving directions and start listening for God’s will. Paths
to Recovery 116
A prayer as simple as ‘Show me!’ can be used throughout the day in any
situation where we desire help from a Higher Power. From Survival to
Recovery 225
We had to learn that prayer was not lecturing God on what we expected or
needed, but rather humbling ourselves to pray only for knowledge of God’s Will
and realising we don’t always know what is best. From Survival to Recovery
226
In S-Anon we use two principal means of establishing conscious contact with
G-d: prayer and meditation. S-Anon Twelve Steps 127
The regular practice of prayer and meditation rewards us with emotional
balance, a sense of belonging and knowing that G-d watches lovingly over us. S-Anon
Twelve Steps 129
Morning prayers may not provide all of the spiritual sustenance we need for the
entire day any more than a mid-morning snack will satisfy all of our
nutritional needs. We seek to make our Higher Power a constant companion,
turning to the God of our understanding for guidance and spiritual nourishment
throughout the day and night. How Al-Anon Works 90
Prayer and meditation
Though Step Eleven we let go of relying on a strictly analytical approach to
problem solving. We learn to include our intuition and the wisdom and direction
of our Higher Power. Reflections of Hope 137
To some, prayer is seen as a religious act of placing one’s hands together,
getting on one’s knees, and talking to God. Others ask their sponsor … some
begin with simple prayers … Reading the prayers found in Al-Anon literature
opens the door for others … Writing letters to God works, too. We learn to pray
from example and from others’ personal experience. Paths to Recovery 110
Many find it helpful to schedule a specific time at a set location to meditate
… Trying for a few minutes at a time until we become more comfortable with the
action … What is meditation? Al-Anon leaves that question open for each of us
to answer in our own way. Drawing upon the experiences of other Al-Anon members
can help us to find our own path. Paths to Recovery 111
We have found it helpful to practice Step Eleven regularly, remembering to say,
‘Thank you!’ for the blessings as well as ‘Help!’ for the challenges. From
Survival to Recovery 225
Prayer is simply talking to G-d. It is personal communication much like a
conversation with a trusted friend. S-Anon Twelve Steps 128
Those who have followed through with Step Eleven have found knowledge,
experience and peace of mind praying not for what we wanted or felt we
deserved, but for His will only. S-Anon Twelve Steps 128
To mediate is to ponder or to imagine. It is time for ourselves when we can be
quiet with G-d and within self and be inspired towards new revelations. S-Anon
Twelve Steps 128
Quiet attention in life’s moments brings me closer to G-d. Reflections of
Hope 49
Prayer and meditation are the vehicles we use for spiritual communication. How
Al-Anon Works 62
Prayer and meditation take many different forms, but they all have a common
goal—to put us in better and conscious touch with the God of our understanding,
the proven source of strength, love and hope in our lives. How Al-Anon Works
62
Bargaining with God is not real prayer, and asking Him for what I want, even
good things, I’ve had to learn, is not the highest form of prayer. How
Al-Anon Works 159
If we are living by the Al-Anon counsel First Things First, prayer and
meditation come before all else, since it is in this way that we receive
guidance for our decisions. ODAT 177
Its purpose (meditation) is to deflect our minds from the problems we are
experiencing, to raise our thoughts above the grievances and discontent that
colour our thinking. ODAT 291
Sought
‘Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God
…’ This gives me the assurance that my conscious contact with Him depends
entirely on me, on my desire for it. ODAT 312
Most of us have learned the hard way that the only will worth pursuing, the
only guidance worth praying for, is knowledge of the will of God. Only God
knows what is best for all concerned. How Al-Anon Works 62
By seeking only the knowledge of God’s will for us and the power to carry that
out, we make great strides towards developing an unshakeable inner peace and a
sense of security that cannot be threatened by mere circumstances. How
Al-Anon Works 80
Starting the day
I woke up resentful about being alive, not wanting to do anything. I started
saying short prayers that my Sponsor suggested. I read spiritual materials and
tried to listen to my Higher Power … I was so surprised when an hour or so of
such endeavours completely changed my attitude! I felt happy and ready to
tackle the day. Even deciding what to do first came easier! … I began to follow
this sequence every day. Invariably I experienced a change of attitude. Paths
to Recovery 114–5
I find it best when I start my day coming to my Higher Power as I am. Reflections
of Hope 45
Our physical bodies require rest, exercise, a nutritious diet, and appropriate
medical care, and all of these are areas that merit conscientious planning. How
Al-Anon Works 88
Making a decision
When I tried to learn how to make decisions based on facts, I found out how to
trust the facts to my intuition without losing my power to impulses and fear. Paths
to Recovery 126
Taking time from the most hectic schedule to relax, breathe, focus, and listen
can yield serenity and peace for any decision we face. From Survival to
Recovery 225
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