Sapling

The only thing in the better part of my life that was progressive has been my alcoholism. Seven months ago I didn't know what prayer and meditation were. They now are the most important things in my life...conscious contact with God as I understand him. I really enjoy prayer....But most of my prayer is for other people and to give thanks...I find myself doing this all day. Communing with God. For myself I ask for Guidance and Direction....Willingness to follow that. All I know is good things are happening to me. I think I'll just keep trying to get a little bit better at it again today...I got to go see my friends get my seven month chip. I'm comprehending the word serenity...And I am finding out what peace is.

Boleo

Requests for others and prayers for gratitude are a good start. However, if you examine all of the prayers found in the Big Book, you will see that the majority of them are removal or detachment prayers that specifically ask God to remove something:

"Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will."

"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."

"Continue to watch for selfishness, dishonesty, resentment, and fear. When these crop up, we ask God at once to remove them."

"Thy will (not mine) be done"

"...we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives."

"We ask especially for freedom from self-will, and are careful to make no request for ourselves only."

WakeUp

Very astute observation Boleo. Care to expand on your thoughts on this?

neferkamichael

Congratulations Sapling, well done.

Sapling

I'll expand on it....Guidance and Direction....Willingness to follow that and Thy will be done are the same thing....As my God understands me....Thanks neferkamichael....I'm enjoying the ride.

WakeUp

I'll expand too.
Progress in spiritual growth is marked by constant surrender. I'm constantly offering myself to God, the Dharma, the thing that runs all this (Universe), ect.

Sapling

I was brought up a Catholic....Had childlike faith as a kid....Go figure. I started drinking daily by the age of 15....Played around with it before then. God left my life at that age and alcohol took over...I drank daily for 35 years...It's a miracle to me that I am still alive. It took that much to get me into the program of AA....I was mentally...physically and spiritually bankrupt...What those 12 steps taught me was that I really had no idea what prayer was all about. And I do prefer Communing with God as I understand Him...Rather than reading prayer from a book...That's my choice and He seems OK with it. If it works for Him...It works for me...And that's all I care about.
I've also learned that...Quoting from the BB first edition page 83...

The spiritual life is not a theory. We have to live it.

I didn't know that before....Now I practice it daily....What a wonderful way to LIVE...I never liked practicing anything...But I'm OK with this.

sugErspun

I like the idea of 3 types of prayer:

Help me!
Give me.
Use me...

Boleo

According to Meister Eckhart - Detachment is the highest principle, the most noble virtue and the only pure motive for doing anything. Even love is not pure if you need a reason to love.

If you read step 6 in the 12&12 you will see where Bill tells us to "aim for the best" over and over again. Detachment is the best of the best.

Boleo

Not far from what the Kabbalah say;

Give in!
Give up!
Give to! (others)

"Tis better to give than to receive."

CaiHong

It's
New Year's holidays here and the temples are full of people asking for this and that.


Boleo, interesting you bringing up detachment, I have been on my own for the last week apart from an annoying little dog that I was looking after,went home last night but not before vomiting on my bed. I am grateful to that dog , I was contemplating getting one for company but now think otherwise.
(concerned dog lovers, I walked the dog 4 times a day cuddled,hugged,slept with dog,funny how she vomits on my bed just as she is about to leave)

I thought I would get lonely and depressed but have been enjoying the solitude and feeling of detachment.
I watched a doco on the Higgs theory,fascinating stuff feeling that the best is yet to come.

Sapling I can certainly relate. at a young age I took myself to church,baptized a Catholic at 11 yo, when my older brother became a priest. Went to India looking for God at 18 yo.
Went to a lecture weekend to listen to Krishnamurti in England and everything in between. Never at peace with myself. I dare to hope that perhaps I have found some at last

CaiHong