Tag: Listen

2022 | Day Thirteen | Discussion Starter

13th January 2022 aeboyle 2022, Discussion Starters, January Comments Off on 2022 | Day Thirteen | Discussion Starter

Throw out anything tainted with evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:22

I learned bad habits by doing bad things. I did bad things because they felt good. Notice I said ‘they felt good’ not ‘they were right.’

Recovery is about doing the right thing. We are all born knowing the difference between right and wrong. Most of us end up in trouble because we choose to do wrong. I did.

In recovery and in life the best source I have found to learn the right thing from is the Bible.  God created us in His image and He gave us His Word as a guide of how to live life as He wants us to.

  • Do you read the Bible?

  • Do you Pray?

  • If not, why not?

  • Are you willing to start?

Prayer: God today give me a desire to do the right thing. Give me a thirst to know Your Word and to apply it to my life.

don’t take God for Granted

Psalm 18:21 Now I’m alert to God’s ways; I don’t take God for granted.

bad habits are as bad as vandalism

Proverbs 18:9 Slack habits and sloppy work are as bad as vandalism.

listening to god is a good habit to adapt

Romans 6:17-18  Thank God you’ve started listening to a new master,  one whose commands set you free to live openly in his freedom!

prayer is a good HABit to adapt

Acts 10:1-2  There was a man named Cornelius who lived in Caesarea, captain of the Italian Guard stationed there.  He was a thoroughly good man. He had led everyone in his house to live worshipfully before God, was always helping people in need, and had the habit of prayer.

2022 | Day Two | Morning Harmony

2nd January 2022 aeboyle 2022, January, Morning Harmony, Comments Off on 2022 | Day Two | Morning Harmony

Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance. Why didn’t I listen to my mentors, or take my teachers seriously? In prayer, there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can’t get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God’s part. If you stop your ears to the cries of the poor, your cries will go unheard, unanswered. God says I’m ready to pour out my spirit on you; I’m ready to tell you all I know. ” Are you listening?

MEDITATION

Paying attention to what the Bible says is important. It is our guidebook to right-living. In my life, through my spiritual walk, God has given me strong men of faith as my mentors. Sometimes I didn’t listen to them. Or, I listened and did what I intended to do anyway. It still amazes me when things occur in my life and I remember things they said, the advice they suggested that I failed to take notice of or act on at the time. God knows what he is doing! When He puts people in our lives to guide us and mentor us they are the right people – God-appointed people.

As you go through the process of recovery and God introduces you to people further down the spiritual path than you are, don’t ignore them. Listen, learn and apply what you learn from them. It will save you a lot of time and heartache.

Teach me today Lord to identify the people you bring into my life as advisers and counselors. Make me listen to them and apply the lessons You have given them for me.

#VerseForToday

7th November 2021 aeboyle 2021, November, Step 11, Verse For Today Comments Off on #VerseForToday

The gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.

God is Listening

2nd November 2021 aeboyle 2021, Living Life Recovery, November, Relationship, Step 11 Comments Off on God is Listening

Pray for us. We have no doubts about what we’re doing or why, but it’s hard going and we need your prayers. All we care about is living well before God. Hebrews 13:18

I love this verse.We have all heard the saying about the recovery process. Simple but not always easy! Since entering recovery in 1987 I have always felt God’s prompting to be different and make a difference. A large call in anybody’s estimation.

It hasn’t always been easy. But early on in the process I learned He leads I follow. The one thing that has sustained me throughout my spiritual journey is close contact with Him by way of daily interaction with the Holy Spirit.

I take very seriously the need to know God’s will for my life and His power to carry it out. He has opened doors that in my own strength would never opened. He has strengthened me to face and tackle things, impossible to me, and He has done through prayer, reading His Word and meditation. He answers prayer in ways I could never in my own mind come up with.

Today I want to encourage everyone reading this to pray about everything. Don’t ever think ‘it’s not important enough for God to care about.’ He loves you and He cares about all that is going on in your life, so STOP! and take time today to talk to Him about it. He is listening…

Thought For Today

25th August 2021 aeboyle 2021, August, Thought For Today Comments Off on Thought For Today

“Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:33-34‬

What should we seek? God-reality, God-I initiative, God-provision.

How should we seek it? Giving all our attention to what God is doing.

When should we seek it? NOW!

What can we expect if we do? God will help us cope with whatever comes our way.

This scripture encourages us to stop worrying about our concerns being met. We need to learn to put our faith more and more in Gods hands through trusting Him, listening to Him and focusing on what He wants, not what we want.

Time to Listen

18th August 2021 aeboyle 2021, AA Slogan, August, Thought For Today Comments Off on Time to Listen

Read

Isaiah 22:9-11 You found the weak places in the city walls that needed repair. You secured the water supply at the Lower Pool. You took an inventory of the houses in Jerusalem and tore down some to get bricks to fortify the city wall. You built a large cistern to ensure plenty of water. You looked and looked and looked, but you never looked to him who gave you this city, never once consulted the One who has long had plans for this city.

Think

The leaders of Judah did what they could to prepare for war: They got weapons, inspected the walls, and stored up of good intention which really won’t give us what we need. We balk at the thought of having to rely on God. After spending so much time and energy learning to rely on ourselves. Recovery is war, against our own selfish desires, false pride, and self-reliance. We have looked and looked for the ‘easier softer way’ it speaks about in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. Having not found it we need to take notice of the cliche that hangs in many a recovery room and ‘THINK! THINK! THINK’ about our trials and failings and look to the One who has already planned our escape route and strategy.

Pray

Pray today that God will give you the strength to have faith in His ability and availability to help you consult Him, listen to Him and follow His leading ‘Just for Today ‘ in order for you to understand His strength in your weakness, establish and build a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit and move forward on the road to recovery.

Live

For the next twenty-four hours take time to listen to God, to do what He tells you to do. And, at the end of the day before you go to sleep evaluate His involvement in your day and give Him thanks.

Wrong Advice

3rd July 2021 aeboyle 2021, July, Living Life Recovery, Step 7 Comments Off on Wrong Advice

We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings
Read: Psalms 1:1-6

Focus Verse: Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, Psalms 1:1

Think about it: Advice in this world is freely given. Some of it good. some of it bad and some of it just plain evil. The good news about all advice is ‘We don’t have to listen too it.’ or apply it to our lives,

Welcome to Step Seven.. Which says “WE HUMBLY ASKED GOD’ for advice on how to live our lives. On the right and good processes, He would have us learn and apply to our daily living to please and honour Him. When it comes to the world the people we need to seek advice from are those who have travelled the road we are now travelling and been successful with Gods help to change their life direction.

There is are many voices in the world telling us what to do and what in their opinion is good for us. We need to always remember God is also speaking to us and has something special to say to us each. We can hear His direction and His plan through prayer and meditation. We can also hear it through listening to the right people He places in our lives at the right time to guide us on His way. Other people have been successful in the way we want to go. For our own benefit and spiritual growth and for the benefit of others in our ‘Sphere of Influence’ we need to seek those people out , listen to and apply their advice when it is given.

Learning to appreciate there is goodness in the world will attune us to God’s way of living and place us firmly in His will as we attempt to change our lives for good and not for evil.

Discussion Starter #50

27th February 2020 aeboyle 2020, Discussion Starters, February Comments Off on Discussion Starter #50

Looking and Waiting

Psalm 119:123 My eyes grow tired as I look to you to save me. Please save me as you have promised.

Recovery for me has been a time of ‘Looking and Waiting’ I have never had a problem seeing what God wanted me to do.

In 1989, when I finally dealt with my pride God spoke to me. Alone in my room one night in rehab I heard the voice of Jesus say to me “You do not need to live like this anymore. Follow Me and I will lead you” From that day to this day that has been my recovery, He leads I follow. It has meant me continually ‘looking’ for His opportunities in my life and ‘waiting’ on His prompting on when to move on them. Trusting God is dependent on continual communication with Him.

  • Do you pray?
  • Do you listen to God and look for His opportunities?

#Listen #Look #Lead

Prayer: God help me today to look and listen when You speak.

Discussion Starter #48

22nd February 2020 aeboyle 2020, Discussion Starters, February Comments Off on Discussion Starter #48

Believe The Bible

Psalm 130: With all my heart I wait for the Lord to help me. I put my hope in his word.

As we go through the process of spiritual recovery these Twelve Steps challenge us to ‘Believe the Bible’ To accept it as God’s Word and to trust if we learn it and apply it to our life’s life will get better.

Before coming into recovery, I knew of the Bible I had seen a couple. I had been taught some of the familiar Bible stories in Sunday school. I had seen some of the stories in movies.

My first encounter with the Bible in recovery was through a devotional book I bought pre-becoming a Christian called ‘God’s Word’ Through that devotional I believe that God began communicating with me. It was following a relapse after eighteen months of sobriety in A.A. I believe God spoke to me for the first time. Or maybe it’s just the first time I heard Him.

  • Have you ever heard God speak to you?
  • Did you listen and obey

#Listen #Hear #Follow

My children, come. Listen to me. I will teach you to have respect for the Lord. Psalms 34:11

I guide you in the way of wisdom. I lead you along straight paths. Proverbs 4:11

Where two or three people meet together in my name, I am there with them.” Matthew 18:20

We belong to God. And those who know God listen to us. But those who don’t belong to God don’t listen to us. That’s how we can tell the difference between the Spirit of truth and the spirit of lies. 1 John 4:6

Prayer: Lord speak to me today and let me hear You.

Discussion Starter #31

31st January 2020 aeboyle 2020, Discussion Starters, January Comments Off on Discussion Starter #31

A New Spirit

John 6:63 The Holy Spirit gives life. The body means nothing at all. The words I have spoken to you are from the Spirit. They give life.

For about 30 years of my life I suffered from a bad back. A result of an accident when drunk which I never took care of when I got clean.

A couple of years ago I had a Pastor in healing ministry pray with me for my back and it was fixed.

During that prayer session the Pastor and I discussed healing ministry and the importance of retraining your Spirit to communicate in God’s power to your body.

Power that is available to us all when we put Jesus in His rightful place as our Lord and Savior.

Recovery requires renewal of your spirit in God’s strength.

  • Take time to talk to God about renewal of your spirit.
  • Stop, listen and follow the Holy Spirit’s leading.

If you persist in your slanders against God’s Holy Spirit, you are repudiating the very One who forgives, sawing off the branch on which you’re sitting.

The Spirit can make life. Sheer muscle and willpower don’t make anything happen. Every word I’ve spoken to you is a Spirit-word, and so it is life-making.

Some of you are resisting, refusing to have any part in this.” (Jesus knew from the start that some weren’t going to risk themselves with him. He knew also who would betray him.) Peter said, “Change your life. Turn to God and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, so your sins are forgiven. Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

#Time #Talk #Listen

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