Tag: Prayer

Don’t Go it Alone

25th April 2022 aeboyle 2022, April,, Morning Harmony,, Step 2 Comments Off on Don’t Go it Alone

WE CAME TO BELIEVE THAT GOD COULD RESTORE US TO SANITY.

It’s better to have a partner than go it alone. Share the work, share the wealth. And if one falls down, the other helps, But if there’s no one to help, tough! Two in a bed warm each other. Alone, you shiver all night. By yourself you’re unprotected. With a friend you can face the worst. Can you round up a third? A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

A community is an important spiritual practice in the recovery process. The Trinity is a community of love. We were built for relationship. Helping others and being helped by others a necessity to spiritual maturity. If we could achieve recovery on our own we would have, but we couldn’t and that is why we now find ourselves in need of God’s help to overcome the insanity that has become our normal way of living. God wants to use others to help us to overcome the things that have brought us down in the past. He brings us into relationship with them, through relationship with Him, and, He expects us to be open and honest with them.

Accepting Jesus as our One True Higher Power makes us part of God’s family, subjects of His community. A community in which Jesus is the founder and the leader. A community in which no one stands alone. Restoration of our sanity is a result of inclusion in the community God has placed us in. Managing relationships in that community requires loyalty, care, humility, and prayer, not only that we will know God’s will for our lives but we will also use His power in us to achieve it.

2022 | Day Sixty-Two | Thought for Today

2nd March 2022 aeboyle 2022, March, Step 10, Thought For Today Comments Off on 2022 | Day Sixty-Two | Thought for Today

Worry! Worry! Worry! It’s how I used to spend my life. It’s not anymore. Because I have learned to ‘Rely on God’ It wasn’t easy, it took time, it took practice, but I finally learned it. Relying on God doesn’t mean do nothing. It means do the best you can with what you have available to you and leave the outcomes in His hands. Most of the worry I experienced in life was about things I had no control over.

Step Ten in the Twelve Steps says WE CONTINUED TO TAKE PERSONAL INVENTORY. I try daily to analyze my day. My method of daily inventory has changed through the years> at the moment I use the SERENITY PRAYER:

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. I ask myself each evening the questions. 1. What things did I try and change in my own strength that need God’s intervention. 2, What things could I have changed but didn’t? and WHY?

Courage to change the things I can. The questions I ask for this one are. 1. How did I allow fear to stop me today? 2. How can I overcome my fear tomorrow?

Wisdom to know the difference. What stopped me from allowing God to be God in my life today? How will I submit to His will tomorrow?

MEDITATION
Blessed are you who give yourself over to God, turn you back on the worlds ‘sure thing’. Trust God absolutely people. It’s far better to take refuge in Him than follow the ways of the world. Trust Him from the bottom of your heart. Don’t try to figure everything out on your own. Listen for His prompting in everything you do. He is the one who will keep you on track. Those who think they can work it out on their own end up measuring their own moral muscle and never get around to putting into action what the learn.

When we trust God we are open to the truth. God does not give up on us so we should not give up on Him,

PRAYER
Just for today Lord help me not to worry about the things I cannot change and to act on the things I can.

Persist in Prayer

8th November 2021 aeboyle 2021, November, Step 11 Comments Off on Persist in Prayer

Persistence in prayer is an important requirement in the recovery process. Persistence is needed because we are working with God’s help to overcome the many hurdles of our past that have brought us unstuck. we are also facing many new trials in our lives we have never had to face before.

PERSISTENCE IN PRAYER IS VITAL TO EFFECTIVE INTERCESSION
Moved by the extravagance of God in your lives, they’ll respond by praying for you in passionate intercession for whatever you need.
2 Corinthians 9:14

THERE ARE TIMES IT MAY SEEM EASIER TO QUIT THAN TO PRAY
Respond by humbling yourself, praying, seeking God’s presence, and turning your backs on your wicked life, I’ll be there ready for you: I’ll listen from heaven, forgive their sins, and restore their land to health. 2 Chronicles 7:14

PRAYER INVOLVES PRAISING GOD
I’m thanking you, God, from a full heart, I’m writing the book on your wonders. I’m whistling, laughing, and jumping for joy; I’m singing your song, High God. Psalm 9:1-2

We sought through PRAYER

6th November 2021 aeboyle 2021, Living Life Recovery, November, Step 11 Comments Off on We sought through PRAYER

Jesus says “keep company with God.” Why? Because He is there listening for all who pray and mean it.

We have all heard the saying ‘Say what you mean and mean what you say!’ Most of us have talked to God because things have not gone according to our agendas. But, God wants to be involved in every area of our lives, in all circumstances. We are encouraged by Jesus in Matthew 6 to “find a secluded place so we won’t be tempted to role-play and we can come before God simply and honestly” and seek His guidance.

There is a connection between what we do and what God does. He depends on us to do our part before He decides His. I believe recovery is a three stage process.

1. RECOVERY – learning and applying the Twelve Steps to our lives in order that He will help us to change and become the ‘new person’ the Bible talks about in 2 Corinthians 5:17

2, REPENTANCE – understanding the mistakes we have made, making amends for them and making a conscious decision not to do them anymore.

3. RELIVING – the life-long spiritual journey of seeking, learning and doing God’s will to fulfil His purpose in our lives and become the people He created us to be.

The first and second stages are our part. God in His wisdom gives us all free will and with our free will comes the choice to either follow or ignore Him. We do that in the recovery process I believe by learning all we can about ourselves, about life and about God in order that we can develop our characters into God approved characters.

It tells us in Luke 11:10 “Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This is not a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we’re in.

Improving our conscious contact with God requires us not only to speak to God but to listen to Him and acting on His instruction to live the best life we can and help others to do the same.

Paul says in Titus 1:2 My aim is to raise hopes by pointing the way to life without end. This is the life God promised long ago—and he doesn’t break promises!

To understand and God’s promises for our lives and apply them to our daily living we need to be in constant communication with Him. One of the most important ways of doing that is through reading and studying ahis Word, which I will share more on next week in week three – step eleven.

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.

staircase with railing

Step Eight ~ Week Two

8th August 2021 aeboyle 2021, August, Step 8 Comments Off on Step Eight ~ Week Two

AS PART OF THE PROCESS OF CHANGE, I WILL IDENTIFY AND RECORD EVERYONE I HAVE HARMED AND THROUGH PRAYER BECOME WILLING TO MAKE RESTITUTION TO THEM

As I read and re-read step eight through the last week the words THROUGH PRAYER I BECAME WILLING continually caught my attention and I found myself asking myself the questions: When in recovery did, I become willing? and was it through prayer? Now don’t get me wrong prayer is an important part of my life and it has played a significant part in the recovery process in my life. But did it make me willing to make a list of the people I have harmed and to go and make restitution to them?

I’m not sure! Because looking over the Twelve Steps both of Alcoholics Anonymous and of Living Life Recovery I think the willingness to do things God’s way happened long before I got to Step eight.

In step one I became willing to admit my life was a mess. My attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors were out of control, and left to my own devices were never going to be anything different. In step to I did not come to believe God existed or He could help me recover. I have always for as long as I can remember, even as a small child believed that God existed and was all-powerful. So why would He not be able to help me overcome my addictions and compulsions if I was willing to let Him? Which brought me to Step three willingness to let Him help me overcome my addictions and compulsions. I knew to do that I had to get to know more about Him and His ways of living as opposed to the way I had been living. To do that I had to get into a personal relationship with Him through meeting with, listening to, and obeying His appointed representative here on earth, The Holy Spirit. Step four required me to become willing to take an honest look at myself, warts, and all. And step five required me to become willing to share it with another human being. Steps six and seven were about me understanding to change the things that were wrong in my character I had to, through humility become willing to allow the Holy Spirit access to every area of my life in order for me to clean up my past in order to get on with the future.

Now here I was at the eighth step. Where I had given God permission, willingly to grant the Holy Spirit access to every area of my life and character. Where He would quickly discover what God already knew. Some of the relationships in my life were not as they should be and a lot of that was my fault, so I needed to become willing to do something about them. Which required a lot of prayers! Because saying sorry and making the right mistakes I had made was not a big part of my makeup, growing up.

Now I don’t know about you but when I know what is required in my life and because I have willingly made a decision to give God access to my life and my character, I generally begin by looking at What the Bible Says. I have read most of the A.A. literature on what that says I should do when it comes to the Twelve Steps. I have been involved in numerous Bible-based Twelve Steps fellowships and completed most of their literature, so I know what they suggest I should do. So for me that only leaves me one avenue – the Bible, prayer, and meditation.

I began praying and moved on to willingly investigate what the Bible said about WILLINGNESS. Now I searched numerous Bible versions on the exact phrase ’become willing’ and couldn’t find any. If you do feel free to let me know what they are. For the word willingness, I came up with the following: (I came up with many more but too many to share)

Matthew 26:41 “Stay awake and pray for strength against temptation. Your spirit wants to do what is right, but your body is weak.”

Proverbs 19:2 Willingness and stupidity don’t go well together. If you are too eager, you will miss the road.

We need to be careful on the road to recovery that we don’t allow our enthusiasm to lead us to make stupid decisions and taking stupid actions that will stunt, instead of growing our faith.

2 Corinthians 8:11 Finish what you began to do. Then your willingness will be matched by what you accomplish.

The process of recovery requires that we ‘Start out as we mean to finish.’ It is about growth, not perfection. None of us arrived where we are overnight, and we are not going to change our character overnight. There will be relapses in our attitudes and behaviors.


Galatians 5:22 What happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments.

We develop willingness. Again, willingness is a process as I have shown it started in Step One and comes as part of our spiritual growth as we learn and apply the Twelve Steps of recovery to our lives.

I then went on to look up the Bible said about the word WILLING some of the verses I want to share with you:

Philippians 2:13 God is working in you to make you willing and able to obey him.

Obedience to God is not automatic. From my own experience, I can tell you for me it was a learned thing. Our sinful nature reaction to any change in our lives is rebellion. But God loves us and is willing to persevere with us until we can recognize His will in our lives and can give up our own selfish desires to follow where He leads us.2 Timothy 2:10 I am willing to put up with anything. Then God’s special people will be saved. They will be given eternal glory because they belong to Christ Jesus.

I love this verse. A warning that things may be about to get worse before they get better. The purpose of recovery is SERVICE. To learn what Jesus is talking about when He tells us to love others and put their needs before our series.

2 Timothy 4:5 You must stay calm and be willing to suffer. You must work hard to tell the good news and to do your job well.

GOOD NEWS is for sharing. Part of our willingness in recovery needs to become our willingness to share our experience, strength, and hope with others on the road to recovery so they too can come to know the love that God has for them and the debt He paid so we can live the lives He has prepared for us.

Hebrews 6:3 Let’s grow up if God is willing.

None of this is our doing. Our spiritual growth is in God’s will and purpose for our lives. A key to spiritual growth is MATURITY. Which takes time.

Here are some other verses related to WILLINGNESS in the Bible. Take time this week to look them up for yourself and investigate what the Holy Spirit is saying to you about Becoming Willing. REMEMBER to start with the Bible, prayer, and meditation.

John 12:25 Whoever loves the life they have now will lose it. But whoever is willing to give up their life in this world will keep it. They will have eternal life.

Romans 14:1 Be willing to accept those who still have doubts about what believers can do. And don’t argue with them about their different ideas.

Hebrews 6:11 We want each of you to be willing and eager to show your love like that the rest of your life. Then you will be sure to get what you hope for.

1 Peter 4:8 Most important of all, love each other deeply because love makes you willing to forgive many sins.

AS PART OF THE PROCESS OF CHANGE, I WILL IDENTIFY AND RECORD EVERYONE I HAVE HARMED AND THROUGH PRAYER BECOME WILLING TO MAKE RESTITUTION TO THEM

As I read and re-read step eight through the last week the words THROUGH PRAYER I BECAME WILLING continually caught my attention and I found myself asking myself the questions: When in recovery did, I become willing? and was it through prayer? Now don’t get me wrong prayer is an important part of my life and it has played a significant part in the recovery process in my life. But did it make me willing to make a list of the people I have harmed and to go and make restitution to them?

I’m not sure! Because looking over the Twelve Steps both of Alcoholics Anonymous and of Living Life Recovery I think willingness to do things God’s way happened long before I got to Step eight.

In step one I became willing to admit my life was a mess. My attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors were out of control, and left to my own devices were never going to be anything different. In step to I did not come to believe God existed or He could help me recover. I have always for as long as I can remember, even as a small child believed that God existed and was all-powerful. So why would He not be able to help me overcome my addictions and compulsions if I was willing to let Him? Which brought me to Step three willingness to let Him help me overcome my addictions and compulsions. I knew to do that I had to get to know more about Him and His ways of living as opposed to the way I had been living. To do that I had to get into a personal relationship with Him through meeting with, listening to, and obeying His appointed representative here on earth, The Holy Spirit. Step four required me to become willing to take an honest look at myself, warts, and all. And step five required me to become willing to share it with another human being. Steps six and seven were about me understanding to change the things that were wrong in my character I had to, through humility become willing to allow the Holy Spirit access to every area of my life in order for me to clean up my past in order to get on with the future.

Now here I was at the eighth step. Where I had given God permission, willingly to grant the Holy Spirit access to every area of my life and character. Where He would quickly discover what God already knew. Some of the relationships in my life were not as they should be and a lot of that was my fault, so I needed to become willing to do something about them. Which required a lot of prayers! Because saying sorry and making the right mistakes I had made was not a big part of my makeup, growing up.

Now I don’t know about you but when I know what is required in my life and because I have willingly made a decision to give God access to my life and my character, I generally begin by looking at What the Bible Says. I have read most of the A.A. literature on what that says I should do when it comes to the Twelve Steps. I have been involved in numerous Bible-based Twelve Steps fellowships and completed most of their literature, so I know what they suggest I should do. So for me that only leaves me one avenue – the Bible, prayer, and meditation.

I began praying and moved on to willingly investigate what the Bible said about WILLINGNESS. Now I searched numerous Bible versions on the exact phrase ’become willing’ and couldn’t find any. If you do feel free to let me know what they are. For the word willingness, I came up with the following: (I came up with many more but too many to share)

  1. Proverbs 19:2 Willingness and stupidity don’t go well together. If you are too eager, you will miss the road.

    We need to be careful on the road to recovery that we don’t allow our enthusiasm to lead us to making stupid decisions and taking stupid actions that will stunt instead of growing our faith.
  1. 2 Corinthians 8:11 Finish what you began to do. Then your willingness will be matched by what you accomplish.

    The process of recovery requires that we ‘Start out as we mean to finish.’ It is about growth, not perfection. None of us arrived where we are overnight, and we are not going to change our character overnight. There will be relapses in our attitudes and behaviours.


  2. Galatians 5:22 What happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments.

    We develop willingness. Again, willingness is a process as I have shown it started in Step One and comes as part of our spiritual growth as we learn and apply the Twelve Steps of recovery to our lives.

I then went on to look up the Bible said about the word WILLING some of the verses I want to share with you:

  1. Philippians 2:13 God is working in you to make you willing and able to obey him.

    Obedience to God’s is not automatic. From my own experience I can tell you for me it was a learned thing. Our sinful nature reaction to any change in our lives is rebellion. But God loves us and is willing to persevere with us until we can recognise His will in our lives and can give up our own selfish desires to follow where He leads us.
  1. 2 Timothy 2:10 I am willing to put up with anything. Then God’s special people will be saved. They will be given eternal glory because they belong to Christ Jesus.

    I love this verse. A warning that things may be about to get worse before they get better. The purpose of recovery is SERVICE. To learn what Jesus is talking about when He tells us to love others and put their needs before our series.

  1. 2 Timothy 4:5 You must stay calm and be willing to suffer. You must work hard to tell the good news and to do your job well.

    GOOD NEWS is for sharing. Part of our willingness in recovery needs to become our willingness to share our experience, strength and hope with others on the road to recovery so they too can come to know the love that God has for them and the debt He paid so we can live the lives He has prepared for us.

  1. Hebrews 6:3 Let’s grow up, if God is willing.

    None of this is our doing. Our spiritual growth is in God’s will and purpose for our lives. A key to spiritual growth is MATURITY. Which takes time.

Here are some other verses related to WILLINGNESS in the Bible. Take time this week to look them up for yourself and investigate what the Holy Spirit is saying to you about Becoming Willing. REMEMBER to start with the Bible, prayer and meditation.

John 12:25 Whoever loves the life they have now will lose it. But whoever is willing to give up their life in this world will keep it. They will have eternal life.

Romans 14:1 Be willing to accept those who still have doubts about what believers can do. And don’t argue with them about their different ideas.

Hebrews 6:11 We want each of you to be willing and eager to show your love like that the rest of your life. Then you will be sure to get what you hope for.

1 Peter 4:8 Most important of all, love each other deeply because love makes you willing to forgive many sins.

  • God’s plan for you is always good.
  • God’s plan you is a journey, not a destination.
  • Seeking God’s plan for your life needs to become an active part of your life.

Proverbs 3:6  Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

Righteousness

7th August 2021 aeboyle 2021, August, Discussion Starters, Verse For Today Comments Off on Righteousness

AS PART OF THE PROCESS OF CHANGE, I WILL IDENTIFY AND RECORD EVERYONE I HAVE HARMED AND THROUGH PRAYER BECOME WILLING TO MAKE RESTITUTION TO THEM.

Hosea 10:12  Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now, is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.

The motive for everything we do must be RIGHTEOUSNESS

WE CANNOT OBTAIN RIGHTEOUSNESS ON OUR OWN
Isaiah 64:6  We’re all sin-infected, sin-contaminated. Our best efforts are grease-stained rags. We dry up like autumn leaves— sin-dried, we’re blown off by the wind.

MATURE RIGHTEOUSNESS SHOULD BE OUR GOAL
2 Timothy 2:22  Run away from infantile indulgence. Run after mature righteousness—faith, love, peace—joining those who are in honest and serious prayer before God.

RIGHTEOUSNESS IS OBTAINED THROUGH TRUSTING JESUS
Philippians 3:9  I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness.

Jesus used His servant body to carry our sins to the Cross so we could be rid of sin, free to live the right way. His wounds became our healing. We were lost sheep with no idea who we were or where we were going. Now we are named and kept for good by the Shepherd of your souls.


Focus on God

18th July 2021 aeboyle 2021, July, Step 7 Comments Off on Focus on God

Psalms 34:4 I looked to the Lord, and he answered me. He saved me from everything I was afraid of.

In the process of God changing our sinful habits and attitudes, it is important we keep our focus on Him.

If you ask ten different people in recovery the best way of achieving and maintaining recovery you will get ten different answers.

Recovery in my life is covered in prayer, meditation, and being led by God. I do have trusted people in my life whom I go to bounce things off but the final decision in everything I do lies with me and God. God gave us free will for a reason. I believe that reason is to see how much we have learned through our relationship with Him and how we implement it in our daily living. Don’t make any decisions you have not talked to God about.

Psalms 34:2-8 I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

I. FOCUS ON GOD – He changes our character.
Romans 5:4  Endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident
hope of salvation.

II. FOCUS ON GOD – He conquered our past.
Romans 8:37 Despite all this, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ who loved us enough to die for us.

III. FOCUS ON GOD – He controls our future.
1 Corinthians 2:9  It is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him. ¨

from today’s Scripture:

HEAR  and REJOICE
Matthew 6:7  When you pray, don’t be like the people who don’t know God. They say the same things again and again. They think that if they say it enough, their god will hear them.

GLORIFY and EXALT
Psalms 99:9  Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his holy mountain,
for the Lord our God is holy.

CALL and BE SAVED
Luke 7:50  Jesus said, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

A Daily Process

20th October 2020 aeboyle 2020, Discussion Starters, October Comments Off on A Daily Process

2 Timothy 2:4 A soldier does not take part in things that don’t have anything to do with the army. He wants to please his commanding officer.

As we grow in recovery, we need to grow stronger in our character; stronger in our faith, stronger in our commitment to the process, and stronger in our love for God and His way of living. This is opposed to our being strong in our own strength.

Recovery requires patience. Patience in our prayers, that God will give us understanding in all things.

It is easy after thirty-two years involved in the recovery process to look back and see all the times’ God has intervened in the process of my recovery. It is not always easy to look forward with the same understanding. Trusting God is a daily process.

What The Bible Says

1st September 2020 aeboyle 2020, September, What The Bible Says Comments Off on What The Bible Says

Jesus said “I’m leaving you well and whole. That’s my parting gift to you. Peace. I don’t leave you the way you’re used to being left—feeling abandoned, bereft. So don’t be upset. Don’t be distraught.” 

Through the application of the ‘Twelve Steps of Recovery’ and decision to ‘LET GO‘ of the past and ‘LET GOD’ lead, His peace moves into our hearts and lives and offers comfort in the place of stress.

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Philippians 4:6-7

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