[bluidkiti]

November 24

Wisdom for Today

Perhaps the best strength I have found in the program has come from trusting in a Power greater than I. Early in my life I had the concept of God introduced to me, and I had heard all the stories of God through all my involvement in organized religion. Yet, during all those addiction filled years, I somehow lost any relationship that I had with God. I saw people at meetings who repeatedly told me they could not define God for me or tell me how to rebuild this relationship. But what they didn't realize was that simply seeing their example and listening to their words taught me an awful lot about God, as I now understand Him. I could see how the Higher Power was helping these individuals. It helped me to believe that God wanted to help me.

Prayer was also something that I had little idea of how to do other than those I had memorized as a child. I began to recognize that if I wanted a personal relationship with God, I would need to talk with Him. And so I began, quite awkwardly at first, to stumble through very simple prayers. I began to talk about what was going on in my life and asking for direction. Unfortunately listening for the answer was often times even tougher. I spoke with others in the fellowship and asked what they did to listen to their Higher Power. I heard many different answers, but in hindsight this was good. It forced me to look for my own answers as to how to listen to God. Does my belief in a Power Greater than myself give me strength?

Meditations for the Heart

Developing skills takes practice. This is true also with spiritual skills. When I continually seek after God's will for me and I seek to follow His lead, I begin this process of spiritual development. At first it seemed that there was this huge wall between God and myself. But just as water causes erosion, practice of spiritual principles slowly eroded that wall. I now realize that this wall was erected by my actions, beliefs and thinking when I was drinking and using. Today I can see that I did not take down this wall, but God in His love for me crumbled every stone in that wall. Today I need to be persistent in my spiritual development and never falter. I need to seek to go boldly forward and continue to be unafraid of where God will lead me. One thing I have learned is that if I seek to do His will and ask for power to carry this out, God will indeed care for me and lead me in a good direction. Am I developing my spiritual skills?

Petitions to my Higher Power

God,
I have come to recognize that my relationship with You is a personal one. Help me be open to improving my spiritual skills by continually bringing my concerns to You. Let me daily remember to give You thanks for all that You do in my life. Give me ears to listen to Your Divine wisdom.
Amen.