An excerpt from the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous,
Pages 86,
87,
And 88.
On awakening,
Let us think about the 24 hours ahead.
We consider our plans for the day.
Before we begin,
We ask God to direct our thinking,
Especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity,
Dishonest,
Or self-seeking motives.
Under these conditions,
We can employ our mental faculties with assurance,
For after all God gave us brains to use.
Our thought-life will be placed on a much higher plane when our thinking is cleared of wrong motives.
In thinking about our day,
We may face indecision.
We may not be able to determine which course to take.
Here,
We ask God for inspiration,
An intuitive thought,
Or a decision.
We relax and take it easy.
We don't struggle.
We are often surprised how the right answers come after we have tried this for a while.
What used to be the hunch,
Or the occasional inspiration,
Gradually becomes a working part of the mind.
Being still inexperienced and having just made conscious contact with God,
It is not probable that we are going to be inspired at all times.
We might pay for this presumption in all sorts of absurd actions and ideas.
Nevertheless,
We find that our thinking will,
As time passes,
Be more and more on the plane of inspiration.
We come to rely upon it.
We usually conclude the period of meditation with a prayer that we be shown all through the day what our next step is to be,
That we be given whatever we need to take care of such problems.
We ask especially for freedom from self-will,
And are careful to make no request for ourselves only.
We may ask for ourselves,
However,
If others will be helped.
We are careful never to pray for our own selfish ends.
Many of us have wasted a lot of time doing that,
And it doesn't work.
You can easily see why.
If circumstances warrant,
We ask our wives or friends to join us in morning meditation.
If we belong to a religious denomination which requires a definite morning devotion,
We attend to that also.
If not members of religious bodies,
We sometimes select and memorize a few set prayers which emphasize the principles we have been discussing.
There are many helpful books also.
Suggestions about these may be obtained from one's priest,
Minister,
Or rabbi.
Be quick to see where religious people are right.
Make use of what they offer.
As we go through the day,
We pause when agitated or doubtful,
And ask for the right thought or action.
We constantly remind ourselves we are no longer running the show,
Humbly saying to ourselves many times each day,
Thy will be done.
We are then in much less danger of excitement,
Fear,
Anger,
Worry,
Self-pity,
Or foolish decisions.
We become much more efficient.
We do not tire so easily,
For we are not burning up energy foolishly as we did when we were trying to arrange life to suit ourselves.
It works.
It really does.
We alcoholics are undisciplined,
So we let God discipline us in the simple way we have just outlined.
In the spirit of this reading,
And as suggested in the 11th step of Alcoholics Anonymous,
Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God.
Let us begin.
Close your eyes.
God,
Before I begin thinking about the 24 hours ahead,
I ask that you direct my thinking.
I ask especially that it be divorced from self-pity,
Dishonest,
Or self-seeking motives.
Having asked for your direction,
And in asking,
Believing that it has been received,
I can employ my mental faculties with assurance,
For after all,
You gave me a brain to use.
My thought life is now on a much higher plane,
As you have cleared it of wrong motives.
God,
As I think about my day,
If I face a decision,
If I cannot determine which course to take,
Please give me the presence of mind to ask for inspiration,
An intuitive thought or decision.
And now I will relax and take it easy.
I will not struggle.
God,
Before I begin thinking about the 24 hours ahead,
I ask that you direct my thinking.
God,
Before I begin thinking about the 24 hours ahead,
I ask that you direct my thinking.
God,
Before I begin thinking about the 24 hours ahead,
I ask that you direct my thinking.
God,
Before I begin thinking about the 24 hours ahead,
I ask that you direct my thinking.
God,
Before I begin thinking about the 24 hours ahead,
I ask that you direct my thinking.
God,
Please show me all through the day what my next step is to be.
Please provide me with whatever I need to take care of such problems.
God,
Please remove from me my self-will and allow me the grace to pause when agitated or doubtful so that I may ask for the right thought or action.
And may I have the good sense to say to myself many times today,
Thy will be done.
