An excerpt from the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous,
Page 86.
When we retire at night,
We constructively review our day.
Were we resentful,
Selfish,
Dishonest,
Or afraid?
Do we owe an apology?
Have we kept something to ourselves which should be discussed with another person at once?
Were we kind and loving toward all?
What could we have done better?
Were we thinking of ourselves most of the time?
Or were we thinking of what we could do for others,
Of what we could pack into the stream of life?
But we must be careful not to drift into worry,
Remorse,
Or morbid reflection,
For that would diminish our usefulness to others.
After making our review,
We ask God's forgiveness and inquire what corrective measures should be taken.
In the spirit of this reading,
And as suggested by the eleventh step of Alcoholics Anonymous,
Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God,
Let us begin.
I invite you to close your eyes.
God,
Before I retire for this evening and drift off into a peaceful sleep,
I ask for your guidance in discovering how I may have done better today.
God please bring into my conscious awareness anywhere where I was resentful.
And integrity.
Or where I had fear.
If necessary,
I will pause here to pray for anyone against whom I held a resentment today.
I will pray for tolerance,
Compassion,
And patience.
Here,
I will ask that my fears be removed.
God,
Please remind me of anything that I need to discuss with another person at once.
God,
Please show me where I might have been more kind or more loving.
God,
Please show me where I was thinking of myself and where I was thinking of others.
Show me where I was considering what I could pack into this dream of life.
My hope is over time to become less concerned with myself and more concerned with what I can do for my fellows.
God,
Thank you for this awareness.
I ask for your forgiveness and that you bring into my consciousness any corrective measures that should be taken.
I'd like to take a moment now,
God,
To express my appreciation,
To consider some areas of my life where I am blessed and grateful.
Perhaps I'm grateful for the bed that I sleep in tonight and the comfort that I find here.
Or perhaps I'm grateful for my recovery.
But if I am in pain tonight and gratitude seems far away,
May I find peace in the knowing that this day has come to an end and tomorrow I can begin again.
As I drift off to sleep,
May my awareness of the many things that I have to be grateful for,
Expand to fill every corner of my consciousness.
So that I fade into sleep,
Wrapped in appreciation,
So that I fade into sleep,
Covered in gratitude,
And quite literally counting my blessing.
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