Category: The Power Of Prayer

I’ve received a bunch of reminders lately from those very close to me that I might be spending too much time dwelling on the pain I’ve been enduring for what seems like an eternity now. The fact is, what they’re telling me is absolutely true. I’ve found myself quite a bit in recent weeks talking, writing, and musing on my pain and health issues, and in all honesty, it hasn’t helped me to deal with it much. So when I spoke to my sister the other day about this very issue, she read me a daily reflection from one of her own spiritual books that I felt really helped, especially the prayer at the end of it. Because of this, I’ve decided to include an excerpt of it for today’s entry, as I know it has a positive spiritual message for me on what I’m currently going through in life…

“…Maybe God wrote our pain so His glory could be displayed in our lives today. Allow God to shift your focus from pain to His glory. He promises to show up and arrange circumstances – so He is your hero. Pain may lead to a cascade of spiritual blessing. Drudgery may be the backdrop for extravagant compassion. The God who writes the pain is with us. He writes with purpose and love – and with our supreme benefit in mind.”

“Dear God, Author of life and each day, help me trust You with my pain. I beg You to take it away – but if my pain brings You glory, I ask You to take my focus off myself and help me turn my thoughts to You.”

Peace, love, light, and joy,

Andrew Arthur Dawson

My mind has been future tripping a lot lately and all of it has to do with what I’ve been writing about just as much in here, and that’s my health. Having gone through long periods of chronic pain and suffering now for years, it’s been hard not to think about my future and what the state of my health will be next week, next month, next year, etc. But every time I do so, I’m reminded of a principle I learned the very first day I attended an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting and that’s to live “One Day At A Time”. That’s why I decided it was best for me to write the following prayer today, knowing it will help keep myself more focused on that important principle.

“Dear God, I keep struggling to stay in today. My mind seems to constantly drift off into incessant worries about the future and how my life is going to be in it. I know it’s not helping me on any level anytime I do this, but my fear continues to overpower me and lead me that way. Please God help me to stay more in the moment and more in the now, as I know in doing so, it will make life far more bearable. And please help me to remember each time my fear begins to overwhelm me, that You have the ultimate plan and that everything truly is going to be ok. Amen.”

Peace, love, light, and joy,

Andrew Arthur Dawson

Last week I posted a blog entry about two fears I have in going to the 2015 International AA Convention (https://thetwelfthstep.com/2015/06/23/two-fears-about-the-upcoming-2015-aa-international-convention/). Well the day has finally arrived for me to head down to Atlanta, Georgia to attend that recovery event, so I decided it might be best for me to write a prayer to help guide my way for my entire time there. I must be honest and admit I’m still feeling those fears though, yet I’m choosing to remain faithful in my Higher Power by walking through them and not cancelling this trip. But before I share my prayer with you, there is something I would like to ask of each of you, once you’re done reading this brief post. Would all of you please pray for me as well, asking your Higher Power to guide me, to give me strength, and to help me experience a lot of joy while I’m on this trip. Thank you in advance for all your love and support and know I’m very grateful.

“Dear God, I don’t really know what you have in store for me on my trip to Atlanta for this 2015 International AA Convention, but I’ve decided to still go because I truly believe I’m meant to walk through the fears I have in going. Whether I end up facing any of my painful past experiences by running into former friends from Massachusetts, I’m trusting that you’ll guide all of my thoughts, words, and actions if I do. As for my ongoing struggles with my health, I’m not exactly sure what to pray for other than the strength to easily handle anything that shall arise surrounding it while away. And overall God, my only real hope for this trip is to experience a tremendous amount of joy, because frankly, I’ve been more down than up lately and have forgotten what it feels like to have a strong presence of that living within me. Amen.”

PS – I felt it’d be quite appropriate to make sure I place a “thought for the day” out here on my blog for every day I’ll be away, all under the topic of “having faith”. 🙂

Peace, love, light, and joy,

Andrew Arthur Dawson