The very first prayer of Alcoholics Anonymous is a conscious appeal to God and higher powers. To understand the message that goes in that prayer, you need to at least understand that the complete destruction of your "I" becomes more and more inevitable with every glass you drink.
After an alcoholic hits that sharp line that separates life from death, after he has almost crossed this line several times and looked beyond the line of being, he can understand the meaning of this small but very strong prayer.
God, give me the mind and peace of mind to accept what I can't change, the courage to change what I can change, and the wisdom to tell one from the other.
A person goes through all the circles of hell from not understanding what is happening to him, to realizing that he is not like everyone else, that he is actually sick not only physically, but also mentally. ATthis moment there is a clear desire to come to faith in a better future, which is possible only with the complete rejection of alcohol and the return of one's spiritual strength.
Help yourself, or How to find yourself among strangers
This faith can most often be found in the divine beginning, since any other faith is rather shaky and not constant. The most controversial of them is faith in yourself and your strengths. This prayer for the peace of mind of Alcoholics Anonymous helps addicts get on a level road and, if possible, get away from the fears and self-digging that destroy an already tormented soul.
The prayer of Alcoholics Anonymous, addressed to God, gives confidence that if you still do not have enough strength to cope with your addiction at first, then there is some kind of higher entity that will definitely help. The power of the saying "Help yourself" has a deeper meaning. It contains the idea that you need to find the same people suffering from the same ailments, and help them or ask for help from them.
No one knows the problem of alcoholism as deeply as the drinker knows. The entire community of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is built on this idea, which actually helps many people get out of the abyss, which is rapidly dragging deeper and deeper. There is a 12-step program in AA, after which the one who wants to be cured finds the truth, begins to see clearly and becomes a different person.
Fourth step
Anonymous alcoholics begin to read and meaningfully understand the prayer of an evil person at the fourth stepprograms. Her text is:
God, I understand that (name) who harmed me was probably spiritually ill, although I don't like the symptoms of his illness and the way this person (name) offended me, he was spiritually ill just like me.
God help me to treat him with the same tolerance, pity and compassion that I would treat a sick friend.
(Name) offended me. He is a sick man, how can I help him?
God help me forgive him.
I want to do Your will!
Reading prayers, doing good deeds, forcing your mind to delve further into the true motives of human existence, understanding and realizing his destiny, the alcoholic returns to society as a completely different person. Neither psychologists, nor psychotherapists, nor relatives and friends will help here. Only the person himself can cure his soul and body by changing his attitude to the universe and finding the right foothold. The prayer of Alcoholics Anonymous also helps.
Flight into the abyss
At the same time, it is worth knowing that there are no former alcoholics and this disease is incurable. A person may not touch alcohol until the end of his days, consciously understanding the consequences of the first glass.
But he is still an alcoholic. Until the first sip, until the next breakdown, until the inevitable flight into the abyss. To prevent this from happening, the prayer of anonymous alcoholics, read at moments when it becomes inexpressibly empty in the soul, will help.
