CRA Christians in Recovery (anonymous)

CS Lewis once said, “we can bear to be refused but not ignored.” In other words, our faith can survive many refusals if they really are refusals, and not mere disregards. God hears us. God always answers our prayers. His answers are yes or no. But when we complain that God does not answer our prayers, we really mean that we cannot tolerate a negative answer. Most of our prayers are selfish requests or misguided petitions that need refuses. God hears only too well.

As a father may hear his son please for a rifle and refuse it, knowing the child is too young to be trusted with firearms, so too our Father in heaven in the same wisdom may not give what we ask for. God gives us what we need, not what we want. He may give us the very no we need to accept in order to wait until we are ready.

In recovery God is much more interested in making us well than in giving us what we want period we would do much better to ask to be made over then given into. We need changing, not spoiling period after all if we pray the answer is really God will not ours. He really does know best, and he really does answer.

November 28, 2019 . . . . . . Being ourselves . . . Page 346

"To be truly humble is to accept and honestly try to be ourselves."
Basic Text, p. 36

Humility is a puzzling concept. We know a lot about humiliation, but humility is a new idea. It sounds suspiciously like groveling, bowing, and scraping. But that's not what humility is at all. True humility is, simply, acceptance of who we are.

By the time we reach a step that uses the word "humbly" we have already started to put this principle into practice. The Fourth Step gives us an opportunity to examine who we really are, and the Fifth Step helps us accept that knowledge.

The practice of humility involves accepting our true nature, honestly being ourselves. We don't have to grovel or abase ourselves, nor must we try to appear smarter, wealthier, or happier than we really are. Humility simply means we drop all pretense and live as honestly as we can.

Just for Today: I will allow knowledge of my true nature to guide my actions. Today, I will face the world as myself.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2019

AMAZING HANDS

Recently on social media a text went around with a picture of two old and gnarled hands. In the text we read how a grandfather explained to his grandchild some of the many things those hands had done through the years. It was an explanation of the value of those hands even though they looked so old and frail.

All through the Bible we read of hands used in blessing, in work, in protection, in creating, in liberating, in feeding, in prayer and praise, and so many other functions. Hands are so important and so precious.

The hand of God is used to help us think about God's power and protection in our world and our lives. God created everything, including us, and to God we will return. In the years between our birth and our death, God is with us and wants to help us in whatever situations we find ourselves, even when the situation we find ourselves in is the result of our own mistakes.

You made human beings rule over everything your hands created. You put everything under their control. Save us. Help us with your powerful right hand, so that those you love may be saved. Even if that person trips, he won’t fall. The Lord’s hand takes good care of him. Into your hands I commit my very life. Lord, set me free. You are my faithful God. (Psalm 8:6, 108:6, 37:24, 31:5 NIRV)

No hands are more beautiful, even though they are forever scarred, than the hands of Jesus who was nailed to the cross so we could be forgiven and brought to new life. When no one else cared about the mess we got ourselves into, God cared, and provided a way out for us. The depth of God's love for us is clearly seen in the hands of Jesus.

The Lord answers, “Can a mother forget the baby who is nursing at her breast? Can she stop having tender love for the child who was born to her? She might forget her child. But I will not forget you. I have written your name on the palms of my hands. (Isaiah 49:15-16a NIRV)

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for all You have done for me which is represented in Your word as Your hands reaching out and holding up. I want to lift my hands in prayer and thanksgiving to You and then use them to serve others in the purpose You have for me. Amen

(co; Partners in Hope)

Many of us have difficulty trusting promises. For some of us this lack of trust is the result of experiences and promises that envision a negative future. These are better called threats: “You'll be sorry, I can promise you that.” Such “promises” build fear into us rather than hope. For others, trusting promises is difficult because people have been unfaithful to the promises they have made. Repeated experience with broken promises make it hard to trust any promise maker.

God is a promise maker. Scripture is rich with the language of promise. But because of our negative experiences, we may find ourselves responding to God's promises with fear and skepticism. Fortunately, God is not like other promise makers we have known.

God's promises are an opportunity for us to learn about a new and trustworthy future. They can give us the hope and strength to persevere through the recovery process.Even though fear and distrust make it hard for us to allow God's promises to nurture and sustain us, we can count on him to keep his promises.

God has promised to bring change and rest. He has promised to give us his love, protection presence and support. And he will do these things. As we hear his promises over and over, they will gradually make their way deep into our hearts and minds. As we experience God's faithfulness to his promises, our capacity for trust will grow.

Partners in Hope meditation for today:

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2019

HUNGER AND THIRST

Those of us who are recovering from the mess of our lives know there is a hunger and thirst within us for something more than what life has offered us so far. We acknowledge that on our own we are powerless to change our situation and need to reach out to God for help to move forward in life and recovery.

You gave them bread from heaven when they were hungry and water from the rock when they were thirsty. You commanded them to go and take possession of the land you had sworn to give them. (Nehemiah 9:15 NLT)

We call out to God because we’ve been unable to find anything in this world that gives us lasting satisfaction. We tried alcohol, drugs, sex, pornography, even our best efforts to be good, but nothing gave us lasting contentment. There truly is only one thing that satisfies our souls and that is a relationship with the God who created us. Without God in our lives, our inner being will never be at peace.

Lord, I want you to save me. Your teachings make me happy. Let me live to praise you. Let me find the help I need in your laws. I have wandered away like a lost sheep. Come and find me. I am your servant, and I have not forgotten your commands. (Psalm 119:174-176 ERV)

Just as our bodies hunger and thirst after food and water, so our spirit hungers and thirsts to be filled with the living God. When our relationship with God is restored through belief in the finished work of Jesus on the cross, we begin to get to know God and His ways. The more time we spend with God, the more our hearts will be filled with His love, joy and peace. As we make a habit of obeying God’s principles we experience contentment and satisfaction.

Seven times a day I praise You, Because of Your righteous judgments. Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble. (Psalm 119:164-165 NKJV)

Prayer: Heavenly Father, My desire is for peace to reign in the deepest recesses of my soul. Give me a hunger and thirst for Your word. I know that if I obey Your laws, the longings of my soul will be satisfied. Please help me! Amen

November 29, 2019 . . . . . . Our Higher Power's care . . . Page 347

"We believe that our Higher Power will take care of us." Basic Text, p. 58

Our program is based on the idea that the application of simple principles can produce profound effects in our lives. One such principle is that, if we ask, our Higher Power will care for us. Because this principle is so basic, we may tend to ignore it. Unless we learn to consciously apply this spiritual truth, we may miss out on something as essential to our recovery as breathing is to life itself.

What happens when we find ourselves stressed or panicked? If we have consistently sought to improve our relationship with our Higher Power, we'll have no problem. Rather than acting rashly, we will stop for a moment and briefly remind ourselves of particular instances in the past when our Higher Power has shown its care for us. This will assure us that our Higher Power is still in charge of our lives.

Then, we will seek guidance and power for the situation at hand and proceed calmly, confident that our lives are in God's hands.

"Our program is a set of principles," our White Booklet tells us. The more consistently we seek to improve our conscious appreciation of these principles, the more readily we will be able to apply them.

Just for Today: I will seek to improve my conscious contact with the Higher Power
that cares for me. When the need arises, I know I will be able to trust in that care.

Steps 10, 11 & 12 related scripture for today:
Hebrews 12 New International Version (NIV)

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

“Praying only for knowledge of his will for us and the power to carry that out” Means that we ask on a daily basis to be shown the plan for that day. We also ask God for the power we need to carry that through. We will get a yes to both requests.

We do not ask other people to show their will for us. We ask God. Then we trust that we’ll be empowered to carry Gods will through.

God never asks us to do anything that he would not equip us to do. He never asked us to do anything we can't do. If we are to do it, we will be empowered. That's the easy part of this program. We never have to do more than we can, or anything we can't. If we want to worry and fuss we can, but we don't need to. That is our choice.

I have learned through difficult and good times that this step will carry me through. When I don't know what to do next, God does. Working this step, one day at a time, will take us to places we could never have traveled on our own. Simple acts, done daily in accordance to God's will for us, lead to a Grand Plan for our life.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2019


Greed is that intense need inside us that has us always "grasping for more." It is just one item on a long list of things that make us foolish before God and vulnerable to trouble in this life.

Adultery, greed, hate and cheating come from a person’s heart too. So do desires that are not pure, and wanting what belongs to others. And so do telling lies about others and being proud and being foolish. (Mark 7:22 NIRV)

In some places in the Far East those who want to trap monkeys set a trap. They prepare a small box with a tasty nut inside it and carve an opening just large enough for the monkey to put its hand inside but too small for the monkey to get its hand out if it's clenched into a fist. The monkey won't let go of the nut in its clenched fist and so is easily captured. Too often we are greedy for something that is actually leading us to captivity and our unwillingness to let it go keeps us from being free.

We are greedy when we want more than what we really need, whether it is power or money or toys or even everyday things like food. It's the character defect behind the feeling we give credibility to when we say, "It's never enough." We don't have to be trying to earn our second billion dollars to be greedy. Too often we are just living with a misplaced focus on how to live securely.

They have lost all feeling for what is right. So they have given themselves over to all kinds of evil pleasures. They take part in every kind of unclean act. And they are full of greed. This is what happens to those who are greedy. Whatever they get destroys them. Doing right sets honest people free, but people who can’t be trusted are trapped by their greed. (Ephesians 4:19 NIRV, Proverbs 1:19, 11:6 ERV)

God promises to provide all we need so we can live well and do wonderful things.

Some people are greedy and never have enough. Good people are generous and have plenty. (Proverbs 21:26 ERV)

Prayer: Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times I so easily slip into greed. Help me to live life based on Your principles rather than on what I hear and see around me. You promise to supply all my needs and I place my trust in You to do that today, and every day. Amen

(co: Partners in Hope)

November 30, 2019 . . . Sharing the real me . . . Page 348

"Sharing with others keeps us from feeling isolated and alone." . . . Basic Text, p. 85

Intimacy is the sharing of our innermost thoughts and feelings with another human being. Many of us long for the warmth and companionship intimacy brings, but those things don't come without effort. In our addiction, we learned to guard ourselves from others lest they threaten our using. In recovery, we learn how to trust others. Intimacy requires us to lower our defenses. To feel the closeness intimacy brings, we must allow others to get close to us - the real us.

If we are to share our innermost selves with others, we must first have an idea of what those innermost selves are truly like. We regularly examine our lives to find out who we really are, what we really want, and how we really feel. Then, based on our regular inventories of ourselves, we must be as completely and consistently honest with our friends as we can be.

Intimacy is a part of life, and therefore a part of living clean - and intimacy, like everything in recovery, has its price. The painstaking self-scrutiny intimacy calls for can be hard work. And the total honesty of intimacy often brings its own complications. But the freedom from isolation and loneliness that intimacy brings is well worth the effort.

Just for Today: I seek the freedom from isolation and loneliness that intimacy brings. Today, I will get to know "the real me" by taking a personal inventory, and I will practice being completely honest with another person.

December 01, 2019 . . . Life's rewards . . . Page 351

"We begin to pray only for God's will for us. That way, we
get only what we are capable of handling." . . . Basic Text, p. 49

Imagine what might happen if God gave us everything we wanted. A fabulous new car, straight As, a triple salary raise-all ours without effort, just for the asking.

Now imagine the problems that come along with unearned riches, new luxury cars, and unmerited scholastic recognition. What would we do with a huge salary raise that had been granted for no reason? How would we handle our new financial responsibilities? And how would we live up to that raise? Could we ever make it appear that we deserve such pay when we know we don't?

What about that fantastic new car? Most come with expensive insurance premiums and hefty maintenance costs. Are we prepared to care for what we've asked for?

Academic honors? Could we perform like A students after we'd been given high marks we hadn't earned? What would we do if we were exposed as frauds?

When we talk to God, we need to remember that we live in the real world. We earn rewards and learn to handle them as we do.

Confining our prayers to requests for knowledge of God's will, the power to carry it out, and the ability to live with the consequences will ensure that we get no more than we can handle.

Just for Today: I will pray only for knowledge of God's will
and the power to carry that out in the real world. (Step 12)

Sunday December 1 2019

In this season of the year we prepare our hearts for the annual celebration of Christ’s birth. For some of us Christmas may stir up grief over Christmases past. Dysfunctional family activities, addiction, poverty and loneliness are all part of our world today. God saw the despair of nations and, in His wisdom, sent His son to be with us. Jesus is the promised Saviour for all of us who have walked in the darkness of addiction and sin.
Hundreds of years before Jesus was born Isaiah prophesied, “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.” (Isaiah 9:2 NLT) We are the people on whom the light of God’s love is now shining and for whom this great prophesy was fulfilled.
Some of us may feel that no one understands or cares about us. The truth is, God both understands and cares. The birth of Jesus Christ loudly expresses God’s unfailing love and care for us. Because of His humanity, Jesus can understand and sympathize with our weaknesses.
This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. (Hebrews 4:15-16 NLT)


When troubles come, God tells us to call on Him. God promises us light in our darkness and peace for our souls when the storms of life rage. God is our refuge and He will drive out the enemy before us.
I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. (Isaiah 42:16 NIV)


When we feel helpless and life seems unmanageable, it is time once again to turn our will and our life over to God’s care. If we do, God will make the rough places smooth.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, Thank you for bringing light into my darkness, for caring for me, and allowing me to cast all my anxiety on You. With confidence that You are in control, please give me the strength to persevere through whatever trials may come. Amen

©2019 Partners in Hope

MONDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2019 - JUST FOR TODAY - STOP CONTROLLING
Audio for JUST FOR TODAY - STOP CONTROLLING
Just for today I will be agreeable. I will not criticize, not find fault, and not try to improve or control anybody except myself.
Why is it easier to see where others need to improve than to see where we need to improve ourselves? Why are we irritated by the faults of others and unable to see our own?
Brothers and sisters, what if someone is caught in a sin? Then you who live by the Spirit should correct that person. Do it in a gentle way. But be careful. You could be tempted too. (Galatians 6:1 NIRV)
We all have blind spots in our character that cause us not to see the impact our words and actions have on others. We may have lived in a certain way for so long that our conscience simply ignores the effect of our conduct on others. Perhaps we have trained ourselves to live by our feelings and we feel hurt when someone else’s character defects impact us. This doesn’t make other’s wrongs worse than ours or our wrongs more excusable. It tells us that we have certain habits, character defects and harmful actions, that need to be re-shaped by God’s principles.
Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not want what belongs to others. It does not brag. It is not proud. It does not dishonor other people. It does not look out for its own interests. It does not easily become angry. It does not keep track of other people’s wrongs. Love is not happy with evil. But it is full of joy when the truth is spoken. It always protects. It always trusts. It always hopes. It never gives up. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIRV)
God calls us to get rid of our character defects. He wants us to be filled with love and compassion towards others. We can safely leave others in God’s hands while we get busy on the long list of changes we need to make. When we ask Him, God will help us improve our behaviour and enable us to live agreeably with others who, like us, are less than perfect.
Prayer: Loving God, it’s so easy to get angry and criticize others. Please reveal to me any way my behaviour is not in keeping with Your principles of love and compassion. Give me the humility to stay focused on the changes I need to make and leave others in Your care. Amen
©2019 Partners in Hope

December 02, 2019 . . . Recovery: our first priority . . . Page 352

"We have to keep our recovery first and our priorities in order." . . . Basic Text p. 82

Before coming to NA, we used many excuses to justify our use of drugs: "He yelled at me." "She said this." "My partner left." "I got fired." We used these same excuses for not seeking help for our drug problem. We had to realize that these things kept happening because we kept using drugs. Only when we made recovery our first priority did these situations begin to change.

We may be subject to the same tendency today, using excuses for not attending meetings and being of service. Our current excuses may be of a different nature: "I can't leave my kids." "My vacation wore me out." "I have to finish this project so I can impress my boss." But still, if we don't make recovery our first priority, chances are that we won't have to worry about these excuses anymore. Kids, vacations, and jobs probably won't be in our lives if we relapse.

Our recovery must come first. Job or no job, relationship or no relationship, we have to attend meetings, work the steps, call our sponsor, and be of service to God and others. These simple actions are what make it possible for us to have vacations, families, and bosses to worry about. Recovery is the foundation of our lives, making everything else possible.

Just for Today: I will keep my priorities in order. Number One on the list is my recovery.

December 03, 2019 . . . Vision without limits . . . Page 353

"Perhaps for the first time, we see a vision of our new life." . . . Basic Text, p. 35

In our addiction, our vision of ourselves was very limited. Each day, we went through the same routine: getting, using, and finding ways and means to get more. And that's all we could reasonably expect for the duration of our lives. Our potential was limited.

Today, our prospects are changed. Recovery has given us a new vision of ourselves and our lives. We are no longer trapped in the endlessly gray routine of addiction. We are free to stretch ourselves in new ways, trying out new ideas and new activities. In doing so, we come to see ourselves in a new way. Our potential is limited only by the strength of the Higher Power that cares for us - and that strength has no limits.

In recovery, life and everything in it appears open to us. Guided by our spiritual principles, driven by the power given us by the God of our understanding, our horizons are limitless.

Just for Today: I will open my eyes to the possibilities before me. My potential is as limitless and as powerful as the God of my understanding. Today, I will act on that potential.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2019 - COMMITTED TO LIFE AND GROWTH
Audio for COMMITTED TO LIFE AND GROWTH
The story is told of a pig and a chicken having a conversation about a meal they want to provide for their friends. The chicken suggests bacon and eggs for the menu. The pig responds "Not on your life! For you that's just a contribution. For me, it's a total commitment."

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. (2 Timothy 2:15, Romans 12:1 NIV)


To grow and mature and do well in any area of life requires commitment. In order to develop their skills, professional athletes consistently practice for long hours, at inconvenient times, over many years. Medical professionals spend huge amounts of time and money to learn the necessary skills to properly care for patients who are injured or sick.

Maintaining our life with God in recovery also takes time and effort. The habits and disciplines we began to practice when we got sober need to be carried on if we are to maintain our sobriety. We improve our conscious contact with God by praying and meditating on His word each day and then carrying out His will in all our affairs. Sometimes it will be convenient and many times it will not.

Sliding away from a focus on God’s plan into a focus of “me and my needs/problems” is a constant challenge for us in recovery and for those who are just living life. Deciding that our way in our time will work better than God’s instructions and the advice of trusted friends is a temptation we will face over and over again. Have we decided that God’s way is best and committed to His plan no matter what? This is the challenge in turning our will and our life over to the care of God. It’s not a one-time pledge but an everyday commitment.

Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you. (Psalm 37:5 NLT)

Prayer: Heavenly Father, once again I turn my will and my life – all the plans and ideas I have about today – over to Your care. Show we Your will and help me to walk in it. Amen
©2019 Partners in Hope

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2019 - KNOWING WHAT GOD'S WILL IS NOT

I don't always know what God's will is for me, but I always know what it's not.
Getting to know God's will is the journey of a lifetime. For many people the problem of living in sobriety is not so much “quitting” an addictive habit as it is of maintaining a new way of life – living in God’s will instead of self-will.

It’s God’s will that we get to know Him and develop a meaningful relationship with Him. Everything else comes after that. We know that acting in ways that nurture our addiction will take us away from God rather than towards Him, so we know that is not God’s will.

For Christ died for sins once and for all, a good man on behalf of sinners, in order to lead you to God. He was put to death physically but made alive spiritually. But God has shown us how much he loves us—it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us! (1 Peter 3:18, Romans 5:8 GNT)

Repeatedly in the Bible we are reminded that God loves us with unfailing love and is ready to receive us, forgive us, and give us a new start when we turn to Him and open our hearts and lives to Him. So, endlessly living in shame and guilt is clearly not the will of this loving God.

Whenever I am anxious and worried, you comfort me and make me glad. (Psalm 94:19 GNT)

Relationship with anyone is developed by spending time with them, being our authentic selves, listening, asking questions, telling stories, working together, and so on. Living in relationship with God is about all these things too. Neglecting to make time for conversation with God each day is clearly not God’s will for us.
We may not know what God’s will is for our long-term career or the ultimate working out of problems we created in addiction, but we know that God’s will for us today is to live well and to trust Him with the unknowns.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I want to know Your will for my life and put that into practice. Help me to stay away from those things I know are clearly not Your will and to leave the unknowns of the future with You. Help me to get to know You more. Amen

©2019 Partners in Hope

1) Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2) fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3) Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. NIV





Faith and recovery cannot be earned or achieved; rather, they are offered to us freely by God, and they are offered to us freely, by God to accept and take hold of them. Yet spiritual growth and recovery are a process. Here is the process compared to a race we run not against others, but against ourselves. Perhaps it is more like a marathon, where many contestants desire simply to finish, to reach their goal.

The goal toward which we run in our race of recovery and faith is health, and eternity with God. But our strategy is not one of straining, doing more, increasing our willpower, or trying to win points with God.

Growing spiritually is more a matter of clearing away our emotional baggage, admitting and letting go of our wrongdoings, making amends with those we have hurt, Detaching from those who try to control. These are things that hinder and entangle us period it's practically impossible to run a race if we try to carry our baggage on our back and let ourselves stay tangled up in the clinging vines of our unhealthy relationships and habits. But sometime shedding that entanglement takes time.

The most important thing we can do to stay in the race is to, “fix our eyes on Jesus.” After all, he got us into the race in the first place, and he stands at the finish line with his arms wide open and a cup of ice cold water in his hand. When we know Where we're going, and we know God is guiding an empowering us, the running comes much more easily.