Prayer and Meditation

From our 11th Step prayer and meditation meeting this morning we uncovered (again) and remembered (one more time) these thoughts . . .  

"And let's always remember that meditation is in reality intensely practical.  One of its first fruits is emotional balance.  And in A.A. we have found that the actual good results of prayer are beyond question.  They are matters of knowledge and experience.  All those who have persisted have found strength not ordinarily their own.  They have found wisdom beyond their usual capability.  And they have increasingly found a peace of mind which can stand firm in the fact of difficult circumstances."

That's for me.  I'm a good, practical, technical Germanic type - I don't do anything without proof that it's going to make a difference.  And I'm awfully stubborn and willful so I like the flat, unequivocal statements made: these are beyond question and matters that have been proven by our knowledge and our experience.  You will find strength and wisdom and peace of mind.  No "maybes" in those sentences.  Nobody is asking me to weigh in.  I'm being told how it is and not asked if I disagree.

"Our immediate temptation will be to ask for specific solutions to specific problems, and for the ability to help other people as we have already thought they should be helped.  In that case, we are asking God to do it our way."

Here a few qualifiers pile up quickly: ". . . if it be Thy will" and "Thy will, not mine, be done" and ". . . knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out."  Getting the drift?  You can pray however you want, ask God for anything, get real outrageous even, as long as you understand that Something Else has the best plan, whether you can see it at the moment or if you don't agree that it's indeed the best plan.  No one really cares what your plan is.  

Another potential pitfall . . . 

"Why can't we take a specific and troubling dilemma straight to God, and in prayer secure from Him sure and definite answers to our requests?  Quite often ... the thoughts that seem to come from God are not answers at all.  They prove to be well-intentioned unconscious rationalizations."

Rationalize:    Attempt to explain or justify (one's own behavior or attitude) with logical, plausible reasons, even if these are not true or appropriate.

Well, I'm not sure about the well-intentioned part.  Or the unconscious part.  I think a lot of the time we know exactly what we're doing - trying to get God to do what we want.  I do know a ton about the rationalize part.

I am pretty sure that when someone - especially some religious professional in a fancy suit - tells me the facts about God and what God is or isn't . . . I back away.  These people are often crazy.  I don't think God plays favorites when he reveals his truths to people.  I think they're accessible to everyone.

"Perhaps one of the greatest rewards of meditation and prayer is the sense of belonging that comes to us.  We no longer live in a completely hostile world.  We are no longer lost and frightened and purposeless.  The moment we catch even a glimpse of God's will, the moment we begin to see truth, justice, and love as the real and eternal things in life, we are no longer deeply disturbed by all the seeming evidence to the contrary that surrounds us in purely human affairs."

Now THAT'S a Promise.