“So brothers and sisters, since God has shown us great mercy, I beg you to offer your lives as a living sacrifice to him.” (Romans 12:12)
The “big book” of Alcoholics Anonymous encourages those of us in recovery to start our mornings with God. Upon awakening, we are to spend time praying and discerning what God wants us to do for the day. We actively take the Third Step and give our lives and our wills over to the care of God. Then, we can go about our day knowing that He is in charge. We don’t have to be. What a relief that is!
Father Micheal, the 9/11 “saint” started his day with this simple prayer: “God, take me where you want me to go. Introduce me to who you want me to meet. Tell me what you want me to say. Help me get out of your way.” This simple morning prayer puts us where we need to be. It humbles us before God and puts Him in the driver’s seat. When we get baffled or confused throughout our day, we pause. We ask God for direction. We don’t try to use our own understanding or logic to figure things out. (Proverbs 3:5) We give ourselves over to God. God’s Holy Spirit resides in us when we believe and give our lives over to Him. We can trust that the Spirit will take us exactly where we need to go. The Holy Spirit will fulfill God’s desires for us if we just get out of its way and let it lead us.
