Two Way Prayer 

The First Story 

The Winter of 2021-2022 was particularly nasty.  I was experiencing severe back pain, particularly in the overnight, which means that I was not sleeping well. Anybody who has had that challenge will know that can make you crazy. 

It was a zoom meeting, and S began to talk about two way prayer.  Two way prayer is not complicated.  It is simply a letter to God, and then seeking what you imagine to be a response.  She suggested some resources (see below). One of the books started with the idea that you needed to get up early enough to meet with God.  As someone who was having trouble sleeping,  my first response was an eye roll.

May I never forget that season.  It began with an intuitive thought.  I’m trying to figure out how to sleep sitting up.  “You need to tell somebody you are miserable.”  I think the written practice began soon after that, as something to do  to process what I was feeling.  The first doctor’s appointment was a bust.  “Keep going! Help is coming.”  It took three doctors appointments. The third one was a miracle. 

I imagined somebody sitting back with a big smile, “See? Trust me!”

So, I started to make a regular appointment with my God.  Each morning, I shower and dress, and then I show up. My practice is digital. That has to do with who I am, and my travel patterns for work. I do a brain dump and then I flip to italics and consider a response.   I do it before breakfast.  How long it takes really depends on what is going on.  Every day. 

What I have found is a source of encouragement, and love, and a clear sense that there is a plan for my life.  There are some consistent principles.

Sobriety. Writer. Self Care.   Be very skeptical about adding more.  It’s Enough.  Don’t take more than you need.  It’s going to be fantastic.

This is my good news. It’s amazing. It has changed my life and rocked my world.  This is where I get guidance.  This is where I get my self esteem. 

Resources

I have appreciated some resources. I have learned that two way prayer was an essential part of the very early AA program.  What follows are some of my favorites.   

https://www.twowayprayer.org/

This is a website that has a lot of resources.  The teacher is Father Bill W.  He is amazing.  

Book:

Invitation to a great experiment: exploring the possibility that God can be known

Thomas E Powers

https://alladdictsanonymous.org/product/invitation-to-a-great-experiment/

This is the book that begins with a picture of an alarm clock.