"Humbly, on our knees, asked Him to remove our shortcomings—holding nothing back." — Original AA Seventh Step
The original manuscript of AA was a little more hardcore than what many of us are used to today. Those early members had watched friends go back out and die. For a real alcoholic, getting sober wasn't one option among many—it was the only option, or don't waste our time.
Being on our knees wasn't anything new anyway. We'd spent enough nights kneeling over a toilet, sick, broken, and out of answers. We'd been so broken down by alcohol that we could barely stand. When it came time to pray, many of the early members got on their knees.
Then, in true AA fashion, nobody said you had to. They simply passed along what worked. Some people with long-term sobriety still pray that way today. Some don't.
Maybe there's something about physically getting on our knees that helps us remember who we're asking, and who we've finally stopped trying to be.
It's your life. Your recovery. Do what you want. Just don't let laziness make the decision for you.
Have you ever prayed on your knees? If so, what was different about it? If not, what keeps you from trying it?
