Praying the 12 Steps & Traditions of SIA

By Laura Thompson

This prayer book is presented as a guide to those seeking healing through prayer and meditation. Its format is based on the Roman Catholic tradition of the Liturgy of the Hours. The Liturgy of the Hours is the prayer of the Church. The Liturgy of the Hours follows a set pattern of antiphons, psalms and readings. This prayer aid is modeled on that pattern. The selected psalms and readings would correspond with steps and traditions of most 12-step groups. The scripture passages are from the New Living Translation. The steps and traditions contained here are those of SIA – Survivors of Incest. Other parts are adapted from various books of Christian prayer in the spirit of the Liturgy of the Hours. This small guide is humbly submitted for those seeking a loving Higher Power and spiritual support in the 12-step journey to healthy and courageous living.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Laura Thompson
• Release date: Apr 22, 2011
• ISBN: 9781458015914

Laura Thompson

Laura Thompson is the author of several critically acclaimed works of non-fiction. Her first book The Dogs: A Personal History of Greyhound Racing won the Somerset Maugham Award. Rex V. Edith Thompson: A Tale of Two Murders was shortlisted for a CWA Dagger Award. She has written biographies of Nancy Mitford and Agatha Christie, A Different Class of Murder about the Lord Lucan scandal, The Last Landlady about her grandmother, and the New York Times-bestselling Take Six Girls: The Lives of the Mitford Sisters.

Book preview

Praying the Steps and Traditions of SIA

Smashwords Edition

Published by L. Thompson at Smashwords

© April 22, 2011

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.Serenity Prayer

Contents (EP = Evening Prayer; MP = Morning Prayer)

Introduction

Serenity Prayer

EP: STEP 1 – We admitted we were powerless over the abuse, the effects of the abuse and that our lives have become unmanageable

MP: TRADITION 1 – Our common welfare should come first; personal progress for greatest number depends upon SIA unity.

EP: STEP 2 – Came to believe that a loving Higher Power, greater than ourselves, could restore hope, healing and sanity

MP: TRADITION 2 – For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority—a loving Higher Power as (s)he may express herself/himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.

EP: STEP 3 – Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of a loving Higher Power, as we understood Him/Her

MP: TRADITION 3 – The only requirement for membership is that you a victim of child sexual abuse that you desire to recover from it and that you are not abusing any child.

EP: STEP 4 – Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves, the abuse, and its effect on our lives; we have no more secrets

MP: TRADITION 4 – Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting the group or SIA as a whole.

EP: STEP 5 – Admitted to a loving Higher Power, to ourselves, and to another human being our strengths and weaknesses.

MP: TRADITION 5 – Each SIA group has but one primary purpose—to carry its message to the incest survivor who still suffers

EP: STEP 6 – Were entirely ready to have a loving Higher Power help us remove all the debilitating consequences of the abuse and became willing to treat ourselves with respect, compassion and acceptance

MP: TRADITION 6 – Our SIA group ought never endorse, finance or lend the SIA name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property and prestige divert us from our primary purpose

EP: STEP 7 – Humbly and honestly asked a loving Higher Power to remove the unhealthy and self-defeating consequences stemming from the abuse

MP: TRADITION 7 – Every 12-step group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.

EP: STEP 8 – Made a list of all people we may have harmed (of our own free will), especially ourselves and our inner child, and became willing to make amends to them all.

MP: TRADITION 8 – SIA work should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers

EP: STEP 9 – Made amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would result in physical, mental, emotional or spiritual harm to ourselves or others

MP: TRADITION 9 – SIA, as such, ought never to be organized; but may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those we serve

EP: STEP 10 – Continued to take responsibility for our own recovery and when we found ourselves behaving in patterns still dictated by the abuse, promptly admitted it. When we succeed, we promptly enjoy it.

MP: TRADITION 10 – SIA has no opinion on outside issues; hence SIA name ought never to be drawn into public controversy.

EP: STEP 11 – Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with ourselves and a loving Higher Power as we understood Her/Him, asking only for knowledge of Her/His will for us and the power and courage to carry that out.

MP: TRADITION 11 – Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of the press, radio and films and television

EP: STEP 12 – Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to other survivors and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

MP: TRADITION 12 – Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities

Canticle of Zechariah

Canticle of Mary

Just a word of Introduction…

This prayer book is presented as a guide to those seeking healing through prayer and meditation. Its format is based on the Roman Catholic tradition of the Liturgy of the Hours. The Liturgy of the Hours is the prayer of the Church. The Liturgy of the Hours follows a set pattern of antiphons, psalms and readings. This prayer aid is modeled on that pattern. The selected psalms and readings would correspond with steps and traditions of most 12-step groups. The scripture passages are from the New Living Translation. The steps and traditions contained here are those of SIA – Survivors of Incest. Other parts are adapted from various books of Christian prayer in the spirit of the Liturgy of the Hours. This small guide is humbly submitted for those seeking a loving Higher Power and spiritual support in the 12-step journey to healthy and courageous living.

Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. The courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardship as the pathway to peace. Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it.

Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will; that I may be reasonably happy in this life, and supremely happy with Him forever in the next; Amen.

EVENING PRAYER

Step One

We admitted we were powerless over the abuse, the effects of the abuse and that our lives have become unmanageable

God come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.

Ant. 1 - O Lord, I have come to you for protection; don’t let me be disgraced. Save me, for you do what is right.

Psalm 31 - An admission of powerlessness

(Ps 31; 5 – 10, 14 – 16, 22 – 24)

I entrust my spirit into your hand. Rescue me, Lord, for you are a faithful God. I hate those who worship worthless idols. I trust in