He realized that by only praying for God’s will, God revealed his will and answered his past prayers for sobriety. 

All my life, I thought prayer meant asking God for something I wanted—peace, healing, sobriety. If I said the right words, in the right way, at the right time, maybe God would say yes. Looking back, I see how my prayers were self-centered—about me trying to manage God.

But I couldn’t stay sober, no matter how hard I tried. Then, in 2022, something changed. I have been sober since. 

What happened? One night, I realized the word “prayer” really means invitation. To pray is to invite God, not to persuade Him. I invite God to do what He wills, not what I wish. That realization changed me. That’s what prayer became for me: a moment where I opened my heart and said, “God, I invite You to use me.” Life became calmer. I have serenity to match calamities. I’ve learned that when I let God’s will happen through me, even hardships become bearable.

Today, prayer for me isn’t about asking God to change things; it’s about asking Him to use me.

When resentment rises, I pray: “God, this resentment separates me from You. It keeps me from doing Your will. I invite You to remove it.”

When I’m afraid, I pray: “God, this fear blocks me from You. Please take it away so I can do what You will.”

When my intention is to do His will, He answers. I also learned that I can’t trick God. I can’t pray selfishly and dress it up as surrender, like saying, “God, give me money so I can focus on You.” God knows my motives before I even speak. He’s not fooled by words; He listens to the heart.

When I think about what prayer means to me today, it’s this: “God, let me be used by You to do what You will.”

That simple invitation has brought me freedom, serenity, and conscious contact with the One who keeps me sober, one day at a time.