...we learn to begin each day with the same type of commitment, asking God to keep us sober for just that day, One Day at a Time. (SA 95)
Every morning, before breakfast, even before my meditation, I make a contract with God that goes something like this: “God, I contract with You to be sober for the next twenty-four hours, no matter what.” Along with the other prayers I say every morning, my commitment to sobriety prepares me for the day ahead, providing a shield against temptation that works where other program tools fail. Often I have heard my disease whisper, on an otherwise sober and happy day, “Why not just masturbate? It'll be over in a heartbeat, and who will know the difference anyway?” These thoughts are so subtle and seemingly nonchalant that I usually cannot think of any rebuttal to them.
Then I remember my contract to be sober no matter what. Sanity returns instantly, and I tell my disease, “Even though your suggestion seems reasonable, I cannot act on it, because I've already committed to be sober for today. Why not get back to me tomorrow?” The temptation evaporates, and my reprieve is extended for one more day.
God, I contract with you to be sober for the next twenty-four hours, no matter what.