A higher power can be said to be an unseen influence which is in control of the entire universe, a power which wields total authority over humans. A good number of people believe in the existence of a higher power. However, not everyone attributes this to God, they simply refer to it as a connection which is shared with all living things.
For recovery, quite a number of people are of the believe that believing in a higher power is one of the fastest ways to recover from an addiction. For instance, people who are hooked on alcohol, have a recovery program which is a set of philosophies containing a set of recovery steps from addiction. It is referred to as the 12-step program. It was meant for alcohol addicts as first, before being adopted by other forms of addiction.
1. Powerless over addiction: Believing in your higher power helps to ensure that you gradually take charge over what you are addicted to.
2. Belief in a power greater than you: The higher power has the capacity to restore sanity in all forms.
3. Decision to surrender your will: Turning your will to the higher power ensures that you are taken care of.
4. Know more about yourself: The higher power helps you to discover more about yourself and how fast you can utilize that to aid your recovery from addiction.
5. Total acknowledgment: With the surrendering to a higher power, you become admitted to yourself and human beings which is the ideal nature of your erroneous doings.
6. Removal of defects: The higher power helps you to ensure that all defects in your character are eliminated.
7. Removal of shortcomings: The higher power also helps to eliminate all your inadequacies.
8. Making amends: With the help of a higher power, it would be easier to amend your ways with people with whom you have had conflicts with in the past.
9. Making direct amends: You would make direct amends except in cases when it would hurt them.
10. Keeping tabs on yourself: You would be able to know if you are deviating from the right path or not.
11. Communication with the higher power: You can do this through prayer and meditation, a regular practice of this would draw you closer to your higher power.
12. Spiritual awakening: With the help of the higher power, you would be more sensitive and practical in evading every form of addiction.