Introduction – Step 11 of Alcoholics Anonymous
“Sought through prayer and meditation
to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him,
praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.”
The truth is, those wrestling with the mental obsession of addiction are also wrestling with the limitations of their own selves. Each person has a limited number of experiences and is prone to mistakes, failures, and distorted thinking. It does not take a long look into the world around us to see that humanity needs great help and assistance. Each of us also needs significant help. I picture the man or woman stranded on a desert island drawing out the letters H E L P in the sand desperately hoping that a plane flying by will see their cry. Soon, the waves of the ocean will wipe away the sand and only a blur will remain. Yet, people in the direst situations have found a way through and out of near death from illness, accident, and harmful intentions of others into calm, safety, health, and vibrant life.
Improving Conscious Contact with God
Coming to admit our need for help, being willing to let go of bad fruit, and being willing to receive the good, is a short summary of the 12-step work. The unfolding of each of these three realizations is obviously a bit more involved than a simple 3-step process. Life is messy at times! The glare of the sun can make seeing clearly difficult. Does that mean we stop looking up at the stars? There is more to life than we often realize or consciously hold firm in our minds on a moment to moment basis. Let’s hear from Bernard again and his insightful explanation on step 11.
Watch Video Now
What is your experience with prayer and meditation?
Has it been helpful in the past?
Is it helpful to you now?
Prayer and Meditation
Bernard shared one way to understand prayer and meditation. Prayer is us talking to God. Meditation is us listening to God. Having conscious contact of a loving God will bring some understanding in our lives. It will shift a selfish, ego-centric focus that is inscribed with addiction behavior, to one that readily listens and is willing to act for the greater good of ourselves and others.
Spiritual Disciplines
The video also spoke of spiritual disciplines. These cannot be attained and established by anyone for us. Each of us is responsible for gaining spiritual disciplines. Some think of these disciplines as tools. If you never pick up the tools, what good are they? The recovering from Substance Abuse Disorder will be utilizing spiritual disciplines as tools for general well-being as well as for specific purposes in specific situations. The importance of aligning yourself to God’s purposes are key in the 11th step. The willingness to listen and carry out God’s will for our lives are sure to bare fruit. Personally, I have never met someone who has surrendered their life to God and regretted it, have you?
***Suggested Action Step***
Meditation on Beauty
In this suggested action step, you can spend time in meditation. Find a quiet place, take a few deep breaths out and be still. There may be some distractions around you and that’s ok. Just practice being still. Focus on communicating with the God of your understanding. Ask God to show you all that is beautiful in this life. Great accomplishments and victories have come from those inspired by the beauty of God and creation. During this time, be present with any thoughts and feelings you have. You can even direct thoughts and needs in prayer during the mediation. Set aside 10-15 minutes. If you feel led to write down your experience of the meditation session, that sometimes helps people to remember. There is no right or wrong experience. Trust in a loving God to guide you.
Question for Reflection: How was the mediation experience for you? Is this or something similar something you have done before? How was this different?
Helpful Links
List of 20 Helpful Books on Prayer
https://www.heartsandmindsbooks.com/2015/11/a_large_list_of_books_on_praye/
Psalm 23 – Guided Meditation