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Gmoney · 07-07-2008, 01:50 PM

Hi 2ala2, Here's an article from my area's newletter (Aug. 2004) that was written by a good friend of mine. I agree with it and think it pretty much sums up what this step is about:

We Sought:

We are all trying to experience the finding of our Higher Power’s will for us in the Eleventh Step but we are not always aware that the prayer thing is not just a one time of day thing. We can pray without ceasing throughout the day. When we wake up in the morning, we can ask our Higher Power to be with us throughout the day giving us knowledge of his will for us and the power to carry it out. We can ask for the help we need to make decisions during the day. We can ask for our wants and needs (being careful what we wish for because we just might get it) as the day progresses. We can say help when things get out of control and we are not sure what to do in any given situation. We can say thank-you for getting us through the day yet again and for the blessing of recovery at night. We can pray for any reason that we choose.

Meditation, on the other hand, takes practice and dedication. Most of us of had little experience with this before coming to recovery. After all, which of us has not tried to at least bargain with God at least once while using? God, if you get me out of this one, I will do this or that? But meditation requires active listening and being willing to sit with ourselves in the quiet. We must turn off the noise in our lives and sit. It means turning off the television and the radios and going into the stillness that results and listening for the quiet voice that is inside each one of us that is the voice of our Higher Power giving us the assurance that we are on the right path for our lives and then being willing to follow that path. It is often easy to drown out that voice with thoughts of what we have or want to accomplish at any given moment but if we really listen we can hear it at any time or place. All we have to do is listen for it. This takes practice. Some of us take up formal meditation techniques and others of us just sit and listen; do whatever works for you. The important thing is to listen for the voice of your Higher Power speaking to you and to try to follow the path for your life. When you do this, great things become possible and new paths are opened up to you.

Beth M.
Inside The Rooms, The Recovery Is Possible Area Newsletter
August 2004

07-07-2008, 01:50 PM	#3 (permalink)
Gmoney Evolving Addict Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: New York State Posts: 2,910	Hi 2ala2, Here's an article from my area's newletter (Aug. 2004) that was written by a good friend of mine. I agree with it and think it pretty much sums up what this step is about: We Sought: We are all trying to experience the finding of our Higher Power’s will for us in the Eleventh Step but we are not always aware that the prayer thing is not just a one time of day thing. We can pray without ceasing throughout the day. When we wake up in the morning, we can ask our Higher Power to be with us throughout the day giving us knowledge of his will for us and the power to carry it out. We can ask for the help we need to make decisions during the day. We can ask for our wants and needs (being careful what we wish for because we just might get it) as the day progresses. We can say help when things get out of control and we are not sure what to do in any given situation. We can say thank-you for getting us through the day yet again and for the blessing of recovery at night. We can pray for any reason that we choose. Meditation, on the other hand, takes practice and dedication. Most of us of had little experience with this before coming to recovery. After all, which of us has not tried to at least bargain with God at least once while using? God, if you get me out of this one, I will do this or that? But meditation requires active listening and being willing to sit with ourselves in the quiet. We must turn off the noise in our lives and sit. It means turning off the television and the radios and going into the stillness that results and listening for the quiet voice that is inside each one of us that is the voice of our Higher Power giving us the assurance that we are on the right path for our lives and then being willing to follow that path. It is often easy to drown out that voice with thoughts of what we have or want to accomplish at any given moment but if we really listen we can hear it at any time or place. All we have to do is listen for it. This takes practice. Some of us take up formal meditation techniques and others of us just sit and listen; do whatever works for you. The important thing is to listen for the voice of your Higher Power speaking to you and to try to follow the path for your life. When you do this, great things become possible and new paths are opened up to you. Beth M. Inside The Rooms, The Recovery Is Possible Area Newsletter August 2004