Discussion and Sharing Welcomed!

[CarolD]

Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscience contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

[CarolD]

My favorite step. My glory step!

My God and I are best friends.
We walk and talk together as good friends do.

He takes my hand..gives blessings and comfort. I honor Him.

I find reading Psalms 23 gives me hope ..

Thanks for letting me share.

[501]

Hi Carol,

Thanks for inviting me here. This is a part of my program I need to work on. If I would take time to pray and meditate each morning, I know I would be more likely to live my life that day to the fullest. Yet, I find myself running from one project to another without a clear plan for the day and waste valuble time. But if I take that time, rest in the knowledge that God has a plan for me, review the steps and remind myself to adhere to them just for today, I will be blessed. How will that bless me? It blesses me by allowing me to make the right descions and treat people fairly thus casing less friction and conflict that if it runs rampant, would cause me to stumble. I hope this makes sense.

[GlassPrisoner]

I pray and meditate in the morning and at night. Also, throughout the day whenever it's "needed".

My morning prayer is a please God. Knowledge of his will, power to carry it out and sobriety. I also pray for my families basic needs to be met.

My evening prayer is a Thank You God. A prayer of thanks and gratitude for all my blessings and all the opportunities I had to be of service during the day.

I'll say the Serenity Prayer when I get squirrelly.

I find my connection with God to be interment. Sometimes, it's obvious and wide open, like a good internet connection. Other times, it's dim or hardly there. I guess that's why the step says "Sought to improve....."

Lastly, I've been practicing breathing meditation. I find it really helps. Simply sitting somewhere quiet, concentrating on my breathing or a mantra, I find that 15 minutes will go by when my brain thinks it's been a minute or two.

[lanie67]

I don't have a formal prayer and meditation program. I do pray a lot throughout the day. I pray every night, just about, in bed. It looks like the 10th, 11th, and 12th steps are really lacking in my life right now. I feel guilty about that sitting here, feeling like, well *knowing*, having learned through bitter experience lately, just what I have been given in this life, what I was given in my early twenties that I see so many friends my age now trying to get, on their own, and failing over and over, and I just think that I am not grateful, and that I am treating this precious gift, of knowing what it is that can keep one sober one day at a time, and treating it like it doesn't have any value. At least I know what is wrong, and that is a start.

[Tommyh]

my favorite step also Carol

I have found from my experience;

prayer can be spoken,written out,or silent
the meditation usually is the hardest.I try and sit still and to quiten my mind and insides and try and listen for that small still voice inside.
The more I try the better it gets

[savoy]

Originally Posted by bballdad

my favorite step also Carol

I have found from my experience;

prayer can be spoken,written out,or silent
the meditation usually is the hardest.I try and sit still and to quiten my mind and insides and try and listen for that small still voice inside.
The more I try the better it gets

When asked what that voice sounds like, sing this.

"Do you hear what I hear, do you hear what I hear"

[CarolD]

Yes! Another awesome step for emotional peace.

God and I are best friends and I would not be
joy filled without His grace.

Thanks for letting me share

[AW2486]

A few months ago I made this for a sponsee who was seeking structure on the 11th step. Everything is taken from the Big Book. Disclaimer .. just want to make clear this is not the only way to work Step 11. Just an idea for a sponsee.

Step 11 in the Morning
On awakening let us think about the twenty-four hours ahead
We ask to God to direct our thinking
1. To be divorced from self pity, dishonest or self seeking motives
2. For inspiration, an intuitive thought or decision.
3. For freedom from self will
We are careful never to pray for our own selfish ends

Read two pages from the Big Book & Daily Reflections for the Day

3rd Step Prayer
God, I offer myself to Thee to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy power, Thy love, and Thy Way of life. May I do Thy will always!

Step 11 in the Evening
When we retire at night we constructively review our day
We ask ourselves
1. Were we resentful, selfish, dishonest or afraid?
2. Do we owe an apology?
3. Have we kept something to ourselves, which should be discussed with another person at once?
4. Were we kind and loving toward all?
5. What could we have done better?
6. Were we thinking of ourselves most of the time?
7. Or were we thinking of what we could do for others, of what we could pack into the stream of life?
After making our review we ask God's forgiveness and inquire what corrective measures should be taken.

7th Step Prayer
My Creator, I am now willing that you should have all of me, good and bad. I pray that you now remove from me every single defect of character, which stands in the way of my usefulness to you and my fellows. Grant me strength, as I go out from here, to do your bidding. Amen.
Please Remember Progress not Perfection

All quotes taken from Alcoholics Anonymous 1st Edition.

[Tommyh]

great stuff Andy,and it really works

[GACOWBOY]

you ever wonder why in the book it is when we retire and then on awkwening? There is a reason for it and its kinda interesting.

[CarolD]

No I have not GaCowboy.....

Please do share your thoughts with us

[Pete55]

Prayer and Meditation, I never knew much about Meditation until I was on Step 11 and heard some illustrations and methods from the early AA days. Now I am not here to BBBash, I am just saying the illustrations given, *because* it was the step I was taking at the time, I was *listening*.
Had it been anything else, I would not be as attentive.

They ( as in the steps study workshop ) said there are 3 parts to prayer and meditation, it's principles.
Prayer-asking-Meditation-listening-Prayer-thanking.

Ok, but my problem was, "yea, but when I listen, how do I know what is my head's noise, or what is the reply?

Obviously, I again was not being attentive the first time round, so I did this workshop again, 3 times till I understood it.

What I found, and it's in the BB, meditation is very personal, each one is different, so my way is using prayer-asking by writing, and meditation-listening and writing everything, noise from my head or not, just write everything.
For a bit of vain glory I may light up candles, insense and all the rest of it, a bit of fun, but seriously,
I need to know what the answers are to my prayers, and what is my head talking about if it's OK and what is not OK.

After writing during Meditation, I have and use a checklist, a filter.
Yeah ok, this raises controversy, but it works for me.
the Four Absolutes, I use as a "filter" and as "goal posts", meaning the ideal is the aim for the 4 absolutes, and knowing I will never be perfect, yet my sights are towards those "goal post", or I go backwards and can lead to drinking. That is what my thinking does, it will show me glass of wine as a solution. So I look the other way-re-coil. Takes practice, gets easier.

Now, lets say I prayed for more money in my life.
My mind would say, try gambling, or steal, or whatever is not of the "4 absolute" ideals.
Once I cross off what does not match with the ideals, in good time I am left with stuff I have written that gets past the "goal posts". It matches with the 4 absolutes!!

Then I look at it, sometimes I may have to do a reality check with a AA friend that is on a similar page, and then pray again for thanks.

Do I practice this always? The honest answer is No, I don't. But each time I do, the benefits outweigh not practicing.

Here is another one that happened, and this was real.

It was a day when 3 meetings were on at the same time. I knew which one *I* wanted to go, I knew which meeting I simply wanted to avoid and the third meeting, was sort of, "naahh, borrrrrinnnng".

So, by pray-meditating, the feel was to go to the boring meeting.
When I got there, the secretary was late, so I thought.
I was the only one there. So I set up the meeting, the whole bit, all on my own.
Ten minutes past meeting time, the hall owner came from the office and advised me the secretary is unable to make it.
OK
But, no one had arrived, except, except a first timer, never been to a AA meeting before, was with spouse, travelers in camper-van.
Her drinking was out of control etc etc, so they thought they look up a meeting, picked the "boring meeting", (they were not to know), but I was the only one there.

Well, for me efforts, we shared for 30 minutes, gave her some leads for their travels, packed up and went home, I got out early, 45 minutes, instead of the proverbial 90 minute meeting and had a first time newcomer to deal with.

That is the power of Step 11

[sugarbear1]

I found something on a Back to Basics or Oldtimers website this morning routine. I recently read, but not yet done, the following.

Wake up 1 hour earlier each day. Spend 20 minutes reading, 20 minutes praying/meditating, and 20 minutes exercising.

This is a link, I hope it's legal to post.

ADR Recovery: Early AA and Fundamentals

[CarolD]

Yes that link is interesting.....I've had it in my Favorites for years.
One of the first people I 'met" when I came on line in '92 was Mitchell K

In those days we shared on a site that is now named about.com
Mitchell had his own site up and running too..I think the link to this one is based on his.

When I use any recovery site it's more useful for me when I remember..
what works for me may not be what anyone else finds helpful.

[CarolD]

For instance...20 minutes of straight exercising. is not possible for me.
I can do bits during the day without physical harm...

Reading? I can only do that thru Audio materials ...SR and my vocal communication take care of that many times during the day..
Grateful for the resources available today...

I find meditation and prayers keep me in emotional balance...I frequently scatter them around my waking day...

[SteppingItUp]

Originally Posted by sugarbear1

I found something on a Back to Basics or Oldtimers website this morning routine. I recently read, but not yet done, the following.

Wake up 1 hour earlier each day. Spend 20 minutes reading, 20 minutes praying/meditating, and 20 minutes exercising.

This is a link, I hope it's legal to post.

ADR Recovery: Early AA and Fundamentals

Thanks, Sugarbear. You're doing good. Been watching you grow. Looks like you've got a great attitude, and the feet to follow. Keep on keeping on.