What This Step Means
Step Eleven is about staying connected to your higher power.
This step helps you:
- Talk to your higher power regularly
- Listen for guidance
- Ask for strength to do the right thing
- Keep your spiritual life growing
What Prayer Is
Prayer is talking to your higher power:
- Asking for help with problems
- Saying thank you for good things
- Sharing your feelings and fears
- Requesting guidance for decisions
What Meditation Is
Meditation is listening to your higher power:
- Being quiet and still
- Paying attention to your thoughts and feelings
- Listening for answers or guidance
- Finding peace in the silence
How to Pray
Simple prayers:
- "Please help me today"
- "Thank you for keeping me sober"
- "Show me what to do"
- "Give me strength"
Longer prayers:
- Talk to your higher power like a friend
- Share what's worrying you
- Ask for help with specific problems
- Express gratitude for good things
Famous prayers many people use:
- The Serenity Prayer
- The Lord's Prayer
- The Third Step Prayer
- The Seventh Step Prayer
How to Meditate
Simple meditation:
- Sit quietly for a few minutes
- Close your eyes
- Focus on your breathing
- Try to quiet your mind
- Listen for thoughts or feelings that seem like guidance
Guided meditation:
- Use meditation apps or recordings
- Follow along with instructions
- Focus on specific topics like gratitude or peace
- Let someone else guide your thoughts
Reading meditation:
- Read spiritual books slowly
- Think about what they mean for your life
- Look for messages that speak to you
- Apply what you learn to your day
When to Pray and Meditate
Morning:
- Ask your higher power to guide your day
- Set good intentions
- Ask for strength for whatever comes
- Express gratitude for being sober
During the day:
- Pray when you're stressed or confused
- Ask for help before making big decisions
- Say thank you when good things happen
- Pause and listen for guidance
Evening:
- Review your day with your higher power
- Ask for forgiveness for mistakes
- Express gratitude for help received
- Ask for peaceful sleep
What to Pray For
DO pray for:
- Knowledge of God's will for you
- Strength to do the right thing
- Help with your character defects
- Guidance in decisions
- Help for other people
- Gratitude and peace
DON'T pray for:
- Specific outcomes for others
- Material things for yourself
- Your way instead of God's way
- Harm to come to others
- Things that would hurt people
What Happens When You Pray and Meditate
You might experience:
- More peace and calmness
- Better ability to handle problems
- Clearer thinking about decisions
- Stronger connection to your higher power
- Less fear and worry
- More gratitude and joy
You might not feel anything at first:
- That's normal and okay
- Keep doing it anyway
- The benefits often come gradually
- Others will notice changes before you do
Common Questions
"I don't know how to pray"
- Just talk like you're talking to a friend
- Start with simple words
- There's no wrong way to pray
- Ask other people in AA how they pray
"I don't think God hears me"
- Keep praying anyway
- Look for answers in different ways
- Sometimes answers come through other people
- Trust that your higher power cares about you
"I can't quiet my mind for meditation"
- That's normal for beginners
- Start with just a few minutes
- Try guided meditations
- Focus on your breathing when your mind wanders
Different Ways to Connect
- Traditional prayer: Talking to God in words
- Nature meditation: Spending quiet time outside
- Reading spiritual literature: Learning from wise people
- Service to others: Showing love through actions
- Gratitude practice: Focusing on what you're thankful for
- Music and art: Finding the spiritual in creativity
Signs Your Spiritual Life Is Growing
- You feel more peaceful most days
- You handle problems better
- You're less selfish and more caring
- You trust that things will work out
- You want to help other people
- You feel connected to something bigger than yourself
Making It a Habit
Start small:
- Pray for just a few minutes each day
- Try one simple meditation technique
- Be consistent even if you don't feel like it
- Don't worry about doing it perfectly
Build gradually:
- Add more time as it becomes easier
- Try different types of prayer and meditation
- Find what works best for you
- Make it a regular part of your day
Remember
- Your higher power wants to help you
- There's no wrong way to pray or meditate
- Consistency matters more than perfection
- This practice will strengthen your recovery
- You're building a relationship that will last your whole life