Step Eleven Questions

dot · Senior Member

Step Eleven Questions

Vicky R · Senior Member

hi Dot just briefly on that , I know what you mean . We don't have to believe in God to attend this programme but I understand that our growing faith in the process of recovery in Alanon would lead us to a more integrated focus where we wanted purely recovery for ourselves and others I guess . The programme recommends that it's important to have the courage to explore our beliefs and find ones that are loving and forgiving but that needn't apply to any particular religion but to develop and mature in our own relationship with spirituality even if we are an atheist for instance ,

llol Vickyr x

hersh · Newbie

((Hi Dot)))

I am new to the Step Board and fairly new to Alanon. I have worked the steps through AA and now love to see this step work board.

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

1. How do I define the difference between prayer and meditation?

For me, when I pray, I pray aloud, and on my knees, usually for protection for my family, loved ones, friends, and people I meet in recovery or anyone in the world that is suffering. Then I ask God to help me to be less concerned with control, to be able to feel my emotions and then to learn to surrender them. I have a conversation pretty much with him, let him know that the world is in his hands, his time, his plan. Then most of all I thank him for my life, my sobriety, my plans of recovery, the wonderful souls that I meet.

Meditation on the other hand is quiet time for me. I actually went to a Buddhist center and got instruction on how they did it, because I had no idea (meditation can be anything, though, quiet time doing anything you want). For me it is the Buddhist way, sitting and feeling in the now, completely still, slowing the mind down to be calm the rest of the day. I have gotten away from it and it is really necessary to emotional health I think!

2. Do I have a special time and place to pray and meditate?

Every morning and every night I pray, I was meditating in the mornings mainly, sometimes at night. Yes, special place, but anywhere can be special. Just needs to be quiet for me.

3. How have I sought to improve my conscious contact?

Lately it has been to ask God to please guide me, and asked him to guide me how I can be of service to him and others today.

4. What does it mean to me to pray only for God's will and not my own?

It means to let go of the way you want things to turn out because it may not be the way it will. It means that we never know what will happen, it is a journey. A lot of the things that happen to us are not what we plan, we want what is best but our plan may not be what God has planned for our lives.

God Bless you Dot, thanks for this board...

Love,

HeidiXXX

JohnV · Member

Hey Dot,

Step 11 is a maintenance step. I find that this helps my spiritual condition. The BB tells me that my reward is a daily reprieve...Kinda nice. This is an action step. It tells me what to do.

I find that everything I say, think, write, and do is a prayer. I am putting it out there as I live. This is a responsibility to do the right thing.

It is said that a prayer is when I am speaking to God. Meditation is when God is speaking to me...Meditation comes to me when I create the sacred space. This can be while sitting. It can be while resting. It can be while walking. The understanding that I have is that I am open with a clear mind to listen, really listen. In awareness I seek to accept the answers that come. Through my intention I hear.

The pressure is off. I can tap into prayer and meditation without alot of preparation. This allows a convenience. As I need it, it comes. So the dialogue in prayer is open. The answers in meditation are appropriate for where I am at the time. This is a conscious intention. That is how I contact a Higher Power. With the speed of thought, I am in the energy.

When I pray for HP will for me with power to carry that out, I simple intend that it is so. I find my connection and truth in HP that has always been there. Today, I know it was always there. In the past I thought HP had left me. No HP did not leave, He was always there waiting for me to ask...

Blessings, JV.

jobalo · Newbie

I really enjoyed reading everyone's concept of Step 11 in our lives.

For me, Step 11 is a good reminder every day that I am learning how to have more HUMILITY. This involves giving things to God and asking for His View on things, instead of inserting my own expectations and Will on the world around me. Step 11 basically helps me to mind my own darned business at times, too!!

I have to remember when living among other alcoholics in my life, that I am not in charge, I am not responsible for their walk, and I do not KNOW what God's Will is for them. I have no idea in what manner God is working in their lives to bring them closer to Him.

Step 11 helps me to keep ME out of the equation where I need to. It reminds me of Who is really in charge.

Joni

rosielightshines · Member

dot wrote:

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

1. How do I define the difference between prayer and meditation?

%%%%% for me??? prayer is talking and meditation is listening....something i hadn't learned how to do till i worked steps 11 enuf times....

2. Do I have a special time and place to pray and meditate?

%%%%%% AM and PM....and its DAILY   and in between as needed

3. How have I sought to improve my conscious contact?

%%%%%%%by REALLY accepting my powerlessness over so many things and by REALLY accepting that my way did not work and it was TIME to quit getting clobbered and to SURRENDER and once i began to make that habit,...DAILY steps 1,2,3,   10/11 and of course the others as needed

4. What does it mean to me to pray only for God's will and not my own? Please share your thoughts - Dot

%%%%%%% to really give up the self/ ego, and to really pray for HP's will....."thy will not mine"   be done....my will got me into this mess....the HP's will or plan for divine plan for my life is ALWAYS going to be best......iam giving up the "fighting and resisting"   tryin to force the outcome, my way, now i do what i can do- surrender the rest.......steps 3, and 11 are so intertwined, however for me, UNTIL i ingrained steps   1,2,3,   i wasn't going to really prosper in step 11....or any of them for that matter.......giving up the "self" the ego, self will,   runnin on my power scared me at first with my awful history, of needing to be in control cuz i was so helpless, scared me, but little by little i began to SEE that there IS someone/thing higher than me, who created me adn wants only the best for me.....and it behooved me to surrender my life and my heart over to this greater power......i cannot fight the darkness, but my HP/God can....its that simple...."go it alone- get clobbered"   "go it with my stronger - life partner?? and i am ok"......thanks for listening, rosie

Learn how the 12 Steps work. Participate in your own recovery as well as the recovery of others, by being active on this board as we go through the 12 Steps of recovery together! We discuss each of the Twelve Steps In the order they are written, one step at a time, every two weeks.