“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.”

 

Step 11 is by far one of my favorite steps and one that has had lasting positive effects in my life. I strongly encourage the women I sponsor to read pages 86-88 daily, as a way to guide their morning meditative practice. I’ve heard people describe prayer as talking to God and meditation as listening to God. To me, prayer is a conversation with God, meditation is being one with God and makes possible the mindfulness I carry through my day to stop and listen to God. If I am driving down the road and someone cuts me off or won’t let me make a light before it’s red, I consider that the universe is guiding me. If I trust my higher power with my will and life, I have to be prepared for possible detours in what “I think is best”. Consistent contact with my higher power makes this a less painful process, where I’m not fighting the universe at every turn because I have a true conscious connection with it. If I am fighting where I’m at, I just pray for the willingness to surrender and do the next right thing in front of me. The universe has our best interest in mind, we just have to be okay with allowing it to take us there.