What does the AA Big Book say about meditation?
In the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, where the 12-step program is outlined, Step 11 reads: Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for the knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
- Convincing testimony must surely come from medical men who have had experience with the sufferings of our members and have witnessed our return to health. ( ...
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- Faced with this problem, if a doctor is honest with himself, he must sometimes feel his own inadequacy. (
- Set aside a time each day to meditate with your intention being listening to your higher power and becoming stronger in your recovery. ...
- Ask your friends and family to respect your meditation time, as it is important that you can practice in a quiet space.
On awakening let us think about the twenty-four hours ahead. We consider our plans for the day. Before we begin, we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self seeking motives.
The meeting requires one chairperson and one speaker. The meeting is conducted in a relaxed, welcoming manner. It is structured so that it can begin and end within one hour. During the readings and meditation we suggest that the members sit comfortably with eyes closed and rest in God's presence.
In my disease, I had given up my art, a self-inflicted punishment far greater than any imposed from outside. In my recovery, I learned that the pain of my defects is the very substance God uses to cleanse my character and to set me free.
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.”
Saint Matthias the Apostle is a patron saint of alcoholics. He was also the man whom early Christians chose to replace one of Jesus Christ's original apostles who betrayed him -- Judas Iscariot -- after Judas' suicide. St.
Some of us sought out sordid places, hoping to find understanding com- panionship and approval. Momentarily we did—then would come oblivion and the awful awakening to face the hideous Four Horsemen—Terror, Bewilderment, Frustration, Despair.
What are the 9 Bedevilments AA?
We were having trouble with personal relationships, we couldn't control our emotional natures, we were a prey to misery and depression, we couldn't make a living, we had a feeling of uselessness, we were full of fear, we were unhappy, we couldn't seem to be of real help to other people -- was not a basic solution of ...
Rule 62 comes from the rules and regulations that were determined when the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous was created to try and inspire the people in recovery to have a common values, beliefs and lifestyles that they were working towards. The main takeaway from Rule 62 is “don't take life too seriously.”

First Step Prayer
Dear Lord, I admit that I am powerless over my addiction. I admit that my life is unmanageable when I try to control it. The true meaning of powerlessness.
Or were we thinking of what we could do for others, of what we could pack into the stream of life?” God gives us the grace to work the Twelve Steps and the Steps open the way for God's Spirit to dwell within us so we can do good works.
The Saint Francis Prayer is often referred to as the 11th Step Prayer in AA. In some meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous, the prayer is said followed by a period of mediation. The words in the prayer have such depth and weight that we should take some time to reflect on them to fully absorb the meaning.
- Observing Your Patterns. One of the first signs of awakening is noticing. ...
- Feeling a Sense of Connection. ...
- Letting Go of Attachment. ...
- Finding Inner Peace. ...
- Increasing Your Intuition. ...
- Having Synchronicity. ...
- Increasing Your Compassion. ...
- Removing Fear of Death.
- Escaping Ignorance. ...
- The Vision of Your Spiritual Journey. ...
- Glimpsing Spirit: The Call to Adventure. ...
- Closer Examination: Choosing a Path. ...
- Seeking: Following the Path. ...
- Loss of Sight: Losing the Path. ...
- Seeing: Merging with the Path.
Experiences of spiritual awakening, whether gradual or sudden, intentionally induced or spontaneous, typically evoke an ineffable sense of deep inner knowing, understanding, “remembering,” or “unveiling” of one's true nature, as well as experiences of peace and equanimity, bliss, ecstasy and aliveness, feelings of awe, ...
Eleventh Step Prayer
Open and clear from the confusion of daily life. Freedom from self-will, rationalization, and wishful thinking. I pray for the guidance of correct thought and positive action. Your will Higher Power, not mine, be done.
Meditation can be defined as a set of techniques that are intended to encourage a heightened state of awareness and focused attention. Meditation is also a consciousness-changing technique that has been shown to have a wide number of benefits on psychological well-being.
What is an 11 step meeting?
11th Step Meeting – At this open meeting, attendees seek through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understand Him.
Humility is simply having a realistic sense of oneself. A humble person accurately acknowledges both their strengths and limitations. These people have the capacity to be honest and without pretense in relation to themselves. They are “right-sized” and without false pride, arrogance, or importantly, low self-esteem.
Daily Self Reflection Journal App | Guided Journaling App | Journal Online For Free. Now available for download on iOS and Android! A better way to journal online.
At its core, step 3 tells us to get out of our own way, to understand, and turn over our will, to whatever power it will take to get us into recovery. It's about admitting we need a power beyond ourselves to beat drug and alcohol addiction.
“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.”
What's the Meaning of the Third Step Prayer? For recovering addicts, the third step means letting go of self-will that blocks them from being useful to others and their “higher power.” It's a type of spiritual surrender, giving up the need to try to control things outside of themselves.
St Maximilian was put to death by a lethal drug. St Maximilian was canonized as a Martyr of Charity and became known as a Patron of drug addicts and political prisoners.
Galatians 5:19–21: "The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: ... drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." Ephesians 5:18: "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.
St. Jude, most holy Apostle, in my need I reach out to you. I beg you to intercede for me that I may find strength to overcome my illness. Bless all those who struggle with addiction.
- Honesty.
- Unselfishness.
- Purity.
- Love.
Is it true that once an alcoholic always an alcoholic?
Treatment and Recovery
The saying “Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic” exists because recovery is not an easy process, and it can sometimes take years to find a methodology that works and is sustainable for an individual; there are often relapses that take place on the road to recovery.
A spiritual malady, in the sense that Bill W. is describing, essentially is referring to a stark void in our lives that we constantly attempt to fill with outside things such as drugs, alcohol, sex, shopping, or anything we can think to try to feel better.
Eleventh Step Prayer
Open and clear from the confusion of daily life. Freedom from self-will, rationalization, and wishful thinking. I pray for the guidance of correct thought and positive action. Your will Higher Power, not mine, be done.
"If you have a resentment you want to be free of, if you will pray for that person or the thing that you resent, you will be free. If you will ask in prayer for everything you want for yourself to be given to them, you will be free. Ask for their health, their prosperity, their happiness, and you will be free."
Fear Prayer
God, remove my fear and direct my attention to what you would have me be.
- Serenity Prayer – Short Version. God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; ...
- Serenity Prayer – Long Version. God grant me the Serenity. To accept the things I cannot change, ...
- Traditional version. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.