Step 11: Prayer, Meditation & Staying Connected to the God Who Sustains Us

Step 11: 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.

— From the 12 Steps

Step 11 is where recovery becomes relationship.

Not just sobriety.

Not just behavior change.

Not just emotional regulation.

Step 11 is about connection — real, daily connection — with the God who carries us.

Up to this point, the Steps have asked for self-examination, honesty, amends, humility, and responsibility.

Step 11 shifts the focus to something quieter but equally essential:

Staying spiritually centered so we can continue to grow.

What Step 11 Really Means

Step 11 is not:

• mastering prayer

• achieving spiritual enlightenment

• never getting distracted

• praying perfectly

• meditating flawlessly

Step 11 is:

• opening your heart

• quieting your spirit

• listening for God

• aligning your will with His

• receiving strength

• staying grounded

• letting your soul breathe

This Step is less about doing and more about being.

Being open.

Being present.

Being receptive to God’s guidance.

Conscious Contact: Why It Matters

Addiction disconnected us — from God, from ourselves, from others.

Recovery slowly reconnects all three.

Step 11 strengthens that reconnection by teaching us to:

• check in with God throughout the day

• pause instead of reacting

• discern God’s voice from our impulsive voice

• receive comfort instead of reaching for old coping habits

• rely on God for strength we don’t naturally have

“Conscious contact” simply means this:

I choose, today, to stay connected with the One who sustains me.

Prayer & Meditation: Two Movements of the Same Heart

Prayer is speaking.

Meditation is listening.

Both are essential.

Prayer

Prayer is honest conversation with God — not performance.

It’s where we bring:

• our fears

• our cravings

• our desires

• our confusion

• our gratitude

• our stress

• our day

Prayer is where we align our will with God’s will.

Meditation

Meditation is where we quiet the noise long enough to hear God’s voice.

It’s where we learn to:

• breathe again

• slow down

• become aware of God’s presence

• settle our anxious thoughts

• open ourselves to guidance

• receive peace instead of chaos

Meditation is not emptying the mind.

It is settling the mind.

It’s creating space for God to speak.

Praying Only for God’s Will

Step 11 narrows the focus of prayer:

“Praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry it out.”

This is radical because addiction taught us the opposite:

• my will, my way, my timing.

Step 11 invites us into a new posture:

• Your will, Your way, Your timing, Lord.

This type of prayer reshapes:

• our motives

• our decisions

• our relationships

• our desires

• our recovery

• our entire life

This is not passive surrender.

It is intentional alignment.

Where Step 11 Shows Up in Scripture

The Bible echoes Step 11’s heartbeat:

“Be still, and know that I am God.”

— Psalm 46:10

Stillness.

Awareness.

Presence.

And Jesus Himself modeled Step 11:

“Very early… Jesus went to a solitary place, where He prayed.”

— Mark 1:35

Prayer was not optional for Jesus.

It was essential.

If the Son of God needed connection,

how much more do we?

Step 11 in Daily Life: What It Actually Looks Like

Step 11 is lived in simple, consistent acts:

• a morning prayer

• five minutes of quiet breathing

• repeating a Scripture throughout the day

• pausing before responding

• journaling what God is showing you

• acknowledging God’s presence in hard moments

• praying for strength in real time

• ending the day with gratitude

Small practices.

Big transformation.

Step 11 teaches us not just to get sober —

but to live sober, awake, and spiritually grounded.

Why Step 11 Deepens Long-Term Recovery

When we drift spiritually, we drift emotionally.

When we drift emotionally, relapse becomes easier.

Step 11 anchors us before we drift.

Prayer reminds us we’re not alone.

Meditation quiets the mind that once ran wild.

Connection keeps us steady.

Step 11 is the daily fuel for the life we’re building.

Reflection Questions

1. What helps you feel closest to God — quiet, Scripture, music, nature, structured prayer?

2. When during the day are you most spiritually disconnected?

3. What small practice could help you deepen conscious contact with God this week?

4. Where do you sense God inviting you to listen more and strive less?

A Step 11 Prayer

God, help me slow down today —

slow my mind,

slow my fears,

slow my reactions.

Make me aware of Your presence.

Teach me to listen for Your voice.

Show me Your will

and give me the strength to follow it.

Keep me connected,

grounded,

and surrendered —

one moment at a time.

Amen.