Ever been in a conversation where the other person does all the talking? Having to deal with this is frustrating, right? It’s easy to feel unloved, unheard, and unseen when this happens.
How does this relate to recovery? It’s hard for someone in recovery to hear what God is saying to them if they do not take the time to listen to Him. As a result, they won’t experience a deep relationship with the Lord. By closing their ears, they are losing an opportunity for God to speak truth, hope, and peace into their lives.
This is why taking the time to go through Life Recovery Step Eleven is so important. Step Eleven says, “We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of his will for us and the power to carry it out.”
Step Eleven is an important spiritual step that should not be walked through too quickly because it takes ongoing, daily work. Though not always taught or practiced, this step consists of two equally important parts: prayer and meditation. Prayer is talking to God; meditating is listening to Him. While talking to God may come easy for some, meditating may pose a challenge for others.
What does it take to develop a closer, more intimate relationship with the Lord while in recovery? Start by spending time with the Lord daily by praying, reading, and meditating on His Word. For a recovery Bible that goes through the 12 Steps, use The Life Recovery Bible.
Don’t forget, however, that there’s more to reading the Bible than just opening it up for a couple of minutes each morning to check off a box. It takes discipline to make the time to meditate on God’s Word, pray over it, and reflect on it throughout the day. By talking to the Lord and listening carefully to Him every day, having “conscious contact with God” will be much easier.
A Bible verse that accompanies Step Eleven is Colossians 4:2 (NLT) which says, “Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.”
Let that verse sink in for a moment. Having a “thankful heart,” as Colossians 4:2 mentions, means having an attitude of gratitude. For example, if someone has struggled with addiction for years, it’s easy for them to look back to the past and feel regretful or angry toward themselves or others that they blame. Rather than meditating on feelings of anger or regret, replace those negative thoughts with positive thoughts of thanksgiving and gratitude.
Remember, God tends to speak with a still, small voice; He very rarely shouts at His children. Meditation is an integral aspect of prayer. It teaches one to develop a patient heart and attentive ear—which is why prayer and meditation are crucial components of recovery.
by Steve Arterburn