Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

STEP ELEVEN

first fruits is emotional balance. With it we can broaden
and deepen the channel between ourselves and God as we
understand Him.

Now, what of prayer? Prayer is the raising of the heart
and mind to God—and in this sense it includes meditation.
How may we go about it? And how does it fit in with medi-
tation? Prayer, as commonly understood, is a petition to
God. Having opened our channel as best we can, we try to
ask for those right things of which we and others are in the
greatest need. And we think that the whole range of our
needs is well defined by that part of Step Eleven which says:
"...knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that
out." A request for this fits in any part of our day.

In the morning we think of the hours to come. Perhaps
we think of our day's work and the chances it may afford us
to be useful and helpful, or of some special problem that it
may bring. Possibly today will see a continuation of a seri-
ous and as yet unresolved problem left over from yesterday.
Our immediate temptation will be to ask for specific solu-
tions to specific problems, and for the ability to help other
people as we have already thought they should be helped.
In that case, we are asking God to do it our way. Therefore,
we ought to consider each request carefully to see what its
real merit is. Even so, when making specific requests, it will
be well to add to each one of them this qualification: "...if
it be Thy will." We ask simply that throughout the day God
place in us the best understanding of His will that we can
have for that day, and that we be given the grace by which
we may carry it out.

As the day goes on, we can pause where situations must