• Conscious Contact: Prayer, Will, and the 11th Step

  • Apr 18 2025
  • Length: 33 mins
  • Podcast

Conscious Contact: Prayer, Will, and the 11th Step

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  • Summary

  • In this deeply reflective episode of Blindsight, host Bill Lundgren and returning guest Joe dive into Step 11 of the 12-Step Program:
    “Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood God, praying only for knowledge of God’s will for us and the power to carry that out.”
    Together, they explore the tension and beauty in surrendering our will, discuss the spiritual ambiguity many newcomers wrestle with, and unpack the core purpose of prayer and meditation in recovery—not as a way to get what we want, but to align ourselves with something far more trustworthy: God’s will. With honesty and care, the conversation touches on religious trauma, the fluidity of the "higher power" concept, and the sacred act of showing up each morning and simply asking.
    Bill and Joe also unpack the Prayer of St. Francis, the importance of not running the show, and why taking it easy isn’t laziness—it’s wisdom.

    ⏱️ Chapter Markers:
    00:00 – Welcome to Blindsight
    01:15 – What is Step 11?
    02:15 – Joe’s background with God entering recovery
    04:00 – Religious trauma and spiritual abuse
    06:30 – Higher Power vs “God” terminology
    07:45 – Bill W, Carl Jung, and Benedictine roots
    09:15 – “Upon awakening…” – morning meditation guidance
    12:30 – Asking for freedom from self-will
    13:50 – “Take it easy” and the myth of urgency
    14:30 – Ambition, success, and God’s will
    17:00 – Suffering, Job, and the mystery of evil
    19:00 – The Prayer of St. Francis
    21:30 – Self-care vs. helping others
    23:00 – The trap of codependency and false humility
    26:30 – The train-and-candle metaphor
    28:15 – Richard Rohr, atheism, and a hostile universe
    30:00 – Drops of God: how to seek and notice
    31:50 – Final thoughts: “Keep coming back. It works.”

    📞 Contact Us
    Got feedback? Questions? Want to share your story?
    📧 Email: feedback@aftersight.org
    📞 Call/Text: 720-712-8856
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