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800-819-2978What’s the Point of 12 Step Prayers?
Whether you are religious or not the 12 step prayers may be beneficial to your recovery. Although some may be reluctant to engage in prayer, there are definite benefits to using prayer to help you with prayer to help you with your recovery.
These benefits are the point to using 12 step prayers in your treatment. To understand the relationship between recovery and the 12 step prayers it is important to understand the meaning behind the prayers and the benefits of using it.
To realize these benefits and engage in treatment, you need a comprehensive treatment program. You can find the right treatment program for you by calling 800-781-0748 (Who Answers?) .
What is the Meaning Behind 12 Step Prayers?
Although each of the 12 steps has its own prayers, two are a mainstay in all forms of 12 step treatment. These two prayers are the serenity prayer and the Lord’s prayer.
The Lord’s Prayer is used to access the subconscious mind.
The serenity prayer is designed to give peace to those who are struggling in both life and recovery. It works to help resolve the doubt that many experience while trying to work through the issues that addiction causes.
It also serves as a reminder that recovery is accomplished through accepting what is uncontrollable and working to make life better by changing the things that are controllable. To some it also gives you the added comfort that there is a higher power that is looking out for you during your recovery.
The Lord ’s Prayer is a bit different in meaning. In the Lord’s prayer you are asking for guidance, protection, help, and hope. People in treatment can use the Lord ’s Prayer to:
- Allow them to find the right state of mind for recovery
- Access the subconscious mind
- Give them a sense of well being
- Ask for guidance in their recovery
Despite the controversial nature, the Lord’s Prayer is still widely used in many 12 step treatment programs.
What are the Benefits of Using Prayer in the 12 Step Treatment Model?
According to the National Institute of Health, to some spirituality is an important aspect of recovery. Like meditation, just the repetitive nature of prayer helps to:
- Focus the mind
- Provide comfort
- Allows for purposeful thought
- Lower the chance of relapse
- Helps to heal the mind and body
Even if you do not believe in a higher power, prayer is as beneficial as meditation when you are recovering from drug or alcohol addiction. To those that believe in the higher power, prayer can:
- Help absolve you of the responsibility for the addiction
- Teach you how to let things go
- Give you guidance in a difficult time
- Gives you the feeling of something higher than yourself that can help you
These benefits of prayer are easy to realize once you are in a 12 step program. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 12 step programs are a valuable tool used to give the user a community level support system and should be a part of a comprehensive treatment program. To find the treatment program that is right for you call 800-781-0748 (Who Answers?) .