Two Way Prayer Resources and Experience

I've been in 12-step recovery since 2010, sober since 2012. What follows is my experience and the resources I have used in regards to two way prayer. I'm providing this, in the hopes it helps the next person.

I first encountered two way prayer through a workbook I was sent by a friend in recovery in 2022.

I'd called him frustrated that I was having intense bouts of anger, about 3 months into a new relationship.

He sent me the Emotional Sobriety Workbook.

Emotional sobriety is a common topic touched upon by addicts/alcoholics with multiple years of recovery.

I was an emotionally stunted person when I got sober at 26.

A root cause of my problems was feeling my feelings, expressing my feelings and also dealing with other people's feelings (particularly when they were opposed to my own)

Emotional sobriety is a weighty topic I may cover at a later date, but this paragraph at the start of the book is a good snapshot.

On page 56 of that booklet was an intriguing idea.

Two Way Prayer from Father Bill W. , something he referenced as of being highlighted as important by both the founders of Alcoholic's Anonymous.

Bill Wilson: “I sort of always felt that something was lost from A.A. when we stopped emphasizing the morning meditation.” Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers (p. 178)

Dr. Bob and the Good Old-Timers tells of the 1938 report Frank Amos sent to John D. Rockefeller after studying the new A.A. Movement. Amos reported “The A.A. members of that time did not consider meetings necessary to maintain sobriety. They were simply ‘desirable.’ Morning devotion and ‘quiet time,’ however, were musts.” (p.136)

In 2022 , I did the best I could with my emotional disturbance.

I read stuff, spoke to people, pretended that I understood it in my head, but had no idea how to approach this from my heart.

Two way prayer remained untouched.

But it kept popping up.

I took a sponsee through the workbook in 2023, and he became fascinated with the idea of "Talking to and hearing from God."

In 2024, a new member of our Steel on Steel group... (a monthly meeting of four members who use questions, answers and corrective measures to stay accountable to each other)

... started practising Two Way Prayer with intriguing results.

He was cool, calm, laid back and had a lovely energy about him, and we all felt drawn to seek this out for ourselves.

Which led me to Father Bill W. excellent website on Two Way Prayer.

I highly recommend that you first watch the workshop.

Then download the worksheet.

I've practised Two Way prayer semi-regularly in 2025, and am back to doing it again for 30 days in a row.

Here are some things I feel have helped me to cement the practise into my daily routine.

Firstly, I am a professional writer and a business owner, so there are significant constraints on my time.

Gone are those heady days of being a newcomer, when my biggest commitment was getting to my daily meeting (God, I miss those days sometimes!)

I am a creature of habit, and creating a new one means making it:

• Easy
• Repeatable
• Achievable

This is based on the book "Atomic Habit" by James Clear.

You can read a great article specifically on creating new habits here.

Why am I talking about habit formation?

Because most addicts I observe:

• Struggle to have a morning spiritual practise
• Do way too much, way too fast
• Are unable to stick to their crazy demands on themselves in terms of a spiritual practise

Then they simply give up and ignore it.

For me I have to be honest to myself, that this is something I want to do, but haven't done.

My Two Way Prayer Practise That Work For Me

1. Bought a dedicated notebook
2. Printed off the relevant material that's outlined in the guide (1 Corinthians 13 , Book of James, The Sermon on The Mount)

I've provided the PDF's I use below, because it took bloody ages to find the passages/chapters by themselves. There is one guided breakdown just because I personally found it helpful.

3. A place. I sit at my office desk , first thing in the morning after I walk the dog. The guide does say find a special place (this idea of one space, one place, one thing) , but I just found this works for me. Having worked around the world and often in the same place, I am more rooted in terms of sequencing. i.e. what I do before and after
4. Letting the 10 minute timer start as soon as I read my inspirational material, then asking the question, listening and writing. If there is any time left over I will sit and meditate (just eyes closed in silence breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth

The handout isn't so clear on this point, so I found an order that works for me. I used to set the timer once I finished writing, but it just ruined the flow.

A side note on being tired.

Some days I may not sleep as well, which tends to be a big Achilles Heel for regular practise.

In this case I may just reduce the amount of time.

Creating a habit is about repetition.

I'd rather meditate for 1 minute, then lose the day all together.

I suggest if you struggle, keep the practise, just reduce it to the point it feel ridiculously easy.

What I get from Two Way Prayer and Why I do it

Prayer and meditation, and specifically a morning practise is something that has escaped me over the years I have been sober.

I have had periods of time of doing them and found them to allow me to be:

• Calmer in general
• Clearer thinking
• Less prone to emotional outbursts
• Less likely to "put my foot in it" , or as we would say in recovery... "not get in the ring."

I've not been in doubt for years that its a good thing for me to do.

I just end up not doing it.

And I am old enough to not beat myself up about it, but look for a way that I can do it in a way that it's easily repeatable.

Two Way Prayer gives me a way to get clear direction from my higher power, on questions that I want answered.

I find that to be pretty damn cool.

Sure, it could be me talking to myself, but who cares.

What I get is a deep sense of peace and calm, and most importantly an ability to create and write on a daily basis.

I wish you the best of luck in your practise, would love to hear your experiences.