Step 11 Bible Verses for Prayer and Meditation
The main Bible verse for Step 11 is Colossians 3:16: let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. Scripture is full of guidance for this step, because prayer and meditation on God’s word are at the center of the Christian life. The passages below cover mornings, stillness, seeking God’s will, and praying instead of worrying.
Step 11 in the 1939 wording begins: “Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God.” These verses are good material for that meditation.
Colossians 3:16: let the word live in you
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
This is the app’s verse for Step 11. “Richly” means more than a quick glance. Read slowly. Read the same passage several days in a row. Let it shape how you think.
Psalm 5:3: morning prayer
“O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.”
David prayed in the morning and then watched to see what God would do. The Big Book’s morning pattern for Step 11 follows the same idea: give the day to God first, then pay attention.
Mark 1:35: Jesus’ own habit
“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.”
Before a busy day of healing and teaching, Jesus went off alone to pray. A quiet place and an early start still work.
Psalm 46:10: be still
““Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!””
Meditation begins with stopping. Many of us filled every silence with noise for years. This verse invites you to sit quietly and let God be God.
Luke 22:42: not my will
“…saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.””
Step 11 asks you to pray for knowledge of God’s will and the power to carry it out. Here is Jesus doing exactly that in the hardest moment of His life. He was honest about what He wanted, then surrendered it.
Philippians 4:6-7: pray instead of worry
“…do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
The book suggests that when you are agitated or doubtful during the day, you pause and ask God for the right thought or action. Paul says the same: bring it to God, with thanks, and His peace will guard you.
Romans 12:2: a renewed mind
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Step 11 is about thinking differently. Paul says the change comes by the renewing of your mind, and that is how you come to know God’s will.
Psalm 119:105: light for the next step
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
A lamp lights the next few steps, not the whole road. That is often how God’s guidance works. You see enough to take the next step.
A simple way to meditate on a verse
- Pick one verse for the week.
- Each morning, read it three times, slowly.
- Ask: what does this say about God? What does it say about me? What does it ask me to do today?
- Pray it back in your own words.
- During the day, when you get stirred up, repeat it.
Pair it with the 11th step prayer and the questions on the Step 11 questions page. The whole rhythm is on the Step 11 page.
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