Dave F. Steps 10-11 Manastash Men's Retreat 2026Dave F. Steps 10-11 Manastash Men's Retreat 2026
Mad Dog Recovery AA Speakers
AA speaker Dave F. talks through Steps 10 and 11 at the Manastash Men’s Retreat 2026, focusing on the 12 daily prayers, humility, and daily spiritual practice. He shares stories of connection, grief, and relationships to show how disciplined spiritual work can change recovery and everyday life.
1:17:56•23 Jun 2026
Dave F. on Steps 10–11: Daily Prayers, Humility and Real-World Sobriety
Episode Overview
- Step 10 and 11 can be practised through a concrete set of “12 daily prayers” drawn directly from the Big Book.
- Consistent spot-check inventories, nightly review, and morning prayer support a genuine daily reprieve from alcoholism.
- Deep spiritual work can make others’ pain more visible, so people need to handle this sensitivity with “kid gloves.”
- Humility is described as foundational for sobriety, and defining a personal “humility ideal” can shift emotional sobriety.
- Gratitude, forgiveness, and grace—especially in close relationships—are presented as key tools for healing long-standing hurt.
“When you start doing the 12 daily prayers, I will absolutely tell you it's life-changing.”
What drives someone to seek a life shaped by daily spiritual practice rather than just avoiding a drink? At the Manastash Men's Retreat 2026, AA speaker Dave F. talks about Steps 10 and 11 with a mix of raw honesty, hard-earned wisdom, and plenty of humour that many in recovery will recognise instantly.
Dave shares how doing "spiritual work" can make people almost transparent to one another, using the phrase "spiritual license" to describe the permission to speak into someone’s pain. From comforting a grieving young man over lunch to a chance meeting with a stranger in Florida who turned out to live in his home town, his stories underline how deeply connected people can become when they work a serious Step 10 and 11 practice.
Central to his message is what he calls the "12 daily prayers" hidden in the AA Big Book. He walks through spot-check inventories, nightly reviews, morning prayers, and the idea of a "daily reprieve" from alcoholism, all grounded directly in specific Big Book passages. As he puts it, "When you start doing the 12 daily prayers, I will absolutely tell you it's life-changing." Dave also spends time on humility, describing it as essential for sobriety and emotional growth.
He introduces a "humility ideal" exercise that asks men to define humility for themselves, shape a vision of what it looks like in their lives, and face blocks like guilt, rebellion, and pride. Along the way, he talks candidly about marriage, grief, grace, and how easily ego drags people out of the present moment and away from God.
If you're looking for AA content that sticks close to the Big Book but also digs into real-life relationships, loss, and long-term spiritual growth, this talk offers plenty to sit with. Which part of your daily routine might change if you took Step 10 and 11 this seriously?
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