Episode 1095: HIGHER POWER / Lower Power

Episode 1095: HIGHER POWER / Lower Power

Curious about how others manage the spiritual side of sobriety? This lively instalment of Take 12 Recovery Radio tackles the hot-button subject of “Higher Power / Lower Power” with humour, candour, and a fair bit of holy mischief. Host Monty Dale Meyer (the Monty’man) teams up with regular co-hosts Dion Miller and Roger McDermott to talk about God, Satan, and whether it’s okay to mention either in Twelve Step meetings. The trio quote early Alcoholics Anonymous history, including Bill W.

and Dr Bob’s strong emphasis on God, prayer, and even Bible reading, and contrast that with modern meetings where people can be told, as one listener put it, that “we don’t talk about the devil in AA.” You’ll hear them wrestle openly with questions many people think but rarely say out loud: is there such a thing as a “lower power”? Does alcohol invite “spirits”? Is evil just a metaphor, or something more active?

Roger bluntly frames it as a causes-and-conditions issue: “If our job is to get to causes and conditions, how do we escape this discussion?” The show stays grounded in recovery, offering practical suggestions for anyone battling temptation, like “play the tape forward”, seek out a trustworthy sponsor or friend rather than a random group for sensitive spiritual stuff, and be willing to talk about uncomfortable topics if sobriety really is the priority.

There’s also plenty of light relief – bubble guns, garden hoses, and recovery swag giveaways – plus a Keith Green track, “Dear John Letter to the Devil”, to close things out. If you’re in Twelve Step recovery and wrestling with how God, the devil, and spiritual warfare fit into your sobriety, this honest, slightly rowdy conversation might give you something to think about – and maybe a nudge to ask, who or what is really powering your recovery?