Two Way Prayer [Season 11, Episode 9]Two Way Prayer [Season 11, Episode 9]
AA Grapevine's Podcast
Father Bill W. shares how deep spiritual work, two-way prayer and AA history help keep his decades-long sobriety alive. Other members reflect on pivotal moments that changed how they see their recovery.
35:09•31 Aug 2026
Connection, Correction, Direction: Father Bill W. on Two-Way Prayer
Episode Overview
- Long-term sobriety can feel stale, and going deeper into AA history and spirituality may help renew it.
- Prayer and meditation, practised daily and intentionally, are presented as central rather than optional extras.
- Two-way prayer combines honest self-examination, asking for help, listening with imagination, and then acting on specific guidance.
- The AA journey is framed as connection with a higher power, correction of blocks and defects, and direction through a guided life.
- Honest awareness of ego, disturbance and "contamination" in one’s inner life is seen as vital for ongoing growth.
“Connection, correction, direction. That's it.”
What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol? This episode centres on Father Bill W., an alcoholic from Austin, Texas, who’s been sober since 1972 and is still focused on keeping his recovery "fresh". Rather than piling on meetings and sponsees, he shares how digging into AA history and going deeper with Step 11 – prayer and meditation – opened up a whole new phase of growth.
You’ll hear Father Bill talk frankly about hitting a spiritual and emotional bottom while in the Jesuit seminary, stealing wine and planning either a lifelong drunk in Australia or becoming "really holy" in India. The inner voice that told him, "If those are your choices, there's something wrong with you," led to a year living intentionally in a Salvation Army shelter, looking into the eyes of people on skid row and seeing himself there but for grace.
A big focus of the conversation is "two-way prayer" — a daily practice of watching, praying, listening and writing. Father Bill breaks it down through the last three steps: watch yourself (Step 10), spend real time in prayer and meditation (Step 11), then act in service (Step 12).
He shares an example of a woman’s written dialogue with God about self-loathing to show how this practice can address deep emotional pain, with guidance like, "My precious child, it saddens me to see you hurting... You are loved more than you could ever know." He also offers a simple summary of the program he heard from an Australian member: "connection, correction, direction" – joining with a higher power, cleaning up the blocks, and then living a guided life.
Later in the episode, AA members Terry, Matt and Jen share pivotal moments in their own sobriety, and Alan talks about how much he values Grapevine. If you’ve ever felt bored or "crispy" in long-term sobriety, could a richer spiritual practice and some AA history be the spark you’re looking for?
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.