Pronunciation: PRAIR
Simple meaning
Prayer means speaking to God, seeking help, asking for direction, giving thanks, or turning the mind and heart toward God.
Today, people may understand prayer in different ways. Some think of formal religious words. Some think of private conversation with God. Some think of asking for help. Some struggle with prayer because they are unsure what they believe or how to begin.
In Big Book study, prayer is important because it is connected with surrender, guidance, willingness, inventory, amends, and a changed way of living.
Older meaning
Older dictionary definitions often describe prayer as a request, petition, entreaty, or address to God.
That older meaning matters because prayer is not only a feeling. It can be an act of turning, asking, listening, yielding, thanking, or seeking direction beyond oneself.
Why this word matters
In Big Book reading, “prayer” matters because the solution being described is not only intellectual.
A person may understand the problem and still need help to live differently. Prayer can become part of that help.
Prayer may include asking for freedom from resentment, fear, selfishness, dishonesty, or old ways of thinking. It may include asking for direction, courage, willingness, or usefulness. It may also include gratitude and attention to the needs of others.
For some readers, prayer is familiar. For others, it feels awkward, doubtful, or uncomfortable. That does not make the word unimportant. It may simply mean the reader is being invited to begin honestly, even if the beginning is small.
Common misunderstanding
A common misunderstanding is to think prayer must sound formal, perfect, or religiously impressive.
In Big Book study, prayer can be simple and honest. It does not need to be a performance.
Another misunderstanding is to think prayer means asking God to arrange everything according to personal wishes. Prayer may include asking, but it is also connected with seeking direction, changing motives, accepting reality, and becoming useful.
A useful question is:
Am I using prayer to seek help and direction, or only to try to control an outcome?
Helpful meeting handle
A common recovery idea is that prayer can be as simple as asking for help.
That can be a useful handle, especially for someone who is new, doubtful, angry, or unsure how to pray.
But prayer in Big Book study can grow beyond emergency requests. It can become part of daily life: asking, listening, thanking, seeking guidance, and becoming willing to act differently.
Study note
This website works best with a copy of the Big Book in your hand. Look for the word “prayer” and related ideas in the first 164 pages and nearby discussion. Notice whether the surrounding passage is talking about resentment, fear, willingness, God, direction, amends, meditation, or service.
Related words
God
meditation
spiritual
willingness
surrender