How Two-Way Prayer Changed How I Listen to Myself

Phillip Jones talks with Father Bill W. about Two-Way Prayer — a simple morning practice for hearing inner guidance, healing old wounds, and finding direction. Honest conversation about ego, inner child work, shadow, and learning to trust the voice beyond our thinking.

father Bill W Returns

I’ve known Father Bill W. for a while now, and every time we talk I leave calmer and clearer. This was our third conversation on the show, and we went deeper into Two-Way Prayer — the practice he’s taught for decades and written about in his upcoming book.

We covered how it works, why it matters for recovery and everyday life, and how it connects to inner child work, shadow parts, and becoming more whole. It felt less like an interview and more like sitting with a wise friend who’s walked the path.

What Two-Way Prayer Actually Is

Two-Way Prayer is a quiet morning practice rooted in early AA and the Oxford Group. You create space — usually first thing — to get still, read something uplifting, bring a real question or problem to mind, and then write down the thoughts that come.

It’s not just journaling. It’s listening for the “beyond that is within” — a deeper, wiser part of yourself that speaks with love, honesty, and compassion. Father Bill calls it the voice that never puts you down, even when it challenges you.

This lines up with the 11th Step: seeking conscious contact with a Higher Power and the power to carry out its will. But it’s practical. You don’t need perfect beliefs. You just need to show up and listen.

The Inner Voice vs. the Inner Critic

One of the most helpful distinctions we made: the true inner voice is loving. It may push or correct you, but it doesn’t shame you. The inner critic, on the other hand, often comes from old wounds and survival strategies.

Father Bill shared how his own difficult childhood shaped a strong inner critic. Two-Way Prayer gave him a reliable way to hear something kinder and truer. He also talked about integrating inner child work — going back to meet the younger part of yourself that got hurt and never fully came back online.

The practice becomes a safe container for that healing. You’re not alone with the pain. You bring it to the voice that has your back.

How to Start the Practice

Father Bill’s approach is straightforward:

  • Sit quietly in the morning
  • Read something spiritual or uplifting (scripture, Thich Nhat Hanh, The Untethered Soul, artist’s way cards, etc.)
  • Write your honest question or problem
  • Get still, breathe, turn awareness inward
  • Write the response that comes

Afterward, make a short “God list” or action list — specific next steps that feel guided. Keep questions short. Trust the process even when the answer surprises you or feels ordinary.

He emphasized testing the voice against the Four Absolutes: honest, pure, unselfish, loving. If it doesn’t pass, keep listening.

My Personal Reflection

Doing this practice for thirty days (and then some) surprised me with how steady and kind the responses felt. What challenged me was noticing how quickly my ego or inner critic tries to hijack the pen. What I learned is that showing up consistently matters more than getting it perfect.

Father Bill’s calm confidence in this simple tool reminded me that we all have access to something wiser than our racing thoughts. The real work is making space for it and then acting on what we hear.

Practical Takeaways

  • Start small and consistent — Ten to fifteen minutes in the morning beats waiting for the perfect time.
  • Read first — Immerse in uplifting material to quiet the mind and set the tone.
  • Ask honestly, listen gently — Write your real question, then write whatever comes without judging it immediately.
  • Make an action list — Turn guidance into specific, doable next steps.
  • Test with the absolutes — Honest? Pure? Unselfish? Loving? Use these as a filter.
  • Welcome the kid and the shadow — The practice creates safety to reintegrate wounded parts instead of just managing them.

Final Thoughts

Two-Way Prayer isn’t about escaping life or getting easy answers. It’s about meeting yourself more fully and moving through the world with a little more love and clarity. Father Bill has spent decades showing people they carry their own source of strength and wisdom inside.

I’m grateful he keeps sharing it. The more I sit with this practice, the more I believe the beyond really is within — and it’s been waiting to talk.

About Father Bill W.

Father Bill W., an Episcopal priest, has dedicated over five decades to the field of addiction treatment, serving as a counselor, clinical director, and administrator. A University of Dayton history graduate with post-graduate work at Columbia University, he has a diverse background that includes the Peace Corps, working with orphaned children in the Bronx, life on a kibbutz in Israel, and involvement with the Catholic Worker Movement. He began his addiction work in Detroit as a Jesuit seminarian, achieving sobriety since 1972.

Awarded the Wheelock Whitney Award in 2008 for bridging faith and science in addiction recovery, he now concentrates on Two Way Prayer studies, with a website and podcast promoting the practice within 12-Step recovery. His podcast, “Father Bill W.,” has garnered a significant following, while he has led numerous workshops on Two Way Prayer.

Father Bill W. has authored articles on spirituality and AA history, conducted research on AA’s early prayer and meditation practices, and lectured as adjunct faculty on addiction and spirituality. Now retired, he volunteers to enhance addiction recovery through spiritual practices and reaches thousands with his workshops and bi-monthly newsletter. He is a husband, father of three, and grandfather of seven, residing near Austin, Texas.

🌐 Find Father Bill W.: