12 Step Prayers
as in Big Book & 12 & 12
Prayer is an integral part of
working a solid program. For each step there are specific things that we should
be asking for from our higher power. This page provides a number of resources
for finding prayers.
1ST STEP
God, Creative
Intelligence, Universal Mind, Spirit of Nature or Spirit of the Universe
my name is ______, And I'm a real alcoholic ... and I need your help
today.
(pg.. 10-2, 46, & Chp. 3 BB)
2nd STEP
God, I'm standing
at the turning point right now. Give me your protection and care as I
abandon myself to you and give up my old ways and my old ideas just for
today.
AMEN
(p. 59 BB)
3rd STEP
"God, I offer
myself to Thee—to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt.
Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take
away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I
would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life. May I do Thy
will always!"
(p. 63 BB)
4th STEP
WHEN I AM DISTURBED BY THE CONDUCT (SYMPTOMS) OF OTHERS
"This is a sick man. How can I be helpful to him? God save me from
being angry. Thy will be done."
(p. 67 BB)
God help me to show this person the same tolerance, pity and patience
that I would Cheerfully grant a sick friend. This is a sick person, how
can I be helpful to him? God save me from being angry. Thy will be done.
(see above and p. 141 of 12&12)
WHEN I AM AFRAID
"We ask Him to remove our fear and direct our attention to what He
would have us be."
(p. 68 BB)
God, relieve me of this fear and direct my attention to what you would
have me be. AMEN
(see above)
WHEN I AM AWARE OF MY OWN DEFECTS AND SEEKING GOD'S HELP TO CHANGE
"We asked God to mold our ideals and help us to live up to them. .
. we ask God what we should do about each specific matter."
(p. 69 BB)
God mold my ideals in this particular area of my life and help me to
live up to them. What should I do in each specific matter? Guide me God
and give me strength to do right. AMEN
(see above)
God, I am sorry for
what I have done, and have an honest desire to let You take me to better
things.
(p.70 BB)
5th STEP
God I thank you
from the bottom of my heart that I know you better. Help me become aware
of anything I have omitted discussing with another person. Help me to do
what is necessary to walk a free man at last. AMEN
(p. 75 BB)
6th STEP
God help me become
willing to let go of all the things to which I still cling. Help me to
be ready to let You remove all of these defects, that Your will and
purpose may take their place. AMEN
(p. 76 BB)
7th STEP
"I humbly
offered myself to God, as I then understood Him, to do with me as He
would. I placed myself unreservedly under His care and direction. I
admitted for the first time that of myself I was nothing; that without
Him I was lost. I ruthlessly faced my sins and became willing to have my
new-found Friend take them away, root and branch."
(p. 13)
"My Creator, I am now willing that you should have all of me, good
and bad. I pray that you now remove from me every single defect of
character which stands in the way of my usefulness to you and my
fellows. Grant me strength, as I go out from here, to do your bidding.
Amen."
(p. 76 BB)
8th STEP
"We attempt to
sweep away the debris which has accumulated out of our effort to live on
self-will and run the show ourselves. If we haven’t the will to do
this, we ask until it comes."
(p. 76 BB)
God help me to become willing to sweep away the debris of self will and
self reliant living. Thy will be done for this person as well as for me.
AMEN
(see above)
9th STEP
God give me the
strength and direction to do the right thing no matter what the
consequences may be. Help me to consider others and not harm them in any
way. Help me to consult with others before I take any actions that would
cause me to be sorry. Help me to not repeat such behaviors. Show me the
way of Patience, Tolerance, Kindliness, and Love and help me live the
spiritual life. AMEN
(p. 78-80 BB)
10th STEP
God remove the
Selfishness, dishonesty, resentment and fear that has cropped up in my
life right now. Help me to discuss this with someone immediately and
make amends quickly if I have harmed anyone. Help me to cease fight
anything and anyone. Show me where I may be helpful to someone else.
Help me react sanely; not cocky or afraid. How can I best serve You -
Your will, not mine be done. AMEN
(p. 84-5 BB)
"How can I best serve Thee—Thy will (not mine) be done."
(p. 85 BB)
11th STEP
"As we go
through the day we pause, when agitated or doubtful, and ask for the
right thought or action. We constantly remind ourselves we are no longer
running the show, humbly saying to ourselves many times each day 'Thy
will be done.' "
(p. 87-8 BB)
God, I'm agitated and doubtful right now. Help me to stop and remember
that I've made a decision to let You be my God. Give me the right
thoughts and actions. God save me from fear, anger, worry, self-pity or
foolish decisions that Your will not mine be done. AMEN
(see above)
(Prayer of St Francis of Assisi)
—"Lord, make me a channel of thy peace - that where there
is hatred, I may bring love - that where there is wrong, I may bring the
spirit of forgiveness - that where there is discord, I may bring harmony
- that where there is error, I may bring truth - that where there is
doubt, I may bring faith - that where there is despair, I may bring hope
- that where there are shadows, I may bring light - that where there is
sadness, I may bring joy. Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort
than to be comforted - to understand, than to be understood - to love,
than to be loved. For it is by self-forgetting that one finds. It is by
forgiving that one is forgiven. It is by dying that one awakens to
Eternal Life. Amen."
(p. 99 12&12)
12th Step
Dear God,
My spiritual awakening continues to unfold.
The help I have received I shall pass on & give to others,
both in & out of the Fellowship.
For this opportunity I am grateful.
I pray most humbly to continue walking
day by day on the road of spiritual progress.
I pray for the inner strength & wisdom to practice
the principles of this way of life in all I do & say.
I need You, my friends & the program every hour of every day.
This is a better way to live.
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