Twelve Step Prayers

[bluidkiti]

Serenity Prayer

God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can, and Wisdom to know the difference.
Thy will, not mine be done.
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 41


3rd Step Prayer

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!
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 63


7th Step Prayer

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 the strength, as I go out from here, to do your bidding. Amen.
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 76


11th Step Prayer

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
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 99
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bluidkiti
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First Step Prayer
Dear Lord,
I admit that I am powerless over my addiction.
I admit that my life is unmanageable when I try to control it.
Help me this day to understand the true meaning of powerlessness.
Remove from me all denial of my addiction.
Alternate Prayer
Today, I ask for help with my addiction.
Denial has kept me from seeing how
powerless I am & how my life is unmanageable.
I need to learn & remember that I have an incurable
illness & that abstinence is the only way to deal with it.

Second Step Prayer
Heavenly Father,
I know in my heart that only you can restore me to sanity.
I humbly ask that you remove all twisted thought &
addictive behavior from me this day.
Heal my spirit & restore in me a clear mind.
Alternate Prayer
I pray for an open mind so I may come to
believe in a Power greater than myself.
I pray for humility & the continued
opportunity to increase my faith.
I don?t want to be crazy any more.

Third Step Prayer
God,
I offer myself to Thee
To build with me & 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 & Thy way of life.
May I do Thy will always!

N.A. 3rd Step Prayer
Take my will & my life,
Guide me in my recovery,
Show me how to live.
Jewish 3rd Step Prayer
Grant me inner peace..., Let my body be completely subordinate to my soul & have no other will or desire but to follow the desire of the holy soul, which is to do Your will.
Let peace reign between my soul & my body. Let my body be sanctified & purified until it becomes united with the holy soul & I carry out all Your commandments & do everything You want of me, body & soul, willingly & with great joy.
Let my body & soul unite in love & peace to do Your will sincerely, until I attain complete inner harmony & am ready to order my prayer before You perfectly. Let my prayer rise before You like the incense & perfect sacrifices offered by those who are whole & perfect.

From the Fiftieth Gate (Reb Nosson?s prayers based on the teachings of Reb Nachman of Breslov)

Fourth Step Prayer
Dear God,
It is I who has made my life a mess.
I have done it, but I cannot undo it.
My mistakes are mine & I will begin a
searching & fearless moral inventory.
I will write down my wrongs,
but I will also include that which is good.
I pray for the strength to complete the task.

Fifth Step Prayer
Higher Power,
My inventory has shown me who I am, yet I ask for Your help
in admitting my wrongs to another person & to You.
Assure me, & be with me, in this Step,
for without this Step I cannot progress in my recovery.
With Your help, I can do this & I will do it.

Sixth Step Prayer
Dear God,
I am ready for Your help
in removing from me the defects of character
which I now realize are an obstacle to my recovery.
Help me to continue being honest with myself &
guide me toward spiritual & mental health.

Seventh Step Prayer
My Creator,
I am now willing that you should have all of me, good & bad.
I pray that you now remove from me every
single defect of character which stands in the way
of my usefulness to you & my fellows.
Grant me strength, as I go out from here to do Your bidding.

Eighth Step Prayer
Higher Power,
I ask Your help in making my list of all those I have harmed.
I will take responsibility for my mistakes &
be forgiving to others as You are forgiving to me.
Grant me the willingness to begin my restitution.
This I pray.

Ninth Step Prayer
Higher Power,
I pray for the right attitude to make my amends,
being ever mindful not to harm others in the process.
I ask for Your guidance in making indirect amends.
Most important, I will continue to make amends
by staying abstinent, helping others &
growing in spiritual progress.

Tenth Step Prayer
I pray I may continue:
To grow in understanding & effectiveness;
To take daily spot check inventories of myself;
To correct mistakes when I make them;
To take responsibility for my actions;
To be ever aware of my negative &
self-defeating attitudes & behaviors;
To keep my willfulness in check;
To always remember I need Your help;
To keep love & tolerance of others as my code; &
To continue in daily prayer how I can best serve You,
My Higher Power.

Eleventh Step Prayer
Higher Power, as I understand You,
I pray to keep my connection with You
open & clear from the confusion of daily life.
Through my prayers & meditation I ask especially for
freedom from self-will, rationalization & wishful thinking.
I pray for the guidance of correct thought & positive action.
Your will, Higher Power, not mine, be done.

Twelfth Step Prayer
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.

[bluidkiti]

PRAYERS FOR ALL TWELVE STEPS
FIRST STEP PRAYER:
Dear Lord, I admit that I am powerless over my addiction. I admit that my
life is unmanageable when I try to control it. Help me this day to
understand the true meaning of powerlessness. Remove from me all denial of
my addiction.
SECOND STEP PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, I know in my heart that only You can restore me to sanity.
I humbly ask that You remove all twisted thought and addictive behavior
from me this day. Heal my spirit and restore in me a clear mind.
THIRD STEP PRAYER:
God, I offer myself to Thee--to build with me and to do with me as Thou
wilt. Relieve me of 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.
FOURTH STEP PRAYER:
Dear God, it is I who has made my life a mess. I have done it, but I cannot
undo it. My mistakes are mine and I will begin a searching and fearless
moral inventory. I will write down my wrongs. But I will also include that
which is good. I pray for the strength to complete this task.
FIFTH STEP PRAYER:
Higher Power, my inventory has shown me who I am, yet I ask for Your help in
admitting my wrongs to another person and to You. Assure me and be with me,
in this step, for without this step, I cannot progress in my recovery. With
Your help, I can do this, and I will do it.
SIXTH STEP PRAYER:
Dear God, I am ready for Your help in removing from me the defects of
character, which I now realize, are an obstacle to my recovery. Help me to
continue being honest with myself and guide me toward mental and spiritual
health.
SEVENTH STEP PRAYER:
My Creator, I am now willing that You 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.
EIGHTH STEP PRAYER:
Higher Power, I ask Your help in making my list of all those I have harmed.
I will take responsibility for my mistakes and be forgiving to others, as
You are forgiving to me. Grant me the willingness to begin my restitution.
This I pray.
NINTH STEP PRAYER:
Higher Power, I pray for the right attitude to make my amends, being ever
mindful not to harm others in the process. I ask for Your guidance in
making indirect amends by staying abstinent, helping others and growing in
spiritual progress.
TENTH STEP PRAYER:
Dear God, I pray I may continue to grow in understanding and effectiveness;
to take daily spot check inventories of myself; to correct mistakes when I
make them; to take responsibility for my actions; to be ever aware of my
negative and self-defeating attitudes and behaviors; to keep my willfulness
in check; to always remember I need Your help; to keep love and tolerance of
others as my code; and to continue in daily prayer how I can best serve You.
ELEVENTH STEP PRAYER:
God, as I understand You, I pray to keep my connection with You Open and
clear from me the confusion of daily life. Through my prayers and
meditations I ask especially for freedom from self-will, rationalization,
and wishful thinking. I pray for the guidance of correct thought and
positive action. Your Will, not mine, be done.
TWELFTH STEP PRAYER:
Dear God, my spiritual awakening continues to unfold. With the help I have
received I shall have the opportunity to grow. I am grateful. I pray most
humbly to continue walking day by day, practice the principles of this way
of life in all I do and say. I need You, my friends, and the Program every
hour of every day. This is a better way to live.
Received in email

[bluidkiti]

STEP 1 God, here I am and here are my troubles. I've made a mess of
things and can't do anything about it. You take me, and all my troubles,
and do any thing you want with me.
STEP 2 God, I look to this new day with hope and believe that you can
do for me what I could never do for myself. Restore me to sanity.
STEP 3 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!"
STEP 4 God, you remove my fear and direct my attention to what you
would have me be, I am sorry for what I have done and have the honest desire
to let you take me to better things, I believe I will be forgiven and will
have learned my lesson. Mold my ideas and help me to live up to them and
what I should do about each specific matter. I pray earnestly for the right
ideal, for guidance in each questionable situation, for sanity, and for
strength to do the right thing.
STEP 5 God, thank you from the bottom of my heart that I know you
better.
STEP 6 God, help me to be willing.
STEP 7 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.
STEP 8 God, help me to be willing.
STEP 9 God, give me strength and direction to do the right thing, no
matter what the personal consequences may be.
STEP 10 God, show me the way of patience, tolerance, kindness, and
love. Help me to watch for selfishness, dishonesty, resentment, and fear;
and when these crop up, I ask at once for you to remove them.
STEP 11 God, keep me on the path to you. Guide my thoughts, actions,
words, and deeds so that I may continue to do your will. Give me power to
carry this out.
STEP 12 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 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 my forgiving that one is forgiven.
It is by dying that one awakes to Eternal Life.
Received in email

[MajestyJo]

The following were received from Al-Anon, yet some are taken from the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. I am sure that no matter what fellowship you call home, you will be able to utilize them in your own life.

Step One:

Today, I ask for help with my "ism"
Denial has kept me from seeing how powerless I am and how my life is unmanageable.

I need to learn and remember that I have an incurable illness and that acceptance is the only way to deal with it.

Step Two:

I pray for an open mind so I may come to believe ins a Power greater than myself.

I pray for humility and the continued opportunity to increase my faith.

I don't want to be crazy anymore.

Step Three:

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 my bear witness
To those I would help of Thy Power,
Thy Love and Thy Way of Life.
May I do Thy will always!

Step Four:

Dear God,

It is I who have made my life a mess.

I have done it, but I cannot undo it.

My mistakes are mine, and I will begin a searching and fearless moral inventory.

I will write down my wrongs, but Ill also include that which is good.

I pray for the strength to complete this task.

Step Six:

Dear God,

I am ready for Your help in removing from me the defects of character which I now realize are an obstacle to my recovery.

Help me to continue being honest with myself and guide me toward spiritual and mental health.

Step Seven:

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.

Step Eight:

Higher Power,

I ask Your help in making my list of all those I have harmed.

I will take responsibility for my mistakes, and be forgiving to others as You are forgiving to me.

Grant me the willingness to begin my restitutions. This I pray.

Step Nine:

Higher Power,

I pray for the right attitude to make my amends, being ever mindful not to harm others in the process.

I ask for Your guidance in making indirect amends. Most important, I will continue to make amends by staying abstinent, helping others, and growing in spiritual progress.

Step Ten:

I pray I may continue:

To grow in understanding and effectiveness;
To take daily spot check inventories of myself;
To correct mistakes when I amke them'
To take responsibility for my actions;
To be ever aware of my negative and self-defeating attitudes and behaviors;
To keep my willfulness in check;
To always remember I need Your help;
To keep love and tolerance of others as my code;
And to continue in daily prayer how I can best serve You, my Higher Power.

Step Eleven:

I pray to keep my connection with You open and clear from the confusion of daily life.

Through my prayers and meditation, I ask especially for freedom from self-will, rationalization, and wishful thinking.

I pray for the guidance of correct thought and positive action.

Your will, Higher Power, not mine, be done.

Step Twelve:

Dear God,

My spiritual aakening continues to unfold.

The help I have received, I shall pass on and give to others, both in and out of the Fellowship.

For this opportunity, I am grateful.

I pray most humbly to continue walking day by day ont he road of spiritual progress.

I pray for the inner strength and wisdom to practice the principles of this way of life in all I do and say.

I need You, my friends, and Program every hour of every day.

This is a better way of life.

I will to will your will, not mine be done. Amen!

[MajestyJo]

Always good for a reminder. When it doubt, apply the Steps. When hurting, apply the Steps. When feeling things couldn't get any better, apply the Steps.

Prayers work!