Recovery Prayers Used In A.A.

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Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who have a desire to stop drinking.  A.A. is a spiritual program that avoids aligning itself with any particularly religious group. Individual members may have strong affiliations to a particular belief system, but the organization as a whole professes impartiality. 

Spirituality is internal. Religion is external. 

Spirituality is a journey. Religion is an institution. 

Spirituality asks you to research. Religion asks you to believe. 

Spirituality has wisdom. Religion has rules. 

Spirituality wants experimentation. Religion wants obedience. 

Spirituality is the essence. Religion is the stone. 

Spirituality inspires and lifts you. Religion demands conversion.  

- Make no requests in prayer for yourself only.

- Never pray for your own selfish ends.

- Select and memorize a few set prayers that emphasize the principles of The Steps.

- Ask a priest, minister or rabbi about helpful books and prayers that emphasize the 

  principles of the Steps.

- Be quick to see where religious people are right.

- Make use of what religious people have to offer.

(From page 87 of The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous)

Recovery Prayers At Night

God forgive me where I have been resentful, selfish, dishonest or afraid today. Help me to not keep anything to myself but to discuss it all openly with another person – show me where I owe an apology and help me make it. Help me to be kind and loving to all people. Use me in the mainstream of life God. Remove worry, remorse or morbid reflections that I may be of usefulness to others.
Amen

Recovery Prayers In The Morning

God direct my thinking today so that it be divorced of self pity, dishonesty, self-will, self-seeking and fear. God inspire my thinking, decisions and intuitions. Help me to relax and take it easy. Free me from doubt and indecision. Guide me through this day and show me my next step. God give me what I need to take care of any problems. I ask all these things that I may be of maximum service to you and my fellow man in the name of the Steps I pray.
Amen

(From page 86 of The Big Book)

In 1942, Bill W.  write in A.A. Comes of Age, from the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous; "a member, Jack, brought to everyone's attention a caption in a routine New York Herald Tribune obituary that read:

"God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, courage to change the things we can, and wisdom to know the difference."

"Never had we seen so much A.A. in so few words," Bill writes. 

1st Step Prayer

Dear Lord, I admit that I am powerless over my alcohol and that my life is unmanageable. Help me this day to understand the true meaning of powerlessness and remove from me all denial of my addiction. 

 2nd 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.  

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!  

4th 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.

5th 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. 

6th 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. 

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. 

8th 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.

9th 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.

10th 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.
 

Higher Power, as I understand you, 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. 

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  

Dear God,
My spiritual awakening 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
On the 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 the program every hour of every day.
This is a better way to live.