AA Prayers, Meditation and Service

Following is a list of many of the AA prayers, meditations and service which are outlined in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous and the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions.

“I earnestly advise every alcoholic to read this book through, and though perhaps he came to scoff, he may remain to pray.” William D. Silkworth, MD – Pg. xxx

Prayer from How it Works, Step 2.5

Pg. 59 BB - We asked His protection and care with complete abandon.

Third Step

Pg. 63 BB – “God, I offer myself to Thee – to build with me and 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!”

Pg. 40-41 12+12 -  In all times of emotional disturbance or indecision, we can pause, ask for quiet, and in the stillness simply say: “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.”

Fourth Step

Pg. 66 BB - “This was our course: We realized that the people who wronged us were perhaps spiritually sick.”

Pg. 67 BB - We asked God to help us show them the same tolerance, pity, and patience that we would cheerfully grant a sick friend. When a person offended we said to ourselves, “This is a sick man. How can I be helpful to him? God save me from being angry. Thy will be done”.

Pg. 68 BB - We ask Him to remove our fear and direct our attention to what He would have us be.

Pg. 69 BB - We asked God to mold our ideals and help us live up to them.

Pg. 69 BB - In meditation, we ask God what we do about each specific matter.

Pg. 70 BB - To sum up about sex: We earnestly pray for the right ideal, for guidance in each questionable situation, for sanity and for strength to do the right thing.

Pg. 70 BB - “ we through ourselves the harder into helping others.”

Fifth Step

Pg. 75 BB - We thank God from the bottom of our heart that we know Him better.

Pg. 75 BB - we ask if we have omitted anything,

Sixth Step

Pg. 76 BB - If we still cling to something we will not let go, we ask God to help us be willing.

Seventh Step

Pg. 76 BB - “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”

Eighth Step

Pg. 76 BB - We subjected ourselves to a drastic self-appraisal.

Pg. 76 BB - If we haven’t the will to do this, we ask until it comes.

Ninth Step

Pg. 77 BB - Our real purpose if to fit ourselves to be of maximum service to God and the people about us.

Pg. 79 BB - We ask that we be given strength and direction to do the right thing, no matter what the personal consequences might be.

Pg. 80 BB - If we have obtained permission, have consulted with others, asked God to help.

Pg. 82 BB - Each might pray about it, having the other one’s happiness uppermost in mind.

Pg. 83 BB - So we clean house with the family, asking each morning in meditation that our Creator show us the way of patience, tolerance, kindliness and love.

Tenth Step

Pg. 84 BB - Continue to watch for selfishness, dishonesty, resentment and fear. When these crop up, we ask God at once to remove them. We discuss them with someone immediately and make amends quickly if we have harmed anyone. Then we resolutely turn our thoughts to someone we can help.

Pg. 85 BB - Everyday is a day when we must carry the vision of God’s will into all our activities. “How can I best serve Thee–Thy will (not mine) be done”. These are thoughts which must go with us constantly.

Eleventh Step

Pg. 59 BB - Praying only for knowledge of his will for us and the power to carry it out.

Pg. 86 BB - When we retire at night we constructively review our day. Were we resentful, selfish, dishonest or afraid? Do we owe an apology? Have we kept something to ourselves which should be discussed with another person at once? Were we kind and loving toward all? What could we have done better? Were we thinking of ourselves most of the time? Or were we thinking of what we could do for others, of what we could pack into the stream of life? But we must be careful not to drift into worry, remorse or morbid reflection, for that would diminish our usefulness to others. After making our review “we ask God’s forgiveness and inquire what corrective measures should be taken”.

Pg. 86 BB - On awakening let us think about the twenty-four hours ahead. We consider our plans for the day. Before we begin, we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives.

Pg. 86 BB - In thinking about our day, “We ask God for inspiration, an intuitive thought or decision”.

Pg. 87 BB - We usually conclude the period of mediation with a prayer that we be shown all through the day what our next step is to be, that we be given whatever we need to take care of such problems. We especially ask for freedom from self-will, and are careful to make no requests for ourselves only

Pg. 87 – 88 BB - 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 are no longer running the show, humbly saying to ourselves many times each day "Thy will be done."

Pg. 99 12+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 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."

As beginners in meditation, we might now reread this prayer several times very slowly.

Pg. 101 12+12 - Once more we read our prayer

Pg 102 12+12 - In the morning we think of the hours to come “If it be thy will”

Pg. 102 12+12 - We ask simply that throughout the day God place in us the best understanding of His will that we can have for that day, and that we be given the grace by which we may carry it out.

Pg 103 12+12 - “Thy will not mine be done”

Twelfth Step

Pg. 89 BB – Practical experience shows us that nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking as intensive work with other alcoholics.

Pg. 89 BB – to be helpful is our only aim.

Pg. 97 BB – Helping others is the foundation stone of your recovery.

Pg. 102 BB - Your job now is to be at the place where you may be of maximum helpfulness to others, so never hesitate to go anywhere if you can be helpful. You should not hesitate to visit the most sordid spot on earth on such an errand. Keep on the firing line of life with these motives and God will keep you unharmed.

Pg 125 12+12 - God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.

Pg. 164 BB - Ask Him in your morning meditation what you can do each day for the man who is still sick. The answers will come IF your own house is in order.

The Recovery HQ Team is here to help you!

It’s important to know that you and your loved one are not alone in your fight to recover and prevent relapse. Whether you choose to use the AA prayers, meditations or service above, go to a recovery meeting, or use another recovery resource, taking this first step toward securing your recovery has begun. Search Recovery HQ, use the SAMHSA Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator, or contact our dedicated team and we will help find the solution which best fits your needs.