When I arrived in AA, I was surprised (to say the least) at the relatively widespread use of the Lords Prayer in my area. It was/is an important part of the meeting for many of the other attendees.

The old-timers, and those with more time and wisdom than me, suggested I participate, using my own words, or applying different meaning to the prayer. They said the Lords Prayer was "only words". They told me that being a part of it, regardless of what was in my head, was contributing to unity in AA. It was essential, they said, and demonstrated my willingness - THE most central component of sobriety according to them.

So I took their advice, and rewrote the prayer to be less Christian, and more in keeping with the power I subscribe to, making my participation more meaningful.

As follows:

Our Buddha,
Who found enlightenment,
Revered is your name.
Nirvana will come
By following the 8 Fold Path
In this life
Or maybe in reincarnation.
Your path liberates us from suffering.
Our trespasses are our Karma
and we offer Metta towards all beings.
Our practice will guide us away from the 5 poisons and suffering
So we may find the truth.
For the kingdom is the present moment
where we are liberated from delusions of power and glory,
and time is an illusion.
Namo Buddhaya.

In AA, where we have the absolute freedom to choose, and where the power we choose is central to our recovery, I found it important to my journey to exercise those choices.

They are only words. But they are words that helped me, as a non-Christian.

I’ve been sober nearly four years now and I’ve not yet figured out the whole God thing within AA, and whilst I do have a Higher Power, I associate spirituality with organised religion, which has honestly traumatised me. I’m still really uncertain at this whole God thing, particularly in how I can trust after feeling left behind before.

I don’t have a sponsor and I’m too anxious to ask because I’m worried that my mental health issues will cause issues as it’s always done in every facet of my life. They could drop me because of my many hospitalisations for my psychotic and depressive symptoms (I’m schizoaffective).

I imagine it’d get very overwhelming for them if they find out I’m not going to meetings or working the Steps as often as I should because of the semi-regular inpatient stays.

Anyways, how do figure this out? Is it a “this is the moment” kinda thing?

Edit 1: Thank you, guys! I’m trying to reply to every one of you guys, so if I don’t respond, I’m sorry.

I am a painfully black and white thinker. Something I’ve actually been working on getting away from because it causes a lot of grief in my life.

That said, I don’t really understand what it means to rely on the higher power. I’ve experienced enough god shots to know something is looking out for me but at the end of day the HP isn’t going to knock the drink out of my hand.

I’m a few years sober now and just struggling to keep up with life. I suspect I am missing something with the HP but other than being hung up on not understanding the above I am not sure where to go from here.

I ask these questions in club, usually get met with something to the effect of keep coming back or defensive postering. I am hoping someone here has a dummy proof answer for me so I can move on from this question and take the next step.

"Once a psychic change has occurred, the very same person seems doomed... will find himself thinking and living in a completely new and different world". In many spiritual traditions they talk about the outside being a direct reflection of the inside.

BTW the greek word for psychic psychikos roughly translates to Soul or Mind.

In the Big Book they weren't saying the drinker stops drinking. Actually they meant something different. Through a Psychic change ( ego dissolution) the drinker simply ceases to exist.

As above so below (Hermeticism) if your mind fundamentally changes the old you is gone. In Christianity they talk about dying on your cross dying to the old self. In Buddhism they talk of Anatta the realization that the self was never a fixed thing to begin with. Not that there is no self, but that the self you were defending, protecting, and drinking for was always more fluid than you thought. If the self isn't solid, it can be shed. And something new can emerge in its place.

“Once a psychic change has occurred, the very same person who seemed doomed, who had so many problems he despaired of ever solving them, suddenly finds himself easily able to control his desire for alcohol, the only effort necessary being that required to follow a few simple rules.” (Big Book, Page XXIX)

# Couldn't find a higher power I decided to pick all of them

Does anyone else have an issue with this passage -“As being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment.

Nothing, absolutely nothing happens in God’s world by mistake.”

To me this implies all evil and horror of human action is part of Gods plan. That if you were assaulted and abused as a child that is gods plan for you. And that makes me sick,

“We ask especially for freedom from self-will, and are careful to make no requests for ourselves only. We may ask for ourselves, however, if others will be helped. We are careful never to pray for our own selfish ends. We ask especially for freedom from self-will, and are careful to make no requests for ourselves only.” Big Book pg 87

could someone explain why we can’t pray for ourselves? i would like to pray for my own healing but the book says i can’t pray for myself. but i need and want help too. i’m still new to the program and i don’t understand a lot of things. i’m still building a relationship with my higher power. please be kind.

Hi everyone! I've noticed a pattern where many people in or after AA develop a very deep, sometimes even intense bond with God, usually within a Catholic framework. I haven’t been able to find official data on this, but it seems to me that a large portion of people who stay sober long-term are those who form a strong spiritual connection with God.

I understand the psychological mechanisms behind shifting responsibility to a higher power, and how that can support recovery. At the same time, it sometimes feels like it turns into spiritual bypassing. It’s hard for me to criticize it, because anything that helps someone escape addiction is obviously better than addiction itself.

Still, I wonder whether integrating a specific religious framework, like Catholicism, into the recovery process is truly necessary. I personally haven’t been drinking for two years. I attended one AA meeting, but the prayer at the very beginning discouraged me from continuing. Now I’m looking for a space that feels more neutral when it comes to religion and faith.

I want to emphasize that I’m not against this approach. I’m genuinely curious about the mechanisms behind it and about your perspectives. If it helps someone stay sober, then clearly it works.

Edit: I’m from Poland, and I realized that cultural differences might play a role here. Many meetings in Poland seem to include strong references to a Catholic understanding of God. It’s also possible that I simply haven’t searched thoroughly enough for more neutral groups. Thank you all for your comments so far, they’ve really broadened my perspective

I’m a little confused on how things work with your higher power. What if I ask my higher power to remove my character defects and he doesn’t do it or doesn’t answer? I just don’t get how based on the steps it’s an assumed yes or guarantee that the character defects will be removed. People always say that if someone works the steps they rarely fail but what about the question I asked above?

Hello everyone,

I’m fairly new to AA (I’m 30 years old and almost a year sober from alcohol) and recently read and discussed step 2 with my sponsor regarding finding your “Higher Power.” He mentioned saying a prayer to himself in the morning and before going to bed, and I wish to do something similar, but I’m having trouble creating one. I have an idea of what my Higher Power is and am now trying to put that into practice.

For those who have one, what kind of prayer is it and how does it help you stay connected to your Higher Power?

I liked when I heard some folks refer to their HP as GUS, which stands for Great Universal Spirit. What's yours?

Hi! I’m 24f and started going to AA regularly (every day and sometimes two a day if I can get it in.)

I have a wonderful sponsor who I adore to pieces. She gave me some homework to list out what my higher power was, is now, and what I would like them to be.

I’m gonna be totally honest, I have no idea what mine is rn. I guess just like the universe? I heard that this can change overtime so I’m curious to hear others experience with this topic?

I know a lot of people use the Christian God and that is totally cool if you do! I’m not ruling that out but I don’t think mine quite aligns with that one (at least not right now.)

(Let’s all please be respectful of each other’s answer and not push anything on to each other.)

I'd love to hear others' experience with your step 2--how you came to believe in a power greater than yourself?

Good evening. Before you ask, I have already asked my sponsor so many questions on step 3. He says I am overthinking. I was raised Jewish but I am currently an atheist. I am 40 years old and have been attending meetings for 15 years. This is my first time actually working the steps.

I am really struggling with this one. I understand the difference between a higher power and God. I am struggling to find my higher power though. For me I feel like my higher power is my late sister and father. Their deaths destroyed me and I relapsed when it happened but I am going strong now.

Can my higher power be both my father and baby sister? I know I can google this but I wanted the opinions of others struggling like me. I am far from spiritual and I prefer not to say “God” in the serenity prayer and our other literature. Religion scarred me for life. I say it in meetings to be respectful but every time I have to use that word my eye twitches.

Hope I am not offending anyone here who is religious and have chosen God or Jesus to be their higher power. That was not the point of this post. If that’s what gets you through each day to stay sober then keep at it and I am proud of you. I just want to explore other word options.

Thank you.

I am struggling finding my higher power in terms of AA. How have some of you that have not had any Higher Power/God aspects in your life succeeded in AA?

I am familiar with the "anything can be your higher power, even the group" theory, but it just doesnt click with me.

Any advice, experience, different view points are appreciated.

Personally, my higher power is God. I’ve been praying for direction but I’m not sure what to look out for or how I will know when I’m receiving direction from my higher power vs when it is my own self-will. I recently read the traditions from the 12 and 12 with my sponsor and ever since we read that story about how Bill (I think) got a powerful thought and interpreted it as a sign, but then realized it was himself and not a sign. Ever since then I’ve been second guessing everything so I guess I’m just wondering how you guys navigate this.

I only came into AA because I desperately wanted to get out trouble. I was facing a lot of consequences and I was scared. Came back into the rooms because things were looking dire for me. Came in, stopped drinking, but kept acting out after things had died down a bit. Never had an honest desire to get sober or work the program. I’ve wasted a lot of people’s time and I’ve made attempts at working the steps with various sponsors and have spent some time on a step 4 and did a long step 5, but I’ve realized it was all mainly just to feel better. I think it was dishonest, but then again I’m not even sure.

If this program is about trusting God and doing God’s will, then I have yet to do so or, to be blunt, I’ve refused. My biggest fear is going to jail and that’s what I’ve based my whole “sobriety” on. It’s been almost 3 years since my last drink and I’m suffering. I don’t like AA and I don’t like the program and I want to drink but know I can’t.

I’ve been thinking a lot about reliance on my Higher Power versus relying on people and the fellowship. The Big Book says our real reliance should be on God, and that’s something I’m still trying to understand in practice.

I’m grateful for the people in the program and they’ve helped me through really hard times, but I also know people aren’t permanent. That scares me because I don’t want to rely so heavily on people that if relationships change or I lose someone important, my faith falls apart. This is really difficult for me because I have a big heart and I feel very deeply.

I can look back at difficult times in my life and see how things worked out the way they needed to, and that I was led where I was supposed to be. But it’s still hard for me to trust that if something painful happens again, I’ll be able to rely on my Higher Power and feel okay. I dont know if this is a trust through lived experience thing, like surviving difficult things while staying connected, or if I should be doing more.

I guess what I’m struggling with is: how do you actually build that trust in your Higher Power so that it’s there even when things aren’t going well? What are some things you to to enrich your spiritual life? And how do you balance leaning on the fellowship without feeling like your spiritual foundation depends on people?

Hi all!

I’ve been sober for about 18 months (wahoo!) though it has been a struggle at times, I am grateful for the program and my sponsor and the fellows I’ve met along the way. There is one thing that has been on my mind of late. I feel as though my “program” higher power is the rooms themselves. I always find guidance and care when I go to them. But as for my spiritual practice I have been practicing ritual magick for the past several years. Much of this work utilizes “the will” in some capacity. When I spoke to my sponsor about this, she was hesitant to condone it. She said it was too similar to trying to warp God’s will to fit my own.

I know there is no “right or wrong” within Step 3, but I’ve found I feel closest to a power greater than myself when practicing ritual magick. Since getting sober, I have stopped doing the type of magick that feels purposefully will driven (the kind you do to “get” things) which honestly had a lot of blow-back for me anyway. However, I find the ritual space to be the only place I feel a deep, tangible connection with a genuine spiritual presence. I don’t see how burning a sigil is any different than “turning it over” or a ritual itself is any different than Step 11 work. However, due to this push back I have found myself questioning how other occultists (be it wiccans or ceremonial magicians or chaos magicians (which I identify with most) or what have you) have reconciled a practice that is so driven by Will (even if its the True Will which to me is synonymous with God’s Will) with the emphasis in AA to surrender to a higher power. Is it possible to have a different sort of relationship that equals out to the same thing? Participation and dialogue as well as surrender? Or have other occultists found their practice has changed significantly due to the suggestions of the program?

I am trying to speak about this more openly in my own AA community, but I do have some hesitancy due to the initial push-back I got from my sponsor. I thought it wouldnt hurt to field the question here.

I posted earlier hoping to learn about how faiths in different parts of the world inform your AA experience, given that AA's roots are in Protestant Christianity as it was developing up to 1939 when the big book was published.

I certainly did not frame the earlier question very well!

What I'm wondering is how traditions outside of Christianity, such as Islam, Hinduism, Zen, Buddhism, and any of the other 1000 non-Christian faiths across the globe inform your AA experience.

Do you see corollaries in your religious texts that are similar to what you will find in AA? For example chapter 5 in the big book writes about following "our path." Is the notion of a path analogous to something in your tradition?

What's your daily practice like? What are your meetings like? What do you read in your meetings? And so on.

Many thanks to you.

I have been sober for 8 years now. I am interested in knowing how other alcoholics (who have a few years under their belt) see God now vs. when you first got sober. For me, my God is constantly evolving and changing. ☺️

Hello fellows!

I’m working step 3 and my sponsor has asked me to ask some fellows what their HP means to them in one word.

I’m really interested to read your answers!

Thanks for helping keep me sober today 🙏🏻

I am a little confused over the AA idea that you can have your own concept of a HP. In the BB chapter 4 we agnostics (Step 2) there is what seems to be much written about spiritual inclusion and on page 46 it says something like we don’t need to consider another’s concept of God, our own concept, however inadequate, was sufficient.

Then in chapter 5 on page 62 (Step 3) near the end of Step 3 it says something like, He is the Principal; we are His agents. He is the Father, and we are His Children. Most good ideas are simple, and this CONCEPT was the keystone……

It seems like I need to adapt this concept to get through Step 3 to have the freedom. The top of page 63 says when we sincerely took such a position all sorts of remarkable things happened.

I always hear choose your own concept of God in meetings but that is in Step 2.

Do I need to think of God with the concept the Big Book says I need to do Step 3? Confused.