What is the AA Prayer? Understanding the Serenity Prayer and Step Prayers

If you’re new to Alcoholics Anonymous, walking into a meeting and hearing the group recite a short prayer at the close can raise a lot of questions.[1]

What is the AA prayer? Is it religion-based? Can you participate in the prayer without believing in God?

Below we explain the history of the Serenity Prayer and cover the lesser-known step prayers used throughout the 12-step program.

What Is the AA Prayer?

There is no single AA prayer; however, when people say “AA prayer,” they generally are referring to the Serenity Prayer, which is most commonly associated with AA meetings and is frequently recited as a group during the closing of a meeting.[2] In addition to the Serenity Prayer, AA also references several other prayers tied to individual steps of the program, found in The Big Book and in Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions.[3][4]

A common thread among all of these prayers is surrendering self-will, seeking direction from a higher power, and being humble enough to keep working toward change. None of these prayers require that someone hold a specific religious belief. Instead, AA describes a higher power as something flexible that each person can personally define for themselves, whether that means identifying their higher power as a traditional concept of God, a spiritual energy, a fellowship of people supporting one another, or something else entirely.

The Serenity Prayer: Meaning and Origin

Below is the version most commonly recited in AA meetings:

“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.”

This wasn’t an original composition for Alcoholics Anonymous. The authorship of the Serenity Prayer is often attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr, an American theologian. After an early member of Alcoholics Anonymous came across this prayer in the 1940s, it was introduced to the recovery movement. Bill W., one of AA’s co-founders, is often credited with recognizing how well this prayer supported the philosophy of the organization and helping introduce it to the recovery community.

The meaning behind the prayer lines up closely with core ideas in recovery. Acceptance is about letting go of things a person genuinely can’t control, such as someone else’s decisions or past events. Courage speaks to doing things differently — changing your own behaviors or daily routine. Wisdom is about understanding the difference between the two, since confusing them, whether by trying to control what can’t be controlled or giving up on what could actually be changed, tends to cause a lot of unnecessary difficulty.

How Is the Serenity Prayer Used at AA Meetings?

In most AA meetings, the Serenity Prayer is recited together, either near the beginning or the end of the gathering, often while everyone stands in a circle. The recitation serves as a shared declaration of intent for those present, before or after the discussion portion of the meeting.

Many meetings recite only the shortened version above, while others incorporate an extended version of the Serenity Prayer that goes on to address living one day at a time, accepting hardship as a pathway toward inner peace, and trusting that things will work out if a person does their part. Again, participation is voluntary. Newcomers to AA are under no obligation to recite the Serenity Prayer at any meeting, and AA welcomes anyone interested in recovery, regardless of religious affiliation or personal belief.

AA Step Prayers

Beyond the Serenity Prayer, a handful of prayers are tied to specific steps in the 12-step program, most notably Steps Three, Seven, and Eleven. These prayers appear in AA’s approved literature — the Big Book and the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions — and are often recited, alone or with a sponsor, while working through the corresponding step.

Third Step Prayer

A key part of the Big Book’s discussion of Step Three, and ultimately giving up control to a higher power, is the Third Step Prayer.[5] It states:

“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.”

The Third Step Prayer addresses letting go of personal ego and the desire for control, so a person can seek guidance from a higher power instead.

Seventh Step Prayer

The Seventh Step Prayer is associated with Step Seven, which focuses on humbly asking for the removal of our own personal shortcomings.[6] It reads:

“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.”

This prayer specifically references a defect of character, which refers to a personality flaw or behavioral pattern someone is trying to overcome. It then asks for assistance in removing the defect, instead of relying solely on willpower.

Eleventh Step Prayer

The Eleventh Step Prayer is derived from the Prayer of St. Francis, commonly attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, and found in the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions in connection with Step Eleven, which focuses on prayer and meditation.[7]

It begins with the most recognized portion of the prayer, asking to be “made a channel of thy peace,” in order to provide love, forgiveness, and hope in times of turmoil and despair. The prayer ends by associating the acts of service with being spiritually renewed, sometimes referred to as becoming aware of eternal life.

The prayer in its entirety reads:

“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 is darkness, 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.”

Prayers for Other Steps

There are numerous prayers written for steps like One, Five, and Ten, and they’re used widely in recovery communities, shared at meetings, in AA Grapevine, or passed along between members.[8][9][10][11]

Unlike the Third, Seventh, and Eleventh Step prayers, these aren’t part of AA’s official conference-approved literature, and the language differs depending on the source.

These prayers typically express the theme of the respective step, such as praying about powerlessness and a lack of control over one’s life for Step One, or continuing to maintain honesty and self-awareness for Step Ten, though the wording can vary depending on the source.

Why Prayer Matters in 12-Step Recovery

While religion may influence the use of prayer among people in AA, its purpose has no inherent relationship to any specific religion. Many people find these prayers helpful for acknowledging self-centeredness, self-pity, and other habits that can cause problems in daily life, relationships, and long-term sobriety. Some find that reciting prayers during AA meetings, or alone at home, helps create a routine that helps set an intention for each new day.

Counselors who work in addiction services report that engaging in activities similar to prayer, such as mindfulness and rituals, regardless of a client’s specific faith, can foster emotional stability and a sense of belonging to something greater than one’s current struggle with addiction. For some people, this is a traditional view of God. Others see it as the collective support of AA members, staff at treatment centers, or the recovery community itself.

Finding Structured Support at The Forest Sober Living

Recovery from addiction and working through the Twelve Steps is significantly easier when there are positive people and the right environment around you.

That’s why The Forest Sober Living offers structured, accountable homes in Arizona, Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin to help you continue building on the work you began in treatment.

Our house managers and peer mentors provide day-to-day support through their own lived experience with recovery and help with continued participation in the 12-step program, developing life skills, and maintaining a relationship with a loved one or family member throughout the process. If a sober living arrangement seems the right next step for where you are in your journey, reach out to our admissions team to learn more.