Summary of My Third Step Prayer
- What is the modern version of Step 3 prayer?
- What is the full sobriety prayer?
- How to rewrite the 3rd step prayer?
- What does step three in prayer mean?
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AI Overview
AI Overview
The 3rd Step Prayer, found on page 63 of the Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book, is a pivotal, voluntary declaration of surrender, where members offer their will and lives to a higher power to overcome addiction. It focuses on relieving self-bondage, seeking guidance, and removing difficulties to better serve others.
Key Elements and Purpose
Surrender & Trust: The prayer marks the shift from relying on self-will to trusting a Higher Power, often summarized as “letting go and letting God”.
Purpose: It is designed to remove the “bondage of self,” reduce fear, and foster humility to help the individual stay sober and be useful to others.
Core Text:
“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!”
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Usage in Alcoholics Anonymous
Context: It is the action-oriented prayer for Step 3 (“Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him”).
Practice: While often said with a sponsor or friend, it is fundamentally a personal, daily, or moment-to-moment commitment.
Flexibility: The exact wording is optional, provided the intent of surrendering self-will is maintained.
Variations and Interpretations
Other Programs: Similar versions exist in Narcotics Anonymous (NA) and Debtors Anonymous (DA), often focusing on releasing control and overcoming specific compulsive behaviors.
Interpretation: It is seen as a way to “get out of our own way” and accept that recovery is not a solo mission.
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This week the homework was to write our own 3rd Step Prayer.
The following prayer is the third step prayer found in the Big Book and used by Bill W.:
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.
This is my personal third step prayer:
God, I surrender my life to you now. When I tried to manage everything on my own without You, it did not work. Please, take my thoughts and my feelings and guide my actions to live according to Your will and plan. Please help me see the Truth.
The essence of the third step prayer is:
We have decided to forget the past with God and to give our future into His keeping. Nothing more needs to be added, and nothing can be taken away.
This picture may have been better suited to the post on the Serenity Prayer, but, I wanted to add it to our blog.
Thank you all for sharing your experience, strength and hope. I am so grateful that we are sharing this journey together!
In love and service,
Shira