12 Step Prayers

Learn more about the Christian 12 Steps HERE

12 Step PrayersThanks to our friend Holly Jo for passing this on to us. These little prayers are great for anyone in AA, Alanon, Alateen or anyone who wants to have a greater understanding of the 12 Step Program, in order to grow closer to their friend or loved one who is in recovery. Enjoy.

~First Step Prayer~
Dear Lord,
I admit that I am powerless over my addiction.
I admit that my life is unmanageable when I try to control it.
Help me this day to understand the true meaning of powerlessness.
Remove from me all denial of my addiction.

~Second 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 and
addictive behavior from me this day.
Heal my spirit and restore in me a clear mind.

~Third Step Prayer~
(Page 63 – A. A. Big Book)
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!

~Fourth Step Prayer~
Dear God,
It is I who have made my life a mess.
I have done it, but I cannot undo it.
My mistakes are mine, and I will begin a
searching and 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.

~Fifth 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 and to You. Assure me, and be with me, in this Step,
for without this Step I cannot progress in my recovery.
With Your help, I can do this, and I do it.

~Sixth 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 and guide me toward spiritual and mental
health.

~Seventh Step Prayer~
(Page 76 – A. A. Big Book)
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 Prayer~
Higher Power,
I ask Your help in making my list of all those I have harmed.
I will take responsibility for my mistakes, and be forgiving to others as
You are forgiving to me. Grant me the willingness to begin my
restitution.
This I pray.

~Ninth 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, and growing in spiritual progress.

~Tenth Step Prayer~
I pray I may continue:
To grow in understanding and 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 and self-defeating attitudes and
behaviors;
To keep my willfulness in check;
To always remember I need Your help;
To keep love and tolerance of others as my code;
And to continue in daily prayer how I can best serve You, my Higher
Power.

~Eleventh Step Prayer~
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.

~Twelfth Step Prayer~
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.

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Are you sabotaging your recovery?

Are you sabotaging your recovery?

July 16, 2015 By Katie

(For help with recovery to drugs or alcohol, call us at 1-800-513-5423)

I used to be realllllyyyyy negative. On the outside I was a very polite, kind, and soft spoken girl who was always lifting other people up and encouraging people to go for their dreams, but on the inside I was saying that I was fat, ugly, unlovable, and going to fail at life.

And with that kind of thinking, you can bet your bottom dollar that it’s going to turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you think everyone hates you, you’re going to subconsciously sabotage all your relationships until you prove yourself right. This has to do with cognitive dissonance, which is when your reality doesn’t match up to your beliefs and so your mind is torn between two or more conflicting beliefs. (Whoa, I didn’t know we were going to learn something here).

Because of cognitive dissonance, if you think you’re a failure, you’re going to start failing at things because your brain wants to prove itself right. This isn’t even done consciously usually, we just subconsciously start to sabotage things in our life. So if you’ve ever started to get better and then you suddenly fall off the wagon, it’s because your brain is subconsciously sabotaging you. (Stop it, brain!)

Another reason we sabotage ourselves is based on Gay Hendricks’s idea that we have “upper limits” to how much happiness, success, love, etc we will accept into our lives. It’s like this quote from The Perks of Being a Wallflower:

“We accept the love we think we deserve.”

So if you believe you’re not worthy of love, you’re going to sabotage any good thing that comes into your life. For example, if a sweet, friendly guy comes into your life, you’re going to reject him (but in your mind you’ll be like, “Well he’s not really my type,” etc, etc, and make up some excuse) because you believe, deep down, that you don’t deserve to be loved.

Or if you start studying really hard and doing well in all your classes but you still have the belief that you’re not very smart (maybe because when you were little someone told you that you weren’t smart), at some point you’ll probably feel uncomfortable with the success you’re having. Maybe you’ll start thinking that everyone is going to have higher expectations for you now, and then you’ll study a little less and do less well on your tests until you’re back to a level where you are comfortable. You’ve reached your upper limit.

So, you might be wondering what the heck you’re supposed to do when you realize you’re sabotaging yourself. The first step is to just be aware of it. Recognize and identify whatever the particular negative belief is causing the upper limit. For example, if we use the studying example from before, the belief would be that you’re not smart. Once you realize what you’re thinking, it can be helpful to affirm the opposite. So you might affirm, “I am intelligent and capable.” You’re replacing the old negative belief with a new one. It’s not going to fix the problem overnight, but sometimes just being aware that you’re sabotaging yourself is enough to prevent it from continuing. You can do this.

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DEALING WITH ADDICTIONS IN MARRIAGE

DEALING WITH ADDICTIONS IN MARRIAGE #017

BY JOLENE ENGLE

Addictions in marriage are becoming ever so popular. Whether it’s alcohol, gambling, porn, or video games, which is the topic that I’m addressing today, addictions seem to be rampant in our world today.  We are a culture of unrestraint or we’re easily deceived to think we won’t fall into the addiction trap. I wish this reality weren’t so, but it is.  Perhaps I just hear more about it since I run this on-line space, a place where women feel comfortable opening up and sharing their deepest, darkest secrets?

Here’s one woman’s story…

Dear Jolene,

I have been married to my husband for almost 7 yrs. About 5 yrs. ago my husband became obsessed with a game on his iPhone.  He was constantly playing and would even stay up for days playing it. I was told from a friend that he should be careful with those games because you can spend money on it and it adds up quick. My husband informed me that he wasn’t spending any money. Well 3 months goes by and our car is repossessed because we hadn’t been making payments. Well I started doing research in all our bank accts. including my husband’s business acct. Well long story short, he had spent $5,000 on that game in 3 months. I was devastated. He lied at first, but then quickly turned very apologetic & said he didn’t realize he had spent so much!! He swore he’d never play again! Fast forward 5 yrs. and I have caught him several times playing that same game. But every time I find out, he lies and says he’s not playing until I show him proof. I sat him down today and told him how hurtful his lies have been and told him that I will not accept him playing that game because all it’s done is cause turmoil!! He said if I’d quit snooping and get over it, he wouldn’t have to lie and we wouldn’t have any problems. He said he’s a grown man and he spent a lot of money on that game and that he wasn’t going to throw it all away!! He then stormed out and said that I’m going to ruin this marriage over a game!! So what do I do?? Do I allow him to continue to play that game even though it upsets me? He talks to other females on there, also, and that gives me a sick feeling!!

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10 VERSES EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD

I found this blog and wanted to share it with you all (source link on bottom of blog)

If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction and have no where to turn call one of our Christian Counselors today at 1-866-391-6530
http://christian-drug-rehabilitation.com/

The Bible is full of wonderful verses. And every single word is significant and God-breathed across the pages. So where do you start? Here is an awesome top 10:

10 VERSES EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD KNOW BY HEART

#1  John 3:16

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

This verse is the Who, What, Why, and How of the Bible. It’s the whole purpose of God’s Word wrapped in a few words. Every Christian should have these words stitched within their memory as a reminder that He loves us and as an opportunity to share His love with everyone else.

10-bible-verses-every-christian

#2 and #3   2Timothy 3:16-17

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

If you don’t believe this passage, then why waste your time with any other verse? As Christians we must believe every word of God’s Word as HIS Word. If not, the whole thing falls apart. Christians can’t pick and choose the parts they want to believe or even the parts they want to follow and toss the rest to the wind. ALL Scripture is God inspired. His Word is complete Truth and will remain forever.

You’ve probably noticed I count this passage as 2 verses–not because they should be separated, but as a way to easily chunk and memorize if using Scripture Memory Cards.

Known as the Romans Road, the next 4 verses are vital because they map out the plan of salvation. Christians use these verses first, for their own steps toward salvation and then as a tool to help lead others to Christ. Each verse provides a specific step in the Salvation Plan.

#4  Romans 3:23

(Who is in need of Salvation?)
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

#5  Romans 6:23

(Why do we need Salvation?)
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

#6  Romans 5:8

(What did God provide as our only source of Salvation?)
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.”

#7  Romans 10:9

(How are we Saved?)
“that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Some add a few other verses to the Romans Road. However, these 4 are the basic steps and are a great starting point when leading the lost who are searching for hope.

#8  1John 1:9

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

When we realize the wonderful gift of God’s plan to save us, we realize just how unworthy we are to receive it. This verse helps us fight off worries, doubts, or any thoughts about our past to fully embrace and celebrate God’s promise to save us. Taking hold of this scripture reminds us that, even though we are unworthy, God keeps His word and forgives us when we confess our sins to Him.

#9 John 14:6

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'”

Just as the enemy tries to keep us bound to our past, he will also try to convince us to follow anything and everything else to keep us from following Jesus. With so many theologies, false teachings, etc., it is important for us to remember this verse. John 14:6 is the verse we hold up to any other teachings. Jesus Christ is our center. We base everything on His Word, His teachings, and His sacrifice.

#10  Psalm 119:11

“Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.”

This verse reminds us to keep ourselves focused on His Word to keep us from–well, anything that hinders, hurts, or keeps us from the victorious life God has planned.

Though there are countless scriptures to recommend, these 10 verses are a great place to start.

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