- Oct 25, 2024
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I got sober through Celebrate Recovery, a Christian faith-based program that opened my eyes to the transformative power of the Twelve Steps. Since then, I’ve deepened my involvement in Alcoholics Anonymous, finding immense value in its foundational literature—the Big Book and the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions (the “Twelve & Twelve”). These texts aren’t just guides; they’re lifelines. The original AA program was deeply rooted in biblical truths, inspired by the Oxford Group and Christian principles. Yet, it was flexible: if someone wasn’t sold on the Bible, the program encouraged coming to believe in a Higher Power through reason and “natural religion”—a God discerned through the world around us. And that’s okay, because this God is one who cares personally, who can restore us to sanity and remove our shortcomings.
But in modern AA today, I see a challenge for the staunch atheist. It’s tough, maybe impossible, to fully work the Steps without some belief in a Higher Power. An atheist might stay dry for 50+ years, sponsor others, and live a productive life without booze. But emotional sobriety? That deep inner peace, freedom from resentment, fear, and ego? I don’t think it’s achievable without surrendering to an Almighty God. The Big Book promises a “personality change sufficient to bring about recovery,” born from a spiritual awakening. Without faith in God, we’re left with self-reliance or group dependence, which can keep us sober but not truly serene. To newcomers in AA, NA, Al-Anon, Nar-Anon, Adult Children of Alcoholics, or even Celebrate Recovery—who might say, “I don’t believe in God,” or “My Higher Power is the group’s experience, strength, and hope,” or “Jesus was just a wise teacher”—don’t let the “G-word” scare you off. Start where you are; the program meets you there and invites growth.
My daily routine grounds me in this surrender. Each morning, on my knees, I pray these seven prayers:
5. The Lord’s Prayer
6. The Serenity Prayer.
And I end with:
7. “Father, into Your hands I commend my spirit. Your will, not mine, be done.”
At night, I pray a nightly review prayer from the Big Book. Then, I say the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Sometimes I’ll say it once, sometimes I’ll say it on a set of prayer beads, and sometimes I’ll immerse myself in it for a few minutes.
My overall view is this: Pursue the recovery path that fits you as long as it centers on faith in Him who has all power. In the Big Book and Twelve & Twelve, “God” means God, plain and simple. That’s the foundation of real recovery. It works if you work it.
But in modern AA today, I see a challenge for the staunch atheist. It’s tough, maybe impossible, to fully work the Steps without some belief in a Higher Power. An atheist might stay dry for 50+ years, sponsor others, and live a productive life without booze. But emotional sobriety? That deep inner peace, freedom from resentment, fear, and ego? I don’t think it’s achievable without surrendering to an Almighty God. The Big Book promises a “personality change sufficient to bring about recovery,” born from a spiritual awakening. Without faith in God, we’re left with self-reliance or group dependence, which can keep us sober but not truly serene. To newcomers in AA, NA, Al-Anon, Nar-Anon, Adult Children of Alcoholics, or even Celebrate Recovery—who might say, “I don’t believe in God,” or “My Higher Power is the group’s experience, strength, and hope,” or “Jesus was just a wise teacher”—don’t let the “G-word” scare you off. Start where you are; the program meets you there and invites growth.
My daily routine grounds me in this surrender. Each morning, on my knees, I pray these seven prayers:
- The On Awakening prayer from the Big Book (p. 86), asking God to direct my thoughts away from self-pity and selfishness.
- The Third Step Prayer (p. 63): Offering myself to God to build and do with me as He wills.
- The Seventh Step Prayer (p. 76): Humbly asking Him to remove my shortcomings.
- The Eleventh Step Prayer (Prayer of St. Francis, from the Twelve & Twelve, p. 99): Seeking to be a channel of peace.
5. The Lord’s Prayer
6. The Serenity Prayer.
And I end with:
7. “Father, into Your hands I commend my spirit. Your will, not mine, be done.”
At night, I pray a nightly review prayer from the Big Book. Then, I say the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Sometimes I’ll say it once, sometimes I’ll say it on a set of prayer beads, and sometimes I’ll immerse myself in it for a few minutes.
My overall view is this: Pursue the recovery path that fits you as long as it centers on faith in Him who has all power. In the Big Book and Twelve & Twelve, “God” means God, plain and simple. That’s the foundation of real recovery. It works if you work it.
