Recovery Path Charities

Health, Healing, Hope

Faith and the 12 Steps

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The 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) are a set of guidelines that are used by AA and other recovery programs as a framework for recovery from alcoholism. Many people find that their faith plays an important role in helping them to work through the 12 steps and to achieve lasting recovery.

Here are a few ways in which faith can help with the 12 steps of AA:

  1. The first step of AA involves acknowledging that one has a problem with alcohol and that one is powerless over this problem. Many people find that their faith helps them to recognize their need for help and to surrender their will to a higher power.
  2. The second step involves coming to believe that a power greater than oneself can restore one to sanity. For many people, this higher power is God, and their faith helps them to trust in God’s ability to restore them to a healthy and sober life.
  3. The third step involves making a decision to turn one’s will and life over to the care of God. For many people, their faith helps them to trust in God’s plan for their life and to surrender their own desires and plans to God’s will.
  4. The fourth step involves taking a moral inventory of oneself. Many people find that their faith helps them to examine their own thoughts, behaviors, and motivations in a more honest and compassionate way, and to seek forgiveness for their mistakes.
  5. The fifth step involves admitting to God, to oneself, and to another human being the exact nature of one’s wrongs. Many people find that their faith helps them to be honest and vulnerable with others, and to seek forgiveness and reconciliation.
  6. The remaining steps involve working on one’s character defects, making amends to those one has harmed, and continuing to grow spiritually. Many people find that their faith helps them to stay motivated and focused on their recovery, and to seek out the support and guidance of others in their faith community.

Overall, faith can be an important source of support and strength for people working through the 12 steps of AA and seeking recovery from alcoholism.