The Power of Prayer in Recovery

Learning several short, easy-to-memorize prayers has been instrumental to so many of us in recovery and in the development of an intimate, moment-by-moment relationship with God.  In addition to memorizing prayers in scripture (i.e., Psalm 23, The Lord’s Prayer, etc.), there are many wonderful and effective prayers, some from times past and some from the present, that can have a powerful impact in your journey to recovery if you are willing to do the work and memorize them.  I’ve included several of our favorites below.   I hope you are as blessed by them as many of us have been.

The Serenity Prayer (full) 

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.

Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting suffering as the pathway to peace.
Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it.
Trusting that He will make all things right as I surrender to His will.
That I may be reasonably happy in this life, and supremely happy with Him forever in the next.
Amen.    

St. Francis Prayer

Lord, make me an instrument 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 are shadows, 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.

Third Step Prayer

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! Amen. (Big Book of AA, 4th ed., pg. 63)

Seventh Step Prayer

“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.” (Big Book of AA, 4th ed., pg. 63)

Tenth. Step Prayer – PM

“God, as I retire tonight, let me constructively review my day, was I RESENTFUL? 
SELFISH? DISHONEST? AFRAID? Do I owe an apology? Have I kept something to
myself which should have been discussed with another person at once? Was I kind?  Loving?
To all? What could I have done better? Was·I thinking of myself most of the time? Or was I
thinking of what I could do for others? Of what I could pack into the stream of life? However,
having now considered my shortcomings, God, please let me not fall into worry, remorse, or
morbid reflection, for that would diminish my usefulness to others. God forgive me and let me
know what corrective measures I should take.  Amen. 

Eleventh Step Prayer – AM

God, please direct my thinking; especially divorce it from self-pity, dishonest and self-seeking
motives. As I go through this day and face indecision, please give me inspiration, an
intuitive thought or a decision. Help me to relax and take it easy – don’t let me struggle. Make me
rely upon the inspiration, intuitive thoughts and decisions derived from YOU instead of upon
my old ideas. Show me all through this day what my next step is to be and give me whatever I
need to take care of each problem. God, I ask you especially for freedom from self-will and I
make no requests for myself only. But do give me the power to carry out Your will in every
contact during this day.

As I go through this day make me pause when agitated or doubtful and
ask YOU for the right thought or action.  Constantly reminding me that I am no longer
running the show, humbly saying many times today, “Thy Will be done” and agreeing that it
is, I will then be in much less danger of excitement, fear, anger, worry, self-pity or foolish
decisions. I will be more efficient. I won’t be burning up energy foolishly as I was when
trying to run life to suit myself. I will let you discipline me in this simple way. I will give
you all the responsibility and all the praise.  Amen.

A Prayer for Forgiveness

Almighty God, I come to you in humility – I need your mercy.  I cannot bring freedom and deliverance myself.  I lay aside my attempts and accept your provision for my life.  Forgive me of my sin as I forgive those who sin against me.  I choose to live so that Jesus may be honored through my life.  I receive him as Lord of all that I am.  I rejoice that in Christ I am free of guilt and shame.  I am a child of the living God.  May Jesus’ name be praised.  Amen.  (from “Intentional Faith” by Allen Jackson, pg 195)

The Re-arrangement Prayer

God, I confess that my thoughts are out of order.  Rearrange my thoughts and attitudes and put them back in proper order.  Change my desires so they align with your heart.  Make my desires your desires and my intentions your intentions, so that the actions I take and the decisions I make move me closer to becoming the man you’ve designed me to be.  Amen.  (Tony Wilcox)