The Twelve Steps
of Serenity Groups
The First Step
We admitted we were powerless to overcome
our weaknesses that
our lives had become unmanageable.
The Second Step
Came to believe that a Power greater than
ourselves could restore us to sanity.
The Third Step
Made a decision to turn our will and our
lives over to the care of God.
The Fourth Step
Made a searching and fearless moral
inventory of ourselves.
The Fifth Step
Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to
another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
The Sixth Step
Were entirely ready to have God remove all
these defects of character.
The Seventh Step
Humbly asked Him to remove our
shortcomings.
The Eighth Step
Made a list of all persons we had harmed
and became willing to make amends to them all.
The Ninth Step
Made direct amends to such people whenever
possible except when to do so would injure them or others.
The Tenth Step
Continued to take personal inventory and
when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.
The Eleventh Step
Sought through prayer and meditation to
improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His
will for us and power to carry that out.
The Twelfth Step
Having had a spiritual awakening as the
result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to others, and to
practice these principles in all our affairs.
Regarding the 12 Steps, in the first edition of
Prayer Steps to
Serenity, The First Step was changed to read: "We admitted we were
powerless over our dependencies--that our lives had become
unmanageable." Please note that I have changed that step to read: "We
admitted we were powerless to overcome our weaknesses--that our lives had
become unmanageable." I made this change because I did not want some to
assume wrongly early on that dependence on God was wrong, or that we
should not seek to live dependable and trustworthy lives. Not all
weakness is wrong or blameworthy, but if any weakness has led us into
living unmanageably in certain areas, we need to admit this problem and
seek the help we need. You may want to discuss with your support group a
different word to use in The First Step. For example, a member of Al-Anon
might consider it a weakness when they keep enabling a loved one to remain
actively addicted to using alcohol. A church member might consider their
slavery to a sin a weakness, a weakness they need help from God and their
church to overcome. As you think of the First Step, you might change the
substance "alcohol" to some other substance; such as cocaine. Or, you
might want to change "alcohol" or "weakness" to some addiction that is
your problem. Or, perhaps the word "craving" is better, because it more
accurately describes your feelings. I have used "weaknesses" in the
plural form, because most people are weak in more than one area where they
need help, and God is willing and able to help us overcome all of our
weaknesses (or addictions or cravings or sins). The Apostle Paul wrote:
"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what
we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans
that words cannot express" Romans 8:26). And, "But Christ said to me, 'My
grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that
Christ's power may rest on me (2 Corinthians 12:8.9).
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