Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsUnderstanding AA Step 3The 12 StepsWhy AA Step 3 Is ImportantBenefits of AA Step 3Foundation of the Twelve StepsNext in AA 12 Step Program GuideUnderstanding Step 4 of the 12 Steps
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Understanding AA Step 3
The 12 Steps
Why AA Step 3 Is Important
Benefits of AA Step 3
Foundation of the Twelve Steps
Next in AA 12 Step Program Guide
AA step 3 focuses on letting go of control and trusting a higher power. The purpose is to be able to turn to a spiritual source of strength as a way to achieve recovery from alcohol use. It is one of the steps in the12 stepsof recovery used in Alcoholics Anonymous and related programs.
At a GlanceDuring step 3, you’ll surrender to a higher power, which may be God or something else that you find spiritually meaningful. The purpose of this step is to help you understand that you cannot recover from your addiction without help. Turning to a higher power allows you to then work toward recovery with humility and trust that you will be guided through this process.
At a Glance
During step 3, you’ll surrender to a higher power, which may be God or something else that you find spiritually meaningful. The purpose of this step is to help you understand that you cannot recover from your addiction without help. Turning to a higher power allows you to then work toward recovery with humility and trust that you will be guided through this process.
According to Alcoholics Anonymous:
Step 3"Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him."
Step 3
“Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.”
It may be a difficult thing to do, especially in a culture where people are taught that they are the masters of their own destiny, but many find comfort and relief when they sincerely take step three. By working within a fellowship, rather than on one’s own, step three allows a person to embrace faith as a means to achieve the impossible.
According to AA, having faith in a spiritual power is essential for any person to take this leap.They suggest that actively believing and embracing a higher power is an act of surrender and courage.
How AA Step 3 Fits Into the 12 Steps
Upon achievingstep one(the admission of powerlessness) andstep two(agreeing that there is, in fact, a higher power), Step Three goes beyond words to actions. It opens the door to the rest of the steps and allows a person to begin the process of self-reflection (step four) and admitting the nature of one’s wrongdoings (step five).
The 12 Steps of AAAccording to Alcoholics Anonymous, the 12 Steps are:We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of characterHumbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.Made a list of persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
The 12 Steps of AA
According to Alcoholics Anonymous, the 12 Steps are:We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of characterHumbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.Made a list of persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
According to Alcoholics Anonymous, the 12 Steps are:
People who have embraced the twelve steps have found that it provides them the means to stop drinking and offers them a structural framework to live a productive and fulfilling life.
According to a Cochrane review that assessed the effectiveness of AA and other 12-step interventions for AUD, found that engaging in these community-based recovery resources was as effective as proven treatments likecognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)in helping people to sustain recovery.
What to Know About Alcohol Use Disorder
Some of the potential benefits that come from step 3 include:
While AA describes its program as non-religious, it is strongly based on the belief of a higher power, which they colloquially refer to as God. This doesn’t necessarily mean a Christian God but rather any higher spiritual being in whom a person can place his or her faith.
While AA has spawned dozens of other drug and alcohol recovery programs, the very concept of God, used commonly in the text, can make some people uncomfortable. While AA welcomes persons of all religious beliefs and denominations, the vocabulary and references are firmly based on Judeo-Christian traditions. The spiritual being is masculine (“Him”), and the term “prayer” suggests an intimate connection to the higher power.
For those who are atheistic or uncomfortable with these foundational beliefs, there areother recovery programsthat may be just as effective and far more suitable.
What This Means For YouAs you work through each of the 12 steps, remember that it is a process that takes time. AA Step 3 is just part of this process. By surrendering to a higher power, you can gain a clearer picture of what you’ll need to do to stay sober while feeling supported through this process.
What This Means For You
As you work through each of the 12 steps, remember that it is a process that takes time. AA Step 3 is just part of this process. By surrendering to a higher power, you can gain a clearer picture of what you’ll need to do to stay sober while feeling supported through this process.
4 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Alcoholics Anonymous.The twelve steps.Village A, W. Hood R, eds.The pragmatic believer—faith development and personal experiences of a ‘higher power’ in seasoned members of narcotics anonymous. In:Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion, Volume 29. BRILL; 2018:123-144. doi:10.1163/9789004382640_008Alcoholics Anonymous.Twelve steps and twelve traditions.Kelly JF, Abry A, Ferri M, Humphreys K.Alcoholics anonymous and 12-step facilitation treatments for alcohol use disorder: A distillation of a 2020 cochrane review for clinicians and policy makers.Alcohol and Alcoholism. 2020;55(6):641-651. doi:10.1093/alcalc/agaa050
4 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Alcoholics Anonymous.The twelve steps.Village A, W. Hood R, eds.The pragmatic believer—faith development and personal experiences of a ‘higher power’ in seasoned members of narcotics anonymous. In:Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion, Volume 29. BRILL; 2018:123-144. doi:10.1163/9789004382640_008Alcoholics Anonymous.Twelve steps and twelve traditions.Kelly JF, Abry A, Ferri M, Humphreys K.Alcoholics anonymous and 12-step facilitation treatments for alcohol use disorder: A distillation of a 2020 cochrane review for clinicians and policy makers.Alcohol and Alcoholism. 2020;55(6):641-651. doi:10.1093/alcalc/agaa050
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Alcoholics Anonymous.The twelve steps.Village A, W. Hood R, eds.The pragmatic believer—faith development and personal experiences of a ‘higher power’ in seasoned members of narcotics anonymous. In:Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion, Volume 29. BRILL; 2018:123-144. doi:10.1163/9789004382640_008Alcoholics Anonymous.Twelve steps and twelve traditions.Kelly JF, Abry A, Ferri M, Humphreys K.Alcoholics anonymous and 12-step facilitation treatments for alcohol use disorder: A distillation of a 2020 cochrane review for clinicians and policy makers.Alcohol and Alcoholism. 2020;55(6):641-651. doi:10.1093/alcalc/agaa050
Alcoholics Anonymous.The twelve steps.
Village A, W. Hood R, eds.The pragmatic believer—faith development and personal experiences of a ‘higher power’ in seasoned members of narcotics anonymous. In:Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion, Volume 29. BRILL; 2018:123-144. doi:10.1163/9789004382640_008
Alcoholics Anonymous.Twelve steps and twelve traditions.
Kelly JF, Abry A, Ferri M, Humphreys K.Alcoholics anonymous and 12-step facilitation treatments for alcohol use disorder: A distillation of a 2020 cochrane review for clinicians and policy makers.Alcohol and Alcoholism. 2020;55(6):641-651. doi:10.1093/alcalc/agaa050
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