Big Book Prayers: Context, Reflection and Personal Practice

Big Book prayers are prayerful passages and instructions found mainly in Chapters 5 and 6 of Alcoholics Anonymous. They are connected to particular actions in the Twelve Steps: making a decision, examining resentment and fear, becoming willing to change, making amends, reviewing the day, and seeking direction. Their meaning becomes clearer when they are read in context rather than treated as isolated formulas.

Some readers use the passages word for word. Others paraphrase them, sit quietly with their themes, or adapt their language to fit their understanding of a Higher Power. Practices vary among members, sponsors and groups. This independent reading companion is not official A.A. guidance, and no single reading method suits everyone.

What People Mean by “Big Book Prayers”

The Big Book does not contain a formally titled collection called “Big Book Prayers.” Instead, Chapters 5 and 6 combine Step instructions, suggested prayers, reflective questions and descriptions of spiritual practice. Readers commonly give convenient names to passages associated with the Third Step, resentment, fear, the Seventh Step and the Eleventh Step.

The book was first published in 1939 to describe how A.A.’s early members approached recovery. Its first 11 chapters present the program and include the original Twelve Steps. Chapter 5, “How It Works,” introduces the Steps and discusses Steps Three and Four. Chapter 6, “Into Action,” continues through Steps Five to Eleven. (aa.org)

This structure matters. The prayers are usually linked to inventory, confession, restitution, changed conduct or service. They are not presented as substitutes for those actions.

Where the Main Prayer Passages Appear

The following table uses the standard Fourth Edition pagination. Exact page display may vary in digital or translated editions.

Common informal name	Location	Immediate context	Central theme
Third Step Prayer	Chapter 5, around page 63	Following the decision described in Step Three	Offering one’s life, direction and usefulness to a Higher Power
Resentment Prayer	Chapter 5, around pages 66–67	During the resentment portion of Step Four inventory	Seeking patience, tolerance and a changed view of another person
Fear Prayer	Chapter 5, around page 68	After identifying fears and examining reliance on self	Asking for fear to be removed and for direction toward constructive action
Guidance for relationships and conduct	Chapter 5, around pages 69–70	While reviewing sexual and relationship conduct	Seeking sound ideals, strength and guidance in difficult situations
Fifth Step pause	Chapter 6, around page 75	After sharing the inventory with another person	Gratitude, quiet review and checking whether anything was omitted
Seventh Step Prayer	Chapter 6, around page 76	After Steps Five and Six and before beginning amends	Humility, willingness and removal of obstacles to useful living
Amends guidance	Chapter 6, around pages 76–84	Before and during direct amends	Strength, direction, honesty and concern for those who may be affected
Tenth Step practice	Chapter 6, around pages 84–85	Ongoing inventory after earlier Step work	Prompt acknowledgment, correction and renewed helpfulness
Evening and morning prayer	Chapter 6, around pages 86–88	The daily practice associated with Step Eleven	Review, forgiveness, direction, freedom from selfish motives and service

These passages appear within the broader movement from Step Three through Step Eleven. The official chapter texts show that prayer is repeatedly joined to examination, discussion, correction and action. (aa.org)

Why Context Is More Important Than Memorization

The Third Step passage follows a decision

The Third Step prayer comes after the book’s discussion of self-direction and the decision to entrust one’s will and life to the care of a Higher Power. Its emphasis is not simply on feeling calmer. It expresses willingness to live differently and become more useful.

A useful study question is: What action would make this decision visible today? Depending on the situation, that might involve completing inventory, making a difficult telephone call, accepting guidance or doing an ordinary responsibility without demanding recognition.

The inventory prayers interrupt familiar reactions

The resentment and fear passages appear during Step Four, where the reader is asked to identify patterns rather than merely list complaints. Prayer creates a pause between an emotional reaction and the next action.

In the resentment discussion, the text invites a shift away from retaliation and toward patience and tolerance. This does not mean denying harm, excusing abuse or abandoning necessary boundaries. Compassion and self-protection can coexist.

The fear passage similarly turns attention from anxious self-reliance toward guidance and constructive conduct. It does not promise that fear will instantly disappear. Readers can instead ask what responsible action remains possible while fear is present.

The Seventh Step passage prepares for repair

The Seventh Step prayer is positioned immediately before the book moves into Steps Eight and Nine. Humility is therefore connected to making things right, not to thinking poorly of oneself.

Its focus on removing shortcomings can be read alongside a practical question: Which behavior is preventing me from being honest, responsible or helpful? The chapters that follow direct the reader toward amends and changed behavior rather than endless self-analysis.

For a closer reading of this sequence, see Into Action: Practical Guide to AA Big Book Chapter 6.

Step Eleven describes an ongoing rhythm

The morning and evening passages are not limited to a single memorized prayer. The evening review considers conduct during the day and any corrective measures that may be needed. The morning practice considers the day ahead, motives, uncertainty and opportunities to help others. (aa.org)

This creates a simple rhythm:

1. Review without collapsing into shame.
2. Recognize what needs correction.
3. Seek guidance for the next right action.
4. Carry that intention into daily life.

Reading Spiritual Language with Honesty

The Twelve Steps repeatedly use the qualifying phrase “as we understood Him” when referring to God. This leaves room for personal understanding, although individual members and groups interpret spiritual language in different ways. (aa.org)

Some readers understand a Higher Power in traditionally religious terms. Others think in terms of reality, conscience, nature, the fellowship, collective wisdom or principles greater than personal impulse. Some remain uncertain and begin with willingness rather than belief.

It can be useful to distinguish three questions:

• What does the book actually say?
• How have other members understood it?
• What can I honestly practice today?

A reader does not need to imitate another person’s vocabulary to study carefully. At the same time, changing every difficult phrase too quickly may hide an opportunity for reflection. Consider asking what the language is trying to accomplish before deciding how to express it personally.

Readers exploring this subject may also find We Agnostics: An Open Guide to AA Big Book Chapter 4 helpful.

A Practical Method for Studying a Big Book Prayer

1. Read the surrounding pages

Begin at least two or three paragraphs before the prayer and continue for several paragraphs afterward. Identify the Step, problem or action under discussion.

2. Mark the key movements

Instead of highlighting the entire passage, mark a few functional ideas:

• What is being acknowledged?
• What help is being requested?
• What attitude is being released?
• What action follows?
• Who besides the reader may benefit?

For a sustainable marking approach, use Big Book Highlights: What to Mark and How to Revisit It.

3. Paraphrase without improving the text

Write one or two sentences in your own language. The aim is not to replace the original but to test your understanding.

For example, a paraphrase might say: “Help me stop managing this situation through fear. Show me the honest and useful action available now.” This is a personal reflection, not a quotation from the Big Book.

4. Identify the connected action

Prayer passages usually point toward something concrete. That may be inventory, consultation, an apology, restitution, restraint, service or a change in conduct.

Write one action beside the passage. If an amends could affect another person, careful discussion with an experienced sponsor or appropriate professional may be important before acting. The Big Book itself warns readers to consider possible injury to others when making amends.

5. Review the result, not just the feeling

Later, ask whether the practice affected behavior. Did it create honesty, patience or willingness? Did it reveal a correction that still needs to be made? A prayer can be meaningful even when it does not produce an immediate emotional change.

Personal Practice Without Pressure

A simple practice can take three to ten minutes:

1. Pause: Settle physically and reduce distractions.
2. Read: Choose one passage and include its surrounding context.
3. Reflect: Notice the attitude or behavior being addressed.
4. Respond: Use the printed words, a paraphrase or quiet contemplation.
5. Act: Name one realistic next step.
6. Return: Revisit the passage later and note what changed.

Consistency may be more useful than intensity. A reader might work with one passage for a week rather than moving through a long list each morning. Missing a day does not require starting over.

Those who read with a sponsor can compare interpretations while preserving personal honesty. How to Read the Big Book with a Sponsor offers ideas for pace, questions and healthy boundaries. A sponsor or group member may share experience, but neither replaces medical, legal or mental-health professionals when specialized help is needed.

Suggestions for Group Study

A group can study these passages without requiring members to disclose private prayer beliefs.

• Read the full section aloud, not only the familiar prayer.
• Ask what action comes immediately before and after it.
• Separate textual observation from personal interpretation.
• Welcome religious, spiritual, uncertain and nonreligious perspectives respectfully.
• Avoid debating whose concept of a Higher Power is correct.
• Allow members to pass rather than requiring personal disclosure.
• End by identifying a principle or action, not by demanding agreement.

Groups also vary in whether they recite prayers together. Participation practices are usually best explained clearly and without pressure.

Common Misunderstandings

Every familiar meeting prayer comes from the Big Book

It does not. The Serenity Prayer, the Lord’s Prayer and the prayer commonly attributed to St. Francis may be used in some A.A. settings, but they are not the same as the prayer passages embedded in the main instructional chapters of the Big Book.

The exact wording must always be memorized

Some members value memorization, while others read from the page or use their own words. Memorization can support recall, but understanding the passage’s purpose and related action is equally important.

Prayer replaces practical action

The chapters consistently connect prayer with inventory, conversation, amends, daily review and service. Prayer may shape intention, but the surrounding instructions call for changed conduct.

Discomfort means the practice is failing

A prayer may bring unresolved fear, resentment or responsibility into clearer view. Discomfort can be information. It need not be treated as proof of spiritual failure.

Questions for Reflection

• What was happening in the Step process when this prayer appeared?
• What does the passage ask the reader to release, seek or become willing to do?
• Which words feel useful, and which create resistance?
• What might that resistance reveal without proving that one interpretation is correct?
• Is there a practical action connected to the prayer?
• Could that action affect another person, and should I seek guidance first?
• Am I using prayer to become more honest and useful, or to avoid a difficult responsibility?
• How might I express the passage’s central intention in language I can use sincerely?

Conclusion

Big Book prayers are best understood as parts of a continuing process: pause, examine, seek guidance and act. Reading the surrounding paragraphs reveals why each passage appears and what it asks the reader to do next.

Personal practices will differ. Some readers recite the original passages, some paraphrase them, and others begin with quiet reflection or willingness. A thoughtful approach respects both the text and the reader’s honest spiritual position.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the main prayers in the Big Book?

Readers commonly identify the Third Step, resentment, fear and Seventh Step prayers, along with the morning, evening and throughout-the-day practices associated with Step Eleven. There are also prayerful instructions concerning relationships, amends and ongoing inventory.

Where is the Third Step Prayer in the Big Book?

In standard Fourth Edition pagination, it appears in Chapter 5, “How It Works,” around page 63. Reading the paragraphs before and after it helps connect the prayer to the Step Three decision and the actions that follow.

Do I have to believe in God to use Big Book prayers?

Members answer this differently. The Steps allow for a personally understood Higher Power, and some readers begin with uncertainty, openness or willingness. It may help to discuss the language with trusted members while avoiding pressure to claim beliefs you do not hold.

Can I rewrite a Big Book prayer in my own words?

Many readers find paraphrasing useful for reflection, while others prefer the original wording. Keeping the original passage nearby can help preserve its context and prevent a paraphrase from losing the connection between prayer and action.

Are Big Book prayers meant to be said alone or with a group?

They can be used privately, with a sponsor or in a group, depending on local practice and personal comfort. Group customs vary, and respectful participation should leave room for different beliefs, language preferences and levels of willingness.