12 steps

Ordinary people serving an extraordinary God

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The Twelve Steps

We admitted we were powerless over _____,
that our lives have become unmanageable.
"...We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness,
but we walk in deep shadows"
~Isaiah 59: 9-10~

We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves
could restore us to sanity.
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline."
~Proverbs 1:7~

We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God
as we understood Him.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil."
~Proverbs 3:5-7~

We made a searching and fearless inventory of ourselves.
"(There are) those who are pure in their own hearts
and yet are not cleansed of their filth..."
~Proverbs 30:12~

We admitted to God, ourselves, and to another human being,
the exact nature of our wrongs.
"He who conceals his sin does not prosper,
but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy."
~Proverbs 28:13~

We were entirely ready to have God remove all thes defects of character.
"I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
Praise be to you, O Lord; teach me your decrees."
~Psalm 119:10-12~

We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
"My eyes are ever on the Lord,
for only He will release my feet from the snare."
~Psalm 25:15~

We made a list of all persons we had harmed and
became willing to make amends to them all.
"When a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord,
he makes even his enemies live at peace with him."
~Proverbs 16:7~

We made direct amends to such people wherever possible,
except when to do so would injure them or others.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God."
~Matthew 5:9~

We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.
"So if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!"
~1 Corinthians 10:12~

We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our
conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge
of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled."
~Matthew 5:6~

Having 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.

"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God riegns!"
~Isaiah 52:7~