Higher Power vs God: What Christians Should Know
“Higher power” is the open phrase the Twelve Steps use so that anyone can begin, whatever they believe. “God” is the word the steps use most often, and for a Christian it means the God of the Bible, made known in Jesus. You don’t have to choose between them. You can work every step with a higher power who has a name.
The real question underneath is usually this: will I have to water down my faith to get sober in a 12-step program? No. But it helps to understand why the language is there, and what some Christians worry about.
Where the phrase comes from
In the 1939 wording, Step 2 reads: “Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.” Step 3 speaks of “God as we understood Him,” and Step 11 repeats that phrase. The word “God” itself appears in several of the steps.
The early members chose that wording on purpose. Many alcoholics who came to them were angry at God, or had been hurt by church, or didn’t believe at all. The founders wanted the door wide enough for those people to walk through. Over time, people in meetings shortened “a Power greater than ourselves” to “higher power,” and the phrase stuck.
So “higher power” isn’t a rival god. It’s a doorway. The question is who you meet when you walk through it.
Why some Christians are uneasy
The concern is fair, and many pastors raise it.
Any god will do. If a newcomer is told their higher power can be anything, they may settle for something vague: the group, the universe, their own better self. Scripture is clear that there is one God, and that idols can’t save.
Faith without the cross. A person can work the steps, find real change, and never hear about Jesus. Some Christians worry that recovery can become a spirituality that stops short of the gospel.
Silence in meetings. In most 12-step meetings, people speak of God in general terms. A believer may feel they have to hide what they believe.
These are real points. They’re why some Christians prefer Christ-centered recovery groups. See Is AA Christian? for the history and a fair look at both sides.
Why many Christians are at peace with it
Other believers see it differently, and they have reasons too.
It’s honest about where people start. Plenty of people come to faith by stages. The steps meet them at “something bigger than me” and keep pointing upward. Many believers say they came to Jesus because the steps first got them praying.
The steps don’t forbid you to name God. Nothing in them tells a Christian to pray to anyone but the Lord. “As we understood Him” leaves room for you to understand Him as He has revealed Himself.
Paul used the same doorway. In Athens, Paul found an altar to an unknown god and used it to tell the people who God really was.
“Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.”
Higher power vs God, side by side
| “Higher power” in general | The God of the Bible | |
|---|---|---|
| Who He is | Left open for each person | Father, Son and Holy Spirit |
| How you know Him | Your own experience | Scripture, Jesus, and your own experience |
| What He asks | Surrender and willingness | Surrender, trust and following Jesus |
| Forgiveness | Implied in the steps | Promised and paid for at the cross |
| Who prays to Him | Anyone, in any words | Anyone, through Jesus |
The steps ask you to surrender to a power greater than yourself. Scripture tells you who that power is and that He has already come looking for you.
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
How to work the steps with God by name
- Step 2. Write down why you believe God can restore you. Use Scripture, and use what you’ve seen Him do. See Step 2.
- Step 3. Pray the Third Step prayer, and say Jesus’ name in it. See Step 3.
- In meetings. Say “God” when you share. Most Christians find nobody minds. If you want to say “Jesus,” keep it about your own story rather than telling others what to believe.
- With a sponsor. Look for a sponsor who shares your faith, or at least respects it. Ask them early.
- At church. Tell a pastor or a trusted believer you’re working the steps. Ask them to pray for you by step.
If you’re not sure what you believe
Maybe you’re reading this because you can’t honestly say you believe in God right now. That’s all right. Step 2 says “came to believe,” which sounds like something that happens over time. Begin with honest prayer, even a doubtful one. God isn’t afraid of your questions.
“Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!””
A prayer
“God, the steps call You a Power greater than myself. I want to know You by name. Thank You that You’ve made Yourself known in Jesus. I turn my will and my life over to You, not to some idea of You, but to You. Amen.”
For a short definition to share with someone, see higher power in the glossary. Ready to begin? Start here.
Common questions
Is a higher power the same as God?
For a Christian, yes. The steps use the phrase so anyone can begin, but they also say God many times. You can understand that God as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and pray to Him by name.
Can my higher power be the group or a doorknob?
Some newcomers start there because they can't yet believe in anything. It's an old saying in the rooms, not a teaching. A Christian doesn't need a stand-in. You can turn to the living God from the first day.
Is it wrong for a Christian to say 'higher power'?
No. It's a description, and it's true: God is higher than you and has power you don't. What matters is who you mean. Most Christians in meetings simply say God, or Jesus, when they speak.
Is Steps & Scripture connected to AA?
No. Steps & Scripture is not affiliated with Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. or any recovery organization. Its AI sponsors work the steps with the God of the Bible.
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