11th Step Prayer: Prayer of St. Francis Printable
When people say "the 11th Step prayer," they almost always mean the Prayer of St. Francis, the prayer that Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions points to in its Step Eleven essay (page 99 in your own copy). Below it is in its traditional wording, ready to print.
Step Eleven asks you to pray only for knowledge of God's will and the power to carry that out. This prayer does exactly that: it doesn't ask for anything for yourself. It asks to be useful. We've added a short morning and evening prayer of our own for the two times the book suggests you stop and pray.
Download free PDFFree. No email, no sign-up. A printable PDF, letter size, 4 pages: the Prayer of St. Francis, the morning and evening prayers, wallet cards, and Scripture.
The Prayer of St. Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.
Traditional. Often called the Prayer of St. Francis, though St. Francis of Assisi didn't write it. It first appeared in France in the early 1900s.
A Step Eleven prayer for morning and evening
In the morning
Lord, before this day starts, I give it to You. Keep me from fear and from running on my own will. Show me what You want me to do today, and give me the strength to do it. Make me useful to someone. Amen.
At night
Lord, thank You for this day and for keeping me sober in it. Show me where I was selfish, dishonest or afraid, and where I owe someone an apology. Forgive me, and help me make it right tomorrow. Amen.
Ten quiet minutes with this prayer
- Sit somewhere quiet. Put the phone in another room.
- Ask God to be with you and to quiet your mind.
- Read the Prayer of St. Francis slowly, out loud if you can.
- Go back to the line that stood out. Where is there hatred, injury, doubt or sadness in your day?
- Ask what it would look like to bring the opposite there today. Write down one thing.
- Sit still for a few minutes and listen. Then thank Him and get up.
Wallet cards (fold each pair in half for a two-sided card)
- The Prayer of St. Francis Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.
- (continued) O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.
How to use it
- Pray the morning prayer before you check your phone. Then sit quietly for a few minutes and listen.
- Pray the Prayer of St. Francis slowly. Stop on any line that catches you and ask God where it applies today.
- Pray the night prayer as part of a short review of your day. Read pages 86–88 of Alcoholics Anonymous for the book's own guide to morning and night.
- Keep a wallet card with you for the moments in between: an argument, a craving, a hard phone call.
Scripture to go with it
““Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!””
“O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.”
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.”
The Prayer of St. Francis is traditional. The morning and evening prayers are original to Steps & Scripture. Steps & Scripture is not affiliated with Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
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Common questions
What is the 11th Step prayer?
Most people mean the Prayer of St. Francis, which Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions discusses in its Step Eleven essay on page 99. There's no single required prayer, though. Step Eleven is about praying for God's will and the power to carry it out, in any words.
Is this the same wording as the 12&12?
Close, but not word for word. We print the traditional wording. If you want the version in Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, read page 99 in your own copy.
Did St. Francis write it?
No. It's named for him because it sounds like the way he lived, but it first appeared in print in France in the early 1900s. It has been loved by Christians of every tradition since.
Can I print copies for my group?
Yes. Print as many as you like and share them freely.
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