7th Step Prayer: Free Printable PDF and Wallet Cards
The 7th Step prayer is the short prayer the book gives for humbly asking God to remove your shortcomings. It's on page 76 of Alcoholics Anonymous (fourth edition), and the words below are from the 1939 first edition.
You pray it after Step Six, once you've looked at the defects your inventory turned up and become willing to let them go. Print the full page, cut out a wallet card, and pray it each morning.
Download free PDFFree. No email, no sign-up. A printable PDF, letter size, 3 pages: the prayer, a sheet of wallet cards, and Scripture to pray with it.
The Seventh Step prayer
My Creator, I am now willing that you should have all of me, good and bad. I pray that you now remove from me every single defect of character which stands in the way of my usefulness to you and my fellows. Grant me strength, as I go out from here, to do your bidding. Amen.
Alcoholics Anonymous, 1939 first edition (p. 76 in the fourth edition)
What you're asking for
- “All of me, good and bad”: you hand God the whole of you, not just the parts you're ashamed of.
- “Every single defect”: you stop keeping a favorite one in your back pocket.
- “Which stands in the way of my usefulness”: the point isn't to feel better about yourself. It's to be useful to God and to the people around you.
- “As I go out from here”: the prayer ends by sending you out the door to live it today.
Living the prayer today
- I prayed the Seventh Step prayer this morning.
- I named one defect I want God to work on today.
- When it showed up, I paused and asked for help instead of acting on it.
- Tonight I'll look back honestly and thank God for any progress.
Wallet cards
- The Seventh Step prayer My Creator, I am now willing that you should have all of me, good and bad. I pray that you now remove from me every single defect of character which stands in the way of my usefulness to you and my fellows. Grant me strength, as I go out from here, to do your bidding. Amen.
- “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10 (KJV)
How to use it
- Read pages 75–76 of your own copy before you pray it the first time.
- Pray it out loud, ideally with your sponsor, right after you finish Step Six.
- Keep a wallet card with you and pray it each morning.
- When a defect shows up during the day, say the prayer again and ask for help in that moment.
- Then move on to Step Eight. The book goes straight from this prayer to the amends list.
Scripture to go with it
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”
“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”
The prayer is from the 1939 first edition of Alcoholics Anonymous; page numbers are from the fourth edition. Steps & Scripture is not affiliated with Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
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Common questions
Where is the Seventh Step prayer in the book?
It's on page 76 of Alcoholics Anonymous, fourth edition, in the chapter Into Action, just after the short paragraph on Step Six.
Is this the exact wording?
Yes. It's the 1939 first-edition wording. The current edition prints the same prayer.
Do my defects go away once I pray it?
Usually not all at once. Most people find God takes them down a little at a time as they keep praying and keep acting differently. Progress, not perfection.
Can I print copies for my group?
Yes. Print as many as you like and share them freely.
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