The 12 Steps of Christian Discipleship

The Twelve Steps are central to the recovery process of Alcoholics Anonymous. They were developed in the 1930s by Bill Wilson and Dr. Robert Smith. They formed the basis of AA, which was founded in 1935 as a way to help individuals overcome alcoholism. They are based on Christian principles. The AA Steps allow the concept of the God we serve to be left open to an individual’s own understanding so atheists, agnostics, and followers of other faiths are not excluded from recovery. The Steps are not just about addiction but a solution to the sin problem; they apply to anyone who struggles with sin (Romans 3:23) and they are a roadmap to renewal, repentance, and redemption (Romans 12:2). They will benefit any Christian who is willing to consider them, and they are a useful tool inside the penal system. How brave are you? Will you accept the challenge to be on this Christian path with us?

Here is unCUFFED’s take on these Christ-centered 12 Steps of Christian Discipleship and how we use them inside:

1. Honesty – We admitted we were powerless over sin — that our lives had become unmanageable.
   1. Prayer: Dear Lord, I admit that I am powerless over my sinful life. I admit that my life is unmanageable when I try to control it. Help me this day to understand the true meaning of powerlessness. Remove from me all denial of my sin.
   2. Bible Verse: Romans 7:18-19, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.”
   3. When you are incarcerated, you have a deep sense of powerlessness as you sit in the consequences of your sin. Jail may be the place where someone can finally accept their sin problem and recognize what has become of their life.
2. Hope – Came to believe that our omnipotent God could restore us to sanity.
   1. Prayer: Jesus, I know in my heart that only you can restore me to sanity. I humbly ask that you remove all twisted thought and sinful behavior from me today. Heal my spirit and restore in me a clear mind.
   2. Bible Verse: Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
   3. Am I able to accept that I am insane (a state of mind which prevents normal perception, behavior, or social interaction) and need a Savior to restore me?
3. Faith – Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God.
   1. Prayer: God, I offer myself to You to build with me and to do with me as You will. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Your will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help with the Power of the Holy Spirit, Your love and Your way of life. May I do Your will always!
   2. Bible Verse: Romans 12:1, “Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”
   3. Can I give it all to Jesus and accept that He will cure me in His time?
4. Courage – Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
   1. Prayer: Dear God, I have made my life a mess. I have done it, but I cannot undo it. My mistakes are mine and I will begin a searching and fearless moral inventory. I will write down my wrongs, but I will also include that which is good. I pray for the strength to complete the task.
   2. Bible Verse: Lamentations 3:40, “Let us examine and probe our ways, And let us return to the Lord.”
   3. When we are on top of the world it is difficult to delve deeply into our failings. Being incarcerated presents an opportunity to be honest and introspective.
5. Integrity – Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
   1. Prayer: God, my inventory has shown me who I am, yet I ask for Your help in admitting my wrongs to another person and to You. Assure me and be with me for without this Step I cannot expect change and renewal. With Your help, I can do this, and I will do it.
   2. Bible Verse: James 5:16, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed.”
   3. Step Four is preparation; step 5 is execution. Will we admit our failings out loud to another person and to God in prayer?
6. Willingness – Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
   1. Prayer: Dear God, I am ready for Your help in removing from me the defects of character which I now realize are an obstacle to my redemption. Help me to continue being honest with myself and guide me toward spiritual and mental health.
   2. Bible Verse: James 4:10, “Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.”
   3. Prepare me to deeply believe that Jesus can heal me. As John 5:6 says, “Do you want to be well?“
7. Humility – Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
   1. 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 community. Grant me strength, as I go out from here to do your bidding.
   2. Bible Verse: 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
   3. Execute by answering YES when asked if I want to be well.
8. Love – Made a list of all the people we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.
   1. Prayer: God, I ask Your help in making my list of all those I have harmed. I will take responsibility for my mistakes and be forgiving to others as You are forgiving to me. Grant me the willingness to begin my restitution. I pray for this.
   2. Bible Verse: Luke 6:31, “Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.”
   3. Prepare to seek forgiveness from those we have hurt.
9. Responsibility – Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
   1. Prayer: God, I pray for the right attitude to make my amends, being ever mindful not to harm others in the process. I ask for Your guidance in making indirect amends. Most importantly, I will continue to make amends by rejecting sin, helping others and growing in spiritual progress.
   2. Bible Verse: Matthew 5:23-24, “Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.”
   3. Execute. Humbly ask for forgiveness face to face.
10. Discipline – Continued to take personal inventory and, when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.
    1. Prayer: I pray I may continue to grow in understanding and effectiveness; to take daily spot check inventories of myself; to correct mistakes when I make them; to take responsibility for my actions; to be ever aware of my negative and self-defeating attitudes and behaviors; to keep my willfulness in check; to always remember I need Your help; to keep love and tolerance of others as my code; to continue in daily prayer to see how I can best serve You, my God.
    2. Bible Verse: 1 Corinthians 10:12, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.”
    3. Check in every night with a 10th Step. Here is an AA example.
11. Spiritual Awareness – 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.
    1.  Prayer: God, I pray to keep my connection with You open and clear from the confusion of daily life. Through my prayers I ask especially for freedom from self-will, rationalization, and wishful thinking. I pray for guidance of correct thought and positive action. Your will God, not mine, be done.
    2. Bible Verse: Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
    3. How is my prayer life? Am I able to “Be still and know that He is God.”
12. The Great Commission- Having had a spiritual awakening because of our walk with You, we tried to carry this gospel to the nations and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
    1. Prayer: Dear God, my spiritual awakening continues to unfold. The help I have received I shall pass on and give to others, both in and out of the Fellowship. For this opportunity I am grateful. I pray most humbly to continue walking day by day on the road of spiritual progress. I pray for the inner strength and wisdom to practice the principles of this way of life in all I do and say. I need You, my friends, and my faith every hour of every day. This is a better way to live.
    2. Bible Verse: Matthew 28:19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
    3. Can God truly use my sin to create a testimony to share the gospel? To paraphrase Genesis 50:20, “what I meant for evil, God used for good to save the lives of many.”