Step 3 of AA — Turning Your Will Over and What It Actually Means

Step 3 of Alcoholics Anonymous asks us to make a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. For many people, this is the step where the spiritual rubber meets the road. Step 1 was admitting powerlessness. Step 2 was believing help was possible. Step 3 is actually asking for it.

What 'Turning It Over' Actually Means

The Big Book uses the analogy of an actor who tries to run the whole show — directing every person and every scene. When things don't go his way, he blames everyone else. The alcoholic mind works the same way: self-will run riot. Turning it over means releasing the belief that we can and should control everything. It's not passivity — it's redirecting where we place our trust.

The Step 3 Prayer

The Big Book provides a specific Step 3 prayer: 'God, I offer myself to Thee — to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life. May I do Thy will always.' Many members say this prayer daily.

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