Walking into recovery with an open mind sounds simple, but anyone who has tried it knows how hard it actually is. Old habits, old opinions, and old fears have a way of sneaking back in, even when we want to change. That’s exactly why so many people in Alcoholics Anonymous lean on the Set Aside Prayer, a short, honest request for a fresh perspective.
This guide breaks down what the prayer says, where it fits into daily recovery, and why it continues to help newcomers and long-time members alike. Whether you heard it at a meeting last week or you’re hearing about it for the first time, you’ll find a clear, practical explanation here.
What Is the Set Aside Prayer
The Set Aside Prayer is a short prayer used in many AA meetings to ask for an open mind before a meeting, a reading, or a step study begins. It is not printed in the Big Book or in any conference-approved AA literature. Instead, it grew out of the rooms themselves — passed from group to group, sponsor to sponsee, over the years.
At its core, the prayer asks a higher power to help the speaker set aside:
- Everything they think they know about themselves
- Everything they think they know about their disease
- Everything they think they know about God or a higher power
- Everything they think they know about the program
The goal isn’t to erase the past. It’s to make room for a new experience, even if that means questioning long-held beliefs.
Why The Set Aside Prayer Matters In AA
Alcoholism often comes with a stubborn kind of certainty. Many people entering recovery are convinced they already understand their problem, their limits, and what will or won’t work for them. That certainty can quietly block progress.
The Set Aside Prayer matters because it directly challenges that mindset. It asks for:
- Willingness — a readiness to try something new, even when it feels uncomfortable
- Honesty — an admission that old thinking hasn’t solved the problem
- Open-mindedness — space for new ideas, people, and experiences
These three qualities are often described in AA as essential for working the steps. Without them, even the best-written program can fall flat.
Full Alcoholics Anonymous Set Aside Prayer
There are several versions of this prayer circulating in meetings and recovery literature, since it was never formally standardized. A commonly used version reads something like this:
God, please help me set aside everything I think I know about myself, everything I think I know about my disease, everything I think I know about others, and everything I think I know about You, so that I may have an open mind and a new experience with all of these things. Help me see the truth.
Some groups add a line asking for help seeing the truth about the Big Book, the Twelve Steps, or the fellowship itself. Others keep it shorter. There is no single “official” wording — and that flexibility is part of why it has spread so widely across different meetings and treatment programs.
Simple Meaning Behind The Prayer
Strip away the spiritual language, and the message is straightforward: I don’t have all the answers, and I’m willing to learn.
That’s a hard thing to admit, especially for someone who has spent years convinced they had everything under control. The prayer gives people permission to:
- Question assumptions that haven’t served them
- Approach recovery like a beginner, even after years of sobriety
- Replace fear-based thinking with curiosity
It’s less about religion and more about mindset. Many people who don’t identify with a specific faith still find the prayer useful because it focuses on humility rather than doctrine.
How To Use The Prayer In Daily Recovery
The Set Aside Prayer isn’t limited to meetings. Many people weave it into everyday moments where old thinking tends to resurface.
In The Morning
Saying the prayer first thing in the morning sets a tone for the day. It’s a quiet reminder to stay open before old worries or defensive thinking take over.
Before Difficult Conversations
Conflict tends to trigger old defense mechanisms. Reciting the prayer beforehand can help someone enter a hard conversation with less ego and more willingness to listen.
During Stress Or Cravings
When stress builds or a craving hits, the mind often reaches for familiar — and unhelpful — patterns. The prayer acts as a pause button, creating space between the urge and the reaction.
While Reading AA Literature
Reading the Big Book or the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions with a “know-it-all” mindset limits what a person can absorb. Saying the prayer beforehand helps readers approach familiar text with fresh eyes.
Set Aside Prayer Before AA Meetings
Many groups open or close meetings with this prayer, especially step-study or Big Book study meetings. Saying it together as a group serves two purposes:
- It reminds everyone in the room that they’re there to learn, not to prove what they already know
- It creates a shared sense of humility, which can make sharing and listening easier
Some chairpersons read it aloud before opening the floor to discussion, particularly during meetings focused on working a specific step.
Set Aside Prayer For Open Mindedness
Open-mindedness is one of AA’s three core principles, alongside honesty and willingness. The Set Aside Prayer is often described as the practical tool for building that open-mindedness, rather than just talking about it.
| Core Principle | How The Prayer Supports It |
| Honesty | Admits that past thinking hasn’t worked |
| Open-mindedness | Requests a new experience instead of old assumptions |
| Willingness | Asks for the strength to actually try something different |
Reciting the prayer regularly can help reinforce these principles until they start to feel natural rather than forced.
Letting Go Of Old Beliefs And Fear
Fear and rigid belief often go hand in hand. Someone afraid of change may cling tightly to old opinions simply because they feel safe and familiar, even if those opinions haven’t helped.
The Set Aside Prayer directly addresses this pattern by asking for release, not replacement. It doesn’t demand that a person abandon their values. Instead, it asks them to loosen their grip long enough to consider something new. Over time, many people find that this small shift — just being willing to consider — is what allows real change to happen.
The Spiritual Side Of The Set Aside Prayer
AA describes itself as a spiritual program, not a religious one. The Set Aside Prayer reflects that distinction. It doesn’t ask for forgiveness in a traditional religious sense, and it doesn’t reference a specific faith tradition. Instead, it speaks to a “higher power,” a phrase AA intentionally leaves open to interpretation.
This flexibility means the prayer can be adapted by:
- People with a traditional religious background
- Agnostics and atheists who use “higher power” to mean the group, nature, or another concept
- People still figuring out what they believe
That openness is part of why the prayer resonates across such a wide range of members.
How The Prayer Helps With Sobriety
Sobriety isn’t just about not drinking — it’s about changing the thinking patterns that led to drinking in the first place. The Set Aside Prayer supports sobriety in a few specific ways:
- Interrupts automatic thinking. It creates a pause before old, unhelpful thought patterns take over.
- Reduces defensiveness. Approaching situations with humility tends to lower conflict and stress, both of which are common relapse triggers.
- Builds daily structure. Saying it consistently — in the morning, before meetings, or during stressful moments — adds a small but steady recovery habit.
- Reinforces step work. Steps like the Fourth and Tenth Step ask for honest self-reflection, which is easier with an already-open mind.
Set Aside Prayer For Beginners In AA
For someone new to AA, the amount of information can feel overwhelming — steps, traditions, sponsors, meeting formats, and unfamiliar language all at once. The Set Aside Prayer offers a simple starting point that doesn’t require memorizing anything complicated.
Newcomers often find it useful because it:
- Requires no prior knowledge of AA literature
- Doesn’t demand a specific religious belief
- Can be said silently, without needing to share it out loud
- Works as a gentle first step into the spiritual side of the program
Sponsors sometimes introduce this prayer early on, specifically because it lowers the pressure to “get it right” from day one.
Common Lessons People Learn From This Prayer
People who use the Set Aside Prayer regularly often report a few recurring realizations:
- Certainty can be a trap. Being “sure” about something isn’t the same as being right.
- New experiences require space. Holding onto old ideas too tightly leaves no room for anything new.
- Humility isn’t weakness. Admitting you don’t have all the answers is often the first real step toward growth.
- Old fears lose power when named. Simply acknowledging fear-based thinking can reduce its grip.
These lessons echo throughout AA’s broader philosophy, which is one reason the prayer fits so naturally into meetings and step work.
Morning Reflection With The Set Aside Prayer
Many people build a short morning routine around this prayer. A simple version might look like this:
- Take a few quiet minutes before checking phones or starting the day
- Say the Set Aside Prayer slowly, either silently or aloud
- Sit with the meaning for a moment rather than rushing to the next task
- Set one small intention for staying open-minded that day
This doesn’t need to take more than a few minutes, but many people find that starting the day this way makes it easier to stay grounded when challenges come up later.
Healing, Humility, And Personal Growth
Recovery is rarely a straight line. Healing tends to happen in layers, and humility plays a bigger role in that process than most people expect. The Set Aside Prayer supports this kind of growth by asking, again and again, for a willingness to be wrong and a willingness to learn.
Over months and years, repeating this request can shift how a person handles setbacks, criticism, and uncertainty — not by removing difficulty, but by changing how they respond to it.
Finding Peace Through The Set Aside Prayer
Much of the anxiety tied to addiction comes from trying to control outcomes that were never fully controllable in the first place. The Set Aside Prayer offers a different approach: instead of gripping tighter, it invites a person to loosen their hold and trust the process.
For many in recovery, that shift from control to openness is where a real sense of peace begins to take shape.
FAQ’s
Is the Set Aside Prayer official AA literature?
No. It is not found in the Big Book or any conference-approved AA text, but it is widely used informally in meetings.
Who wrote the Set Aside Prayer?
Its exact origin is unknown. It developed organically within twelve-step communities rather than being written by one identified author.
When is the Set Aside Prayer usually said?
It’s commonly said before meetings, before step studies, during Big Book readings, or as part of a personal morning routine.
Do I have to believe in God to use this prayer?
No. Many people substitute “higher power” or another concept for “God,” since AA treats spirituality as a personal, flexible concept.
How is the Set Aside Prayer different from the Serenity Prayer?
The Serenity Prayer asks for acceptance and courage, while the Set Aside Prayer specifically asks for an open mind and freedom from old assumptions.
Can the Set Aside Prayer help with relapse prevention?
It can support relapse prevention indirectly by reducing rigid thinking and defensiveness, two patterns often linked to stress and triggers.
Conclusion
The Set Aside Prayer isn’t complicated, and that’s exactly the point. It asks for one simple thing: an open mind and lets that openness do the rest of the work. Whether it’s said before a meeting, during a stressful moment, or as part of a quiet morning routine, its purpose stays the same: to help someone step back from old certainty and make room for real change.
For many people in Alcoholics Anonymous, that small shift in mindset ends up being one of the most important parts of long-term recovery.
