Biblical References for the 12 Steps (Long Version)

Note: all quotes are from the King James Version (KJV). If you have difficulty understanding the KJV we strongly recommend that you get a copy of a more modern language Bible such as The New Life Version Bible, New King James Version, New Revised Standard Version, Today’s English Version, The Message, etc.

Step One: We admitted we were powerless over our addictions and dysfunctions and that our lives had become unmanageable.

–For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing:
for to will is present with me; but [how] to perform that which is
good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil
which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not,
it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. Romans 7:18-20







Genesis 4:7
Psalm 6:2-4
Psalm 10:14
Psalm 13:1
Psalm 18:6
Psalm 22:1-2
Psalm 25:16-18
Psalm 30:10
Psalm 31:22
Psalm 38:1-9
Psalm 40:17
Psalm 44:15-16
Psalm 69:1-3
Psalm 69:33
Psalm 88:1-4
Proverbs 14:12
Proverbs 26:12
Matthew 9:36
John 8:34-36
Romans 3: 10 & 23
Romans 7:5-6
Romans 7:24-25
Romans 8:9-10
1 Corinthians 10:13-14
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
Ephesians 2:1-2
1 Peter 5:6-7
 Psalm 5:1
Psalm 6:6-7

Psalm 12:5
Psalm 16:4a
Psalm 18:27
Psalm 22:11-13
Psalm 28:1-2
Psalm 31:9-10

Psalm 34:18
Psalm 39:4-5
Psalm 42:6-8
Psalm 55:4-8
Psalm 69:20
Psalm 72:12-13

Psalm 102:1-7
Proverbs 18:14
Proverbs 28:26
Mark 4:35-41
John 15:5
Romans 6:23

Romans 7:18-20
Romans 8:1-2
1 Corinthians 8:2
2 Corinthians 1:9
Galatians 5:19-23
James 2:10
2 Peter 2:19

STEP 2 – Came to believe that through Jesus Christ we could be restored
to right relationship with God the Father, and subsequent sanity and stability in our lives.

–Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things [are] possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears,Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. –Mark 9:23-24




Exodus 14:14
Psalm 18:1-3
Psalm 20:7-8
Psalm 33:18-22
Psalm 71:1-3
Psalm 107:41-43

Psalm 119:123-125
Psalm 121
Psalm 139:1-6
Psalm 149:14
Proverbs 2:2-12
Matthew 9:12-13

2 Corinthians 1:8-11
Mark 5:35-36
Luke 9:56
Luke 13:10-13
John 3:3-6
John 3:14-18

John 6:28-29
John 6:68-69
John 8:12
John 10:37-39
John 12:46
Acts 3:16

Acts 16:31
Romans 10:1-4
1 Corinthians 1:18-25
2 Corinthians 4:13-14
2 Corinthians 5:21
Philippians 2:13

Hebrews 2:14-18
James 1:17-18
Isaiah 1:18-20
Psalm 18:16-19
Psalm 27:13-14
Psalm 46:1-3

Psalm 107:27-31
Psalm 109:21-27
Psalm 119:162-166
Psalm 130
Psalm 142
Proverbs 1:7

Proverbs 15:16
Matthew 20:29-34
Galatians 1:4
Luke 1:37
Luke 11:5-13
Luke 18:35-43

John 6:40
John 5:37-40
John 6:63
John 7:37-39
John 10:9-10
John 11:25-26

John 14:6
Acts 4:12
Romans 8:11, 38-39
Romans 10:13
1 Corinthians 15:20-22
Ephesians 2:4-5

Colossians 2:12-14
Hebrews 7:24-25
1 John 4:10
Revelation 3:20

Step Three: Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.

–A Psalm of David.
The LORD [is] my shepherd; I shall not want.





Deuteronomy 30:19-20
Psalm 3:5-6
Psalm 9:9-10
Psalm 28:6-9
Psalm 56:3-4
Psalm 62:5-7

Psalm 86:11-13
Psalm 94:17-19
Psalm 143:8
Proverbs 3:5-6
Proverbs 16:3
Matthew 6:31-34

Matthew 11:28-30
Luke 9:57-62
Luke 24:46-47
John 3:16-18
John 5:24
John 8:1-11

John 12:26
Acts 2:21
Romans 4:20-25
Romans 5:8-11
Romans 6:12-14
Romans 10:9-13

Philippians 3:7-9
Ephesians 1:3-14
Hebrews 4:1-2
1 Peter 1:3-5
1 John 5:4-5

Psalm 4:8
Psalm 17:6-8
Psalm 31:19-20
Psalm 61:1-4
Psalm 68:19-20
Psalm 91:1-4

Psalm 116
Psalm 147:11
Proverbs 14:26-27
Matthew 10:37-39
Matthew 16:21-26
Luke 11:2-4

John 1:12-13
John 3:36
John 6:35-40
John 10:17-18
John 17:3
Romans 3:21-24

Romans 5:1
Romans 5:17
Romans 8:1
2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Ephesians 2:8-9
Hebrews 4:1-2

1 Peter 1:13-16
1 John 4:15-17
1 Peter 2:24-25

Step Four: Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

–All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes;
but the LORD weigheth the spirits. Commit thy works unto the LORD,
and thy thoughts shall be established. –Proverbs 16:2-3





Psalm 66:18
Psalm 73:21-22
Proverbs 5:3-6
Proverbs 13:13

Proverbs 15:11
Proverbs 16:2-3
Proverbs 20:1
Proverbs 21:9
Proverbs 23:27
Proverbs 25:28

Proverbs 29:1
Proverbs 29:20
Proverbs 30:11-12
Matthew 5:27-32
Mark 7:20-23
Luke 11:33-36

Luke 12:1-6
Luke 16:14-15
Romans 6:16
Romans 8:5-9
Romans 13:11-14
1 Corinthians 4:19-20

1 Corinthians 7:3-16
2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1
2 Corinthians 10:12
2 Corinthians 13:5
Galatians 6:3-5
Ephesians 5:18

James 2:2-8
Psalm 90:8
Proverbs 10:17
Proverbs 14:14-15
Proverbs 15:31-33
Proverbs 19:19

Proverbs 20:19-20
Proverbs 22:24-25
Proverbs 23:29-35
Proverbs 26:20-22
Proverbs 29:11
Proverbs 29:22-23

Ezekiel 36:26-27,31
Matthew 23:23-28
Luke 12:1-6
Luke 12:15
Luke 17:3-6
Romans 7:15

Romans 12:1-3
1 Corinthians 3:1-3
1 Corinthians 15:34
2 Corinthians 7:10
Galatians 5:13-21
Ephesians 5:3-7

Ephesians 5:22-23
1 Timothy 5:8
1 John 1:8
Ephesians 6:1-4

Step Five: Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

–Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another,
that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous
man availeth much.–James 5:16




Psalm 32:3-5
Psalm 38:17-18
Psalm 41:4
Psalm 62:8

Psalm 119:66-67
Proverbs 21:2
Proverbs 30:32
Matthew 23:12
Luke 15:4-7
John 3:19-21

Romans 14:12-13
1 Corinthians 11:27-32
Ephesians 4:14-15
Colossians 3:5
James 4:7-8
1 John 1:8-10
Psalm 40:11-13
Psalm 51:3-4
Psalm 69:5
Proverbs 16:18
Proverbs 27:17

Proverbs 28:13-14
Luke 5:31
Luke 15:17-20
Acts 19:18
Romans 14:22
2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Ephesians 4:25
Hebrews 4:12-16
James 5:16
1 John 2:1-2

Step Six: Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

–Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober,
and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you
at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children,
not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner
of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. –1 Peter 1:13-16



Psalm 4:4-5
Psalm 16:7-11
Psalm 32:9-11
Psalm 119:10-12
Psalm 139:23-24

Proverbs 3:11-12
Matthew 3:8
Matthew 7:24-27
Romans 6:1-4
Romans 12:1-2
1 Corinthians 15:57

2 Corinthians 7:9-10
Galatians 5:16-17
Ephesians 2:3-5
Ephesians 4:31-32

Colossians 3:5-8
2 Timothy 2:15

Philippians 4:13
James 1:5-6
1 Peter 2:1-2
1 John 2:28-3:3
1 John 4:18
Psalm 19:12-13
Psalm 94:12-13a
Psalm 119:28-40
Psalm 141:3-4
Proverbs 17:10
Matthew 5:3

Acts 3:19
Romans 6:11-12
Romans 12:22
2 Corinthians 5:17
Galatians 1:3-5
Ephesians 1:7

Ephesians 4:17-23
Ephesians 5:8-10
1 Thessalonians 4:3-8
Titus 2:11-14
Hebrews 6:11-12
James 1:21

1 Peter 2:24
1 John 3:9-10
Revelation 3:19-20

Step Seven: Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

–I sought the LORD,

and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears
They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the LORD heard [him], and saved him out of
all his troubles. –Psalm 34:4-6

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Psalm 10:17
Psalm 25:8-11
Psalm 32:6-8

Psalm 37:4-6
Psalm 39:7-8
Psalm 51:10
Psalm 91:14-16
Psalm 119:133
Proverbs 15:33

Proverbs 22:4
Matthew 7:7-11
Matthew 21:21-22
Luke 18:9-14
1 John 5:14-15
Hebrews 12:5-11

1 Peter 5:6-7
1 John 1:9
Psalm 32:1
Psalm 34:15
Psalm 37:23-24
Psalm 51:1-13

Psalm 79:9
Psalm 103:2-5
Proverbs 1:7
Proverbs 18:12
Matthew 3:1-2
Matthew 15:22-28

Matthew 18:1-4
Acts 3:19
Philippians 4:19
James 4:6
1 John 3:4-9
1 John 3:22-24

Step Eight: Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became
willing to make amends to them all.

–Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity,
I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries,
and all knowledge; and though I have all faith,
so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor,
and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity,
it profiteth me nothing.
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not;
charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own,
is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail;
whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge,
it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
But when that which is perfect is come,
then that which is in part shall be done away.
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child,
I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face:
now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three;
but the greatest of these is charity. –1 Corinthians 13




Psalm 133
Proverbs 14:1
Matthew 5:43-48
Matthew 7:1-5
Matthew 22:36-40
Luke 6:27-28

Luke 10:25-37
John 13:34-35
Romans 12:9
Romans 12:17
Romans 14:7-10
1 Corinthians 13

Philippians 4:5
2 Timothy 1:7
James 5:9
1 Peter 3:8-12
1 John 2:9-11
Proverbs 10:12

Proverbs 14:30
Matthew 6:14-15
Matthew 18:21-35
Mark 11:25
Luke 6:37-38
Luke 19:8

Romans 2:1
Romans 12:14
Romans 13:8-10
1 Corinthians 4:5
Philippians 2:3-4
1Thessalonians 3:12-13

James 4:11-12
1 Peter 2:19-23
1 Peter 4:7-8
1 John 4:19-21

Step Nine: Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, exceptwhen to do so would injure them or others.

–Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar,
and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way;
first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. –Matthew 5:23-24




Psalm 51:14-17

Proverbs 3:27
Proverbs 15:1-4
Proverbs 16:20-24
Psalm 126:5-6
Matthew 5:9
Matthew 12:35-37

Romans 12:18-21
Romans 15:2
1 Corinthians 8:1-3
Philippians 1:9-11
Colossians 3:12-13
Colossians 4:5-6

Philemon 8-17
James 3:17-18
1 Peter 1:22
Psalm 90:17
Proverbs 12:18-20
Proverbs 16:6-7

Proverbs 25:11
Ezekeil 33:14-15
Matthew 7:12
Luke 6:27-30
Romans 14:19
Romans 15:5-6

Galatians 6:7-10
Philippians 4:2
Colossians 3: 18-21
1 Thessalonians 5:15
Hebrews 12:14-15
1 Peter 3:13

1 John 3:17-19

Step Ten: Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong
promptly admitted it.

–For I say, through the grace given unto me,
to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly
than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt
to every man the measure of faith. –Romans 12:3



Psalm 24:3-5
Psalm 85:8-9
Psalm 103:8-18
Matthew 5:8
Mark 14:38
Luke 12:1-3

John 17:15-17
Romans 12:16
1 Corinthians 3:11-16
1 Corinthians 10:6-13
1 Corinthians 14:4-7,11
Galatians 4:9

Ephesians 5:15-16
Colossians 3:1-3
2 Thessalonians 3:3-5
2 Timothy 2:14-16
Hebrews 2:1-3
Hebrews 9:13-14

Hebrews 12:25
James 1:13-14
1 Peter 1:22-23
1 John 1:9
1 John 2:1-3
2 John 8
Psalm 68:5-6
Psalm 101:2-4
Proverbs 12:1
Matthew 26:71-75
Luke 6:41-42

Luke 14:25-35
Romans 12:3
Romans 16:19-20
1 Corinthians 6:12
1 Corinthians 10:23-24
2 Corinthians 10:17-18

Ephesians 4:26-32
Philippians 2:14-15
1 Thessalonians 5:17-22
2 Timothy 2:4-7
2 Timothy 2:20-26
Hebrews 3:7-13

Hebrews 10:35-38
Hebrews 12:28
James 1:19
1 Peter 2:11
2 Peter 3:17-18
1 John 2: 15-17

Step Eleven: Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our
conscious contact with God as we understood Him,
praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the
power to carry that out.

–Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord [is] at hand.
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,

shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
–Philippians 4:5-7






Psalm 1:1-3
Psalm 50:14-15
Psalm 84:5-12
Psalm 127:1-2
Psalm 55:22
Psalm 105:1-4
Proverbs 3:5-6
Matthew 5:6

Luke 6:20-26

Luke 12:27-34
Luke 22:42
John 4:13-14
John 14:12-21
John 16:23-27
Romans 5:3-5

Romans 12:10-13
1 Corinthians 14:20
1 Corinthians 16:13-14
2 Corinthians 5:6-9
2 Corinthians 9:6-15
Galatians 2:20

Ephesians 1:17-19
Ephesians 5:19-20
Philippians 1:20-21
Philippians 3:7-14
Colossians 3:14-17
1 Thessalonians 3:9-12

2 Timothy 1:12-14
2 Timothy 3:14-17
Titus 3:14
James 1:22-27
1 Peter 5:8-10
1 John 1:7

1 John 5:18-21
Luke 6:46-49
Luke 17:7-10
John 3:30
John 8:31-32
John 15:4-11

Acts 20:28-32
Romans 8:26-28
1 Corinthians 10:31
1 Corinthians 15:58
2 Corinthians 3:17-18
2 Corinthians 5:14-15

2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Galatians 6:14
Ephesians 3:14-20
Ephesians 6:10-18
Philippians 1:27-29
Colossians 2:6-10

Colossians 3:23-24
2 Thessalonians 3:16-17
2 Timothy 2:15
Titus 3:1-7
Hebrews 13:1-16
1 Peter 4:7-11

2 Peter 1:2-8
1 John 5:4-5

Step Twelve: Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these
steps, we tried to carry this message to others, and to
practice these principles in all our affairs.

–Let your light so shine before men,that they may see your good works,
and glorify your Father which is in heaven. –Matthew 5:16



Psalm 96:1-2
Luke 12:35-40
John 16:33
Romans 10:14-15
1 Corinthians 15:10
2 Corinthians 2:14-17

2 Corinthians 5:10-11
Galatians 6:1-2
Philippians 1:6
Colossians 1:27-29
1 Thessalonians 2:3-4
1 Thessalonians 5:14

1 Timothy 1:12-16
Hebrews 10:24-25
James 5:19-20
1 Peter 3:15-16
Psalm 40:1-8
Psalm 92:1-4

Psalm 106:1-3
Psalm 111
Proverbs 31:26-31
Mark 5:18-20
John 4:34-36

Romans 1:14-17
1 Corinthians 9:22-27
1 Corinthians 16:9
2 Corinthians 4:1-2
2 Corinthians 5:18-20
Ephesians 2:10

Colossians 1:9-13
1 Thessalonians 1:2-4
1 Thessalonians 2:10-12
1 Timothy 1:5
Titus 2:7-8
James 5:7-8

1 Peter 2:9-10
Psalm 22:22-26
Psalm 78:4
Psalm 96:1-2
Psalm 107:1-2
Psalm 145

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