Step Workbook - Step 2  
(excerpt) - X.

At this point, my friend suggested something that provided a new idea. He said, "Why don’t you choose a concept of God that you envision for yourself?"  
This statement struck me deeply. It broke the icy intellectualism I had suffered from for years. I finally came into the light.  
It all depended on whether I was willing to believe in a Higher Power than myself. I needed to do nothing more to get started. I saw that this could be the beginning of my ascent. If I fully accepted this, I could build what my friend had. Was I willing to do that? Of course!

Thus, I was finally convinced that God cares for us human beings, if we desire Him enough. I finally realized and felt that I believe. The veil of pride and prejudice fell from my eyes. A promise of a new world opened up before me.  
[Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 11-12]  

Once again: The alcoholic often does not have an effective mental defense against the first drink. With a few rare exceptions, neither he nor any other human being can provide that defense. The protection must come from a Higher Power.  
[Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 41]  

If someone sincerely wants to stop drinking and sees that they are completely unable to do so or cannot control the amount they consume, they are likely an alcoholic. If this is the case, they suffer from a disease that can only be overcome with a spiritual experience. Achieving such an experience is nearly impossible for someone who considers themselves an atheist or a skeptic. However, if they continue to drink, the consequences will be catastrophic for them, especially if their alcoholism falls into the category of hopeless cases. Living condemned to death or placing our lives on a spiritual foundation is not an easy alternative.  
[Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 42]  

If a moral code or a better philosophy of life were sufficient to overcome alcoholism, many of us would have already recovered. But we found that such a code and philosophy did not save us, no matter how hard we tried. We might have wanted to be moral, to have a balanced outlook on life, but whatever effort we put forth, we lacked the necessary strength. Human resources guided by willpower proved inadequate and pathetically failed. The power was lacking; that was our problem. We needed to find a power that could help us live, and this could only be a Power greater than ourselves. But where and how could we find this Power? Well, this book is precisely about that. Its main purpose is to enable you to find that greater Power that can solve your problem.  
[Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 43]  

To our great relief, we discovered that we do not have to accept anyone else’s concept of God. Our own, however imperfect, was sufficient for us to approach God and establish a relationship with Him. As soon as we acknowledged the possibility of the existence of a Creative Intelligence, a Universal Spirit operating in the universe, we immediately discovered new strength and guidance. Provided, of course, that we took other simple steps. We discovered that God does not set conditions too difficult for those who seek Him. For us, the realm of the spirit is wide, expansive, and all-encompassing; it never excludes or shuts out those who sincerely desire to enter. We believe it is open to every human being.  
[Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 44]  

We only had to ask ourselves one short question: "Do I believe or do I want to believe that there is a Power greater than myself?" We emphasize that as soon as someone states that they believe or are willing to believe, they are already on the right path. It has been repeatedly demonstrated in our midst that this simple fact can serve as a wonderfully strong spiritual foundation.  
[Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 45]  

Despite the apparent impossibility of accepting many things on the basis of faith, we were often hindered by stubbornness, sensitivity, and unreasonable prejudice. Many of us were so sensitive that even the fleeting mention of spiritual matters triggered a shuddering resistance within us. This mindset had to be abandoned. Although some resisted, it ultimately was not too difficult to reject these feelings. In facing the destruction caused by alcohol, we soon became as unbiased toward spiritual matters as we had tried to be in other issues. In this respect, alcohol proved to be a great persuader. After all, it forced us to reason. It was sometimes a tedious process, but we hope that the age of prejudice will be shorter for you!  
[Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 45-46]  

Here are thousands of truly worldly-minded men and women. They state unequivocally that since they have come to believe in a Power greater than themselves, since their perception of Him has changed, and since they are doing certain simple things, revolutionary changes have taken place in their lives and thinking. As they faced failure, despair, and the total exhaustion of their human resources, they felt that a new strength, peace, and happiness had moved in within them.  
[Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 48]  

When we saw others solve their problems simply by entrusting themselves to a Higher Power, we had to give up our doubts about God. Our concepts did not work. But the concept of God did.  
[Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 50]  

During our time as alcoholics, we inevitably reached a critical moment when we had to confront the dilemma of the existence of God, humbling ourselves to the ground but without fear. Either God exists, or He does not. What shall we choose?  
[Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 50]  

One night, while he was lying in a hospital, he was visited by an alcoholic who had already experienced a spiritual experience. Our friend was filled with disgust and bitterly exclaimed, "If there is a God, then He certainly hasn't done anything for me!" But later, alone in his room, he asked himself this question: "Is it possible that every religious person I know is wrong?" As he pondered the answer, he felt as if he were in hell. Then, like a lightning bolt, the great, all-consuming realization struck him:  

"Who are you to say there is no God?"  

The man crawled out of bed and knelt down. In a matter of seconds, he was overcome by a convincing sense of God’s presence. He was surrounded and filled with a surging stream of certainty and magnificence. The barriers erected over the years were swept away. The man found himself in the presence of the Infinite Power and Love. He stepped off the bridge onto the shore. For the first time in his life, he consciously connected with his Creator.  
[Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 53]