The Eight Recovery Principles are the foundation of Celebrate Recovery’s healing process. Based on the Beatitudes taught by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3-12), these principles guide participants from denial through acceptance, healing, and ultimately helping others.

The Eight Principles

  1. Realize I’m not God; I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and that my life is unmanageable. (Happy are those who know that they are spiritually poor.)
  2. Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to Him, and that He has the power to help me recover. (Happy are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.)
  3. Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control. (Happy are the meek.)
  4. Openly examine and confess my faults to myself, to God, and to someone I trust. (Happy are the pure in heart.)
  5. Voluntarily submit to any and all changes God wants to make in my life and humbly ask Him to remove my character defects. (Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires.)
  6. Evaluate all my relationships. Offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me and make amends for harm I’ve done to others when possible. (Happy are the merciful. Happy are the peacemakers.)
  7. Reserve a daily time with God for self-examination, Bible reading, and prayer to know His will for my life and to gain the power to follow His will.
  8. Yield myself to God to be used to bring this Good News to others, both by my example and my words. (Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires.)

Find a Celebrate Recovery meeting to begin working through these principles in community. Visit celebraterecovery.com for program resources.

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