http://www.adozensteps.com/aa-and-the-higher-power/
I am by no means perfect on advice and talking about God and or a higher power in aa. There are probably A LOT more people that could explain it better than I.
I have read this and MAYBE it may help you understand.
Take care and stay clean....-Dave

I dont think you need to know what your higher power is, I dont believe in God and have only a vague concept of my higher power which changes and develops over time, and I have been sober 6 years.

It is quite a long time since I worked step 2 for the first time and at that time I had no idea of what a higher power might be except that I knew I didnt believe in a religious God or in fact a God of any kind.

The step2 instruction in the big book basically says - "Do I now believe, or am I even willing to believe that there is a Power greater than myself?" As soon as a man can say that he does believe, or is willing to believe, we emphatically assure him that he is on his way." pg47

I answered this question yes on the basis that I have messed up my life so far and there must be another way of looking at stuff so I am going to be willing to go with this other way and see what happens.

The reason for working the steps is to have a spiritual awakening - that is to connect to a Power greater than ourselves. That starts to happen during step 9, so we cant be expected to understand, know or be connected to that Power at only step 2.

Step 2 is really about being open minded and saying the way I have previously lived and what I have previously believed might not be the whole picture or the right picture, so i will try the rest of the steps and see if this is the solution to the problem.

Hope this helps in some way.

you can read the big book online if you would like until you get one. It outlines all of the steps for a better understanding.
As long as you can believe that you are not TOP of the latter, you will be fine.
I just had to ask myself "do I believe I am the end all" and it comes...

When I decided to be serious about AA I had several higher powers.
My sponsor, the BB, meetings were all more powerful than myself. Alcohol was my power until I surrendered it to something else.
I have recently felt the presence of an ultimate higher authority, and that is God.
Don't complicate it, find a good sponsor, and do as you are told.
Keeping things simple at first are very important. A good sponsor is also very important, they've been there.

No-one can give a definitve answer on God, how can we with our limited human power? Just try and believe there is something mystical, good and bigger than us to pray to. The reason why we need a higher power is because we are the problem and with our faulty thinking we cannot fix ourselves. You can make another person your higher power but they are human too and might let you down.

A Power greater than ourselves...When I was struggling to get sober,it didn't take much to have more power than me over alcohol.I even looked up to my dog,he never drank,always was happy,and was bright eyed in the morning,far more powerful than me.The 12 & 12 book from AA breaks Step 2 down into easy to understand terms,especially for those with problems with the God thing.Keep it simple,and it'll work out.

Well, that is my big problem as well. If you did want to use AA for therapy I guess you'd have to find a way to weed out the stuff you didn't agree with without offending anybody. I don't have a problem with saying 'I am powerless over alcohol at this point in my life [and maybe forever]' so I need help. And that help could be a Process rathan a thing - the actual process of coming to AA and admitting you have a problem. So in a very loose way it could be viewed as a higher 'power' in that it could stop you drinking where you yourself couldn't. But fundamentally it is you that is becoming more powerful over you behaviour, gaining self respect, absstinence and self-control.

I don't think you should just ay you believe if you don't, and if you have a critical faculty as far as religion goes (always a good thing as it's blind faith that causes so much bloody trouble in the world) then don't be afraid to voice your concerns at AA. There must be a lot of people who like us need help but don't want to swallow the whole God language stuff.

Mail me if you like. I plan to go to my first AA soon - just plucking up courage. It may take a while to find a group that you click with?

x

I was an atheist when first put in rehab, my higher power was Rhonda as in "Help me Rhonda, help, help me Rhonda". The higher power could be a chair as long as it isn't yourself.

when I first got sober and clean I had no clue what a higher power ment to me either. Then after time I figured it out and for me my hp is a guardian angel and that would be my grandfather. At first it was also the people around the table at AA because a hp has to be anybody or anything but me. You will figure it out in time but dont look so hard for it just let it happen hun.

thank you all and i will keep searching. i know i am powerless over alcohol and i am an alcoholic so #1 for me is a no brainer. like all have you have said keep it simple and it will come. thanks