Is the Lord’s Prayer Non-Denominational?

Question:

For years, we have been closing Alcoholics Anonymous meetings with the Lord’s Prayer, as do many other groups. We sometimes have Jewish people attending, and I had been taught this was a universal prayer. Lately, by request, we have begun to consider closing with something else. What do you think?

Answer:

Shalom,

It’s true that the Lord’s Prayer fits equally across all the Abrahamic traditions. It is similar in many ways to prayers that were popular among pious Jews in Roman times, including the kaddish prayer, and reflects traditional Jewish values. You may wish to read more on this in the relevant article in the Jewish Encyclopedia.

Nevertheless, Jews do not say this prayer. If a Jew attends an AA meeting where it is recited, he does not have to leave, but he should not recite it along with them. The reason is easy to understand: Its source is what is called “The New Testament.” The existence of the Jewish people is predicated on an eternal pact G‑d made with Abraham, and later with his descendants at Mount Sinai. A “New Testament” implies that this pact was somehow annulled. By reciting a prayer from a context that undermines the existential foundation of his people, a Jew feels that he is surrendering his unique identity to the ideology of the majority culture. It seems to me that this runs contrary to the aims and goals of AA, which looks to strengthen each member’s identity as a unique individual, with his own meaning and purpose in life.

Many AA groups and other 12-step societies have a practice of saying the 23rd Psalm, “The L‑rd is my shepherd . . .” The Psalms are revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims, and this one in particular relates closely to the theme of AA.

Please let me know if this helps,
Rabbi Tzvi Freeman

Tzvi Freeman is the author of Bringing Heaven Down to Earth and, more recently, Wisdom to Heal the Earth. Subscribe to The Daily Dose of Wisdom and Freeman Files for regular updates.

All names of persons and locations or other identifying features referenced in these questions have been omitted or changed to preserve the anonymity of the questioners.

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James Lewis Vista January 6, 2023

If I were to do the closing prayer of the "Amidah", I am certain I would be shut down. When I am at a 12 step meeting and they begin the "Lord's" prayer, I am under constraint of generations of Jewish Women with furrowed brow saying "That is not a Jewish Prayer!" Reply

Becky Weinstein Toronto July 3, 2024

in response to James Lewis:

I’m a nice Jewish woman. I grew up reciting the Lord’s Prayer in public school. That did not hurt me one little bit! Taking it out of pubic school hurt society as a whole! It was the beginning of the end of where we all find ourselves now! Guns! Drug, sex. When you start your day in public school with a prayer it grounds you! You know that the world isn’t all about YOU or your family. If you don’t like that as a person of any other faith there are private schools you can send your children to. Private schools shouldn’t be funded by the government. If you can’t afford private, bite your tongue. Be grateful that your children have something to hang onto spiritually, and if need be, explain your take on that prayer at home where your children are supposed to be educated by the parents anyway. Don’t allow other people of your religion to dictate what feels right in your soul. My opinion. Reply

Chaim Vogel May 12, 2025

in response to Becky Weinstein :

The prayer that was said in public school is not the same as that which is used in AA, and the Rebbe was a very strong advocate that the public school prayer should continue Reply

Robert Cheiffetz port angeles January 3, 2023

Is Daniel 44 equivalent to the 'lords prayer' thus relevant to the Jews? Reply

Josh Georgia July 28, 2019

I have to say this is a pretty poor response . Practically no Christian theologian would agree that the Abrahamic or Mosaic covenant has been annulled. Covenant theology in the Reformed tradition says that each of these covenants are eternal and are part and parcel of the larger “covenant of grace”. Dispensationalist theology says that the Jewish covenants are equivalent or greater than any covenants made with the Gentiles. But most importantly, in the New Testament itself, Paul repeatedly asks if the new covenant cancels, nullifies, amends or in any way supersedes the Law, which is to say Torah or covenant. In every instance Paul strongly condemns any such idea. There are indeed supersessionist and even antiSemitic forces in Christianity, especially historically, but it is not orthodoxy in any sense of the word.

As a Jew, there are many reasons one might take issue with the Lord’s Prayer, but the reasons given above simply ignore the actual reality of Christian theology. Reply

Anonymous July 8, 2019

I am in the process of converting to Judaism. To assist me in my transitioning as a recovering alcoholic I have been researching prayers to continue to say. One pair that I came across was the Disciples prayer, which is in essence the Lords prayer. I like this prayer as I am very familiar with it obviously having been going to AA meetings for over 30 years, but it allows me to see the transliteration into Hebrew as well as seeing the aleph bet so I can learn the letter combinations. Reply

Ron Taub Wisconsin February 19, 2019

I’m Jewish. There is nothing in the Lord’s Prayer that doesn’t have a firm foundation in Judaism. It had a lot more meaning than some prayer in Hebrew that I don’t even understand. If God has a problem with me saying it, that should be my worst sin. Reply

SC MI July 29, 2019

in response to Ron Taub:

Right, but this particular formulation is from the Greek scriptures in which it is asserted that the Covenant G-d made with Abraham is dead. There is nothing wrong with praying in English. Reply

Nancy Michigan May 29, 2018

Thank you, I was wondering about this as well, after attending an al-anon meeting. Reply

Meira Shana San Diego February 7, 2018

The 12-steps were started with a Christian theme. However, as time went by more and more people of different faiths or no faith have become members.

"The Serenity Prayer" is the most used, afaik. But that, too, is a Christian prayer as seen when read in its original form.

It's not easy being a Jew, whether practicing or not, so it's understandable that if groups want to include all peoples that prayers should be totally eliminated or changed to be inclusive.

Where is a better place to start learning civility than a 12-step meeting of any kind.

It surely doesn't happen in houses of worship - if that would happen anti-
Semitism would begin to end, instead of continually growing against Jews around the world. Reply

Ariel R Goldstein Brooklyn, NY November 29, 2017

Rabbi, I have a non-frum relative who wants to know what tefila we have that is similar. Please advise. Thank you. Tzake l'mitzvot Reply

Sheri Mission Viejo August 3, 2017

While the Lord's Prayer has been a tradition within AA, it's not out of spite for other religions. Way back when, Jewish alcoholics were pretty rare besides, Jews and Christians didn't mix as much socially as they do today. So I don't believe malice was involved as it was founded by a bunch of drunks, not sophisticated theologians.
AA was first started within a more Evangelical Christian tradition, but moved away from that to reach out to those who were agnostic. I used to hear a saying... if you want to stop drinking, go to AA, if you want to save your soul, go to church.
These days, the one who leads the prayer will often choose "The Serenity Prayer" instead.

Reply

Michael Shaw Skippack June 30, 2017

Rav Freeman -- There is a problem with your argument here. If the source of the Lord's Prayer is the sacred writing of the Christians (I don't use the expression New Testament), they got it from us. There are words in this prayer that are directly from Jewish sacred texts. The ultimate source is ours, so I don't see anything wrong with the words of the prayer. They do not contradict any of our beliefs. Reply

Paul Durant Idaho July 8, 2015

Levi But I error not. Reply

levi rapoport brooklyn July 6, 2015

attn paul idaho "our" god ? the god of the new testament is not the G-d of the Bible Reply

Paul Idaho July 2, 2015

Deuteronomy 13 Levi Rapoport: But I go after no other gods. I pray to our God. I thank our God. I know no other gods but our God. Reply

Sharon PA July 2, 2015

what about deuteronomy 13? Reply

levi rapoport brooklyn July 2, 2015

attn paul idaho Deuteronomy 13 Reply

RJ Vermilion Bay April 12, 2015

prayer at meetings Organizations outside the church should remain secular as not everyone worships a diety. Reply

Arik Bucharest April 12, 2015

Psalm 23 David realyy got a major hit with P 23 Reply

Anonymous Akron Ohio March 23, 2015

Recognize All Does this apply to other organizations than AA? References are all to AA and we open our non-AA meetings with the Lords Prayer to which I also object. In a multicultural world, all faiths should be recognized, if any. Reply

RJ ontario December 29, 2014

Prayer is about looking inward, not babbling specific words to a particular deity. Why not encourage the members to have a few moments of silence at the end of the meetings. Those who may wish to say a silent prayer are not offending those who don't. Reply

Meira Shana San Diego August 11, 2019

in response to RJ:

Different 12-Step meetings can run their meetings according to the rules of the 12-Step and of individual who run the meetings, which are the people who attend meetings after the regular meetings - and vote for how they want their meeting to be run.

Some use no prayer - some use the Serenity Prayer - some say God, grant me ... other meetings use "Grant me ..."

When you attend a meeting for the first time - listen - and then ask the facilitator.

When I ran a meeting, a woman came up to me and said she could not attend because the meeting is held in a church. So ... she never came back.

Synagogues are less inclined to have strangers in the building ... for very obvious reasons.

Churches are where the majority of 12-Step meetings are held - not because the meetings are meant to be of any particular religion.

Ask your synagogue if they are willing to rent a room for a 12-Step meeting of any kind. If not, ask 'why not?' If yes, then start a meeting. Reply

Jim Lewis San Diego June 15, 2022

in response to Meira Shana:

Most Synagogues are Kosher and the grounds are smoke free. This creates a problem, do you pay someone to come in and make coffee and keep it Kosher? It is problematic. Reply

Benji R. Detroit September 20, 2014

Strongly Disagree I've been sober for over 10 years. Been working the program of Alcoholics Anonymous for 8 1/2 of those. im active in the jewish community, and in my local chabad community. Rabbi Friedman, I generally like your articles but would ask you respectfully to please not speak about things which you know nothing about. AA is non denominational spirituality. There is room for every religious background at the table. Here in Detroit we have a strong jewish recovery community, and i constantly hear jews gripe about having to go to churches for meetings, or about having to hear the lords prayer. The fact is that ALL of us did much more offensive things to our Judaism to use and/or drink. if we all put as much energy into removing our ego and sticking to what the book tells us to do as we spent being sensitive about the christian undertones of the program, we would all be healthier. I say this because by NOT saying the lords prayer in a meeting that says it, is making us different. which we arent! Reply

Skip Cashwell Windso CT August 31, 2017

in response to Benji R. :

Excellent (all caps used for massive concurrence). Some may contend that "authentic"Jewish Alcoholics are/were rare. Maybe it is genetic, I don't know. As a Jew-by Choice (from a WASP heritage), my alcoholism continues to be "cured" one-day at a time since November 1981. PS congratulations on your continuing recovery! Reply