I am in outpatient rehab right now and I was told if you don't want to have a traditional God that you should instead look at step two, "as a power to change". This allows me to use the group as my higher power because all I need to believe is that the group and the 12 steps can give me the power to change my life. The group and 12 steps become my higher power because they can help me change where I couldn't help myself to change.