Step Seven reads: 'Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.'
Full inventory written? Check.
Read out? Check.
Ready to have God remove the defects of character? Check
Say:
'God, please remove my shortcomings.'
Or, if you're in AA, and like the page 76 prayer, go with that. Note that page 76 indicates the optionality of the wording. I like short.
Then you're done.
It's like a tax return.
Fill out the tax return. Step Four.
Run through it with my tax accountant. Step Five.
Put it in an envelope, address it, stamp it. Step Six.
Post it. Step Seven.
Are they now gone?
No.
I trust that the process of Eight through Twelve is sufficient to perform the removal.
The payment of the taxes is the job of the remaining Steps.
I need not refer back to Step Seven again, unless I'm in the actual process of Steps One through Nine.