The Serenity Prayer is one of the most well-known and widely quoted prayers in the world. It has provided comfort and wisdom to countless individuals, especially those facing difficulties beyond their control. Whether found in church services, 12-step recovery programs, or personal devotionals, its simple yet profound words have been repeated and enjoyed by people of faith for years.
That includes my mom who had a picture with the prayer hanging in the kitchen in our home.
For those who need a reminder, here it is…
The Serenity Prayer (Traditional Version)
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.”
This short version of the prayer is most commonly known, but there is also a longer version:
The Full Version of the Serenity Prayer
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it,
Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life
And supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen.”
The Legacy of the Serenity Prayer
The Serenity Prayer is widely attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr (1892–1971), an American theologian and ethicist. While some variations of the prayer existed before his time, Niebuhr is credited with composing it in the early 1930s. The prayer gained wider recognition in the 1940s when it was adopted by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and later by other 12-step recovery programs.
Over the years, various versions of the Serenity Prayer have emerged. Some are slightly altered for different religious or philosophical traditions, while others (sadly) remove specific references to God.
The prayer is not on the same level as divinely-inspired Scripture, since it does not come from Scripture. But its themes (especially within the traditional, more succinct version) certainly echo the Bible’s teachings. Those themes are:
- Serenity – Remaining at peace in the midst of what we cannot control.
- Courage – Taking action as God leads and where we can.
- Wisdom – Recognizing the difference between the two.
Whether facing personal struggles, societal challenges, or global uncertainty, its message calls us to trust in God’s sovereignty while also taking responsibility for our actions. It reminds us that not everything is within our control, but with God’s guidance, we can navigate life with peace, strength, and discernment.
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