Over the years, different versions of the prayer have been published. The Serenity Prayer can be found in either the common shortened form or the longer, full version with portions of language altered. The most popular version is as follows:
“GOD, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can; and the Wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardship as the pathway to peace. Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it.
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.
The most well-known version was published in 1951 with the addition of the word “grace.” This full-version reads:
God, give me grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, Courage to change the things which should be changed, and the Wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.
Living one day at a time, Enjoying one moment at a time, Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did, This sinful world as it is, Not as I would have it, Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will, So that I may be reasonably happy in this life, And supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen.Serenity Prayer Full Catholic
5 Serenity Prayer Principles in the Bible
The Serenity Prayer is a petition to God asking for calmness and peace in all matters of life. It asks for strength and courage to alter the matters within a person’s control and for acceptance in matters which cannot be changed. Ultimately, the prayer requests the ability to identify which circumstances are amenable to change.
1. God directs us.
Proverbs 20:24 teaches us, “A person’s steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand their own way?”
God’s righteousness and providence control a person’s paths, steps, and directions. The believer must accept His direction and influence before inner-calmness and peace can be experienced.
2. There are some things we cannot change.
Titus 3:9 teaches us to “avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.”
Man does not have the ability to change his family tree, science, or factual history. Debating and questioning factual matters are of no helpful consequence and only results in confusion and unrest.
3. We need God’s help to discern wisely.
In Matthew 16:3, it is written, “[a]nd in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.”
From this scripture, we are told it is easy to observe what is readily visible by the eye, but the meaning behind what’s obvious is not always understood. The weather cannot be altered regardless of human attempts to control it. However, one can prepare and make decisions based on clear objective observations.
4. The power to overcome sin comes from God.
“Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:12-14).
The person without the Holy Spirit (the unbeliever) may believe the lie that they are hopelessly unable to control the urges to abuse alcohol because of a genetic predisposition for substance abuse.
The believer with the Holy Spirit would agree that one cannot control sinful urges within their own strength and power (Hebrews 2:17-18). The believer realizes the power to overcome sinful desires of the flesh is only by and through the Spirit of God (Romans 8:12-13).
5. We must surrender to God’s good ways, not continue in our sinful ways.
The Serenity Prayer is in agreement that the ways and desires of men and those of God do not always match.
The prophet Isaiah in 55:8-9, boldly declares “[f]or my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
The Serenity Prayer in Alcoholics Anonymous
The recovery group, Alcoholics Anonymous, incorporates the abridged form of the Serenity Prayer in its 12-step program, viewing the road to full recovery as a spiritual journey. The prayer provides spiritual encouragement to willing participants by breaking down each essential step to recovery. The first being acceptance.
Upon joining Alcoholics Anonymous, the participant accepts the negative presence and power that alcohol has in her or her life. Any damage or harm that has been done in the alcoholic’s life up to the present point cannot be altered or amended. The prayer requests the wisdom to determine what can be changed and what cannot be altered. This knowledge and application force the participant to realize he or she cannot control the urges or the effects of alcohol on his or her body but has the power to control the act of consuming alcoholic beverages in excess or placing oneself in places or circumstances detrimental to sobriety.
Serenity Prayer Meaning
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” ~ Psalm 1
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” ~ Proverbs 3:5-6
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” ~ James 1:5
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” ~ Colossians 3:16
“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” ~ James 3:17
“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” ~ Deuteronomy 31:6
You may safely and confidently navigate all the mazes of this world with God’s Word in your hands and mind. The true and narrow path is so boldly outlined that even a runner can read it. A traveler, even a fool, can safely navigate it (Isaiah 35:8) because it is clearly marked with God’s laws, even though the rest of the world can’t see them. The Spirit of Truth, who is unseen, guides us and reassures us when we are unsure of what to do, saying “This is the way, walk ye in it” (Isaiah 30:21). As a result, you can continue on your journey to the city of God with peace of mind as you rely on the Bible as “a lamp to your feet, and a light unto your path” (Psalm 119:105), a route that no one knows save He who leads you.
The path brightens as you travel over mountains and through valleys, eventually leading to the ideal day. That’s what the wise say (Proverbs 4:18). If we pay attention and steer our rickety schooner by God’s Word, we will reach the promised land of eternal peace and rest without hitting any snags along the way. But if we are not careful and arrogant and rely on our own conceits, we will sink our faith. A young lieutenant in the English navy recently reported a previously unknown and potentially hazardous rock in the Mediterranean to the admiralty. The directive to include it on all charts was sent via telegraph to every station.
The first vessel to pass over the spot was captained by an elderly man who, upon seeing the fresh warning on his map, was curious as to who had first reported the rock. When told this, he said, “There is no such rock there.” Twenty years of sailing this sea has left me without evidence of such a rock. Then, full of self-importance, he ordered his sailing-master to take the ship straight over the target. The brave ship sailed straight through the perilous area. The ship crashed with terrible force, taking the lives of everyone aboard. Many a Christian has gone down in flames due to arrogance or ignoring his infallible compass. We pray that the Holy Spirit would prompt us to carefully examine the course laid out for us by God.
