The Serenity Prayer
A heartfelt the serenity prayer to guide your spirit and strengthen your faith.
A Short Prayer
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Amen.
Extended Prayer
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the 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, 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.
— Reinhold Niebuhr
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Few prayers have traveled as widely or helped as many people as this one. Written by theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, it became the bedrock prayer of Alcoholics Anonymous and has since crossed every denominational and cultural boundary.
Its power lies in its honesty. It does not ask God to remove all difficulty. It asks for three very specific gifts — serenity, courage, and wisdom — all in right measure and right proportion.
Serenity is not passivity. It is the deep inner stillness that comes from trusting God with what you cannot control. There are things in your life that will not change no matter how hard you fight them — circumstances, other people's choices, the past. Fighting these things does not change them; it only depletes you. Serenity is the grace to stop fighting and start trusting.
Courage is not the absence of fear. It is action taken in spite of fear, directed toward what genuinely can and should change.
Wisdom is the gift that makes the other two possible. Without wisdom, we cannot tell which category a thing belongs to. Wisdom sees clearly — and then serenity and courage know exactly where to apply themselves.
Understanding
The prayer names three distinct gifts. Serenity — not passivity, but the deep peace that comes from releasing what we cannot control. Courage — not the absence of fear, but the willingness to act when change is possible and needed. Wisdom — the discernment to know which is which. Most suffering comes from confusing these categories: fighting what cannot be changed, or sitting still when action is required.
The Prayer Session
Name what you cannot change
Be specific. What situation, person, or outcome are you fighting that is outside your control? Name it plainly before God and practice releasing it. Serenity begins with honest inventory.
Name what you can change
Equally specific: what is within your power that you have been avoiding? The prayer asks for courage — courage implies something hard. Ask God for it directly.
Ask for wisdom at the boundary
The most valuable part of this prayer is the third line. Ask God to clarify which category each burden in your life belongs to. Often the confusion between acceptance and action is where people get stuck.
Pray it slowly, one line at a time
This prayer is only three lines in its short form, but each line deserves its own pause. Don't rush past 'serenity' without actually feeling the weight of the word — the restfulness it names, and how far from it you might currently be.
Short Version
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Amen.
Related Bible Verses
“I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound.”
— Philippians 4:11-12
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”
— James 1:5
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
— Romans 8:28
Conclusion & Next Steps
Return to this prayer whenever anxiety spikes or confusion clouds your judgment. It is short enough to memorize and deep enough for a lifetime. The three gifts it asks for — serenity, courage, wisdom — are exactly what each day requires.
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WePray Editorial Team
The WePray Editorial Team creates theologically rich, pastorally sensitive prayers for people seeking to deepen their spiritual lives.