Every day I begin with the Serenity Prayer. If you know it, you may be familiar with the shorter version used in AA. But the full prayer, written by Reinhold Niebuhr in the 1930s, is far deeper—and it speaks to every part of life.
The Serenity Prayer (Full 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.
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.
Understanding What We Pray
We say the words, but do we stop to let them shape us?
The first line asks God for serenity to accept the things we cannot change. Yet how often do we waste energy wrestling with the unchangeable—paralyzed by fear, anger, or frustration? I know I have. And every time, it holds me back from moving toward the life God wants for me.
The next line asks for courage to change the things we can. That courage matters because the weight of the uncontrollable can crush us. But God calls us to step forward anyway, trusting Him with the outcome.
And then comes wisdom—to know the difference. That’s not natural wisdom; it’s spiritual wisdom. On my own, I blur the lines between what I should surrender and what I should take action on. With God’s Spirit guiding me, I see more clearly.
More Than the Abridged Version
AA stops there, but the full prayer goes further:
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Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time. I struggle with this. I want to live the future now, and anxiety rises when I do. But God’s grace is in today, not tomorrow.
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Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace. That line cuts deep. We’d rather avoid suffering, but growth comes through struggle. Even Jesus learned obedience through suffering (Hebrews 5:8).
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Taking this world as Jesus did, not as I would have it. That’s the call to see people through His eyes—accepting their flaws, forgiving their failures, and recognizing our own sinfulness in the process.
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Trusting God’s will. Total surrender doesn’t come easy. Free will makes it a daily battle. Yet only in yielding to Him do we find true peace.
Why This Prayer Matters
The Serenity Prayer isn’t just for meetings. It’s for life. It reminds me that I am powerless without Christ—but not hopeless. With Him, I can live in peace today, even while facing hardship, knowing that His promise is eternal joy.
It’s more than words. It’s a way of life.