The Serenity Prayer

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The Serenity Prayer

(Short Version, attributed to Reinhold Neibuhr)

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.

The Serenity Prayer

(Long Version, attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr)

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.

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The "Serenity Prayer" is attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr and has appeared in many forms. The versions shown above retain the references to God which have been omitted by modern reciters. Karl Paul Reinhold Niebuhr (June 21, 1892 – June 1, 1971) was an American theologian, ethicist, public intellectual, commentator on politics and public affairs, and professor at Union Theological Seminary for more than 30 years.