Serenity Prayer
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace.
Serenity prayer. The serenity prayer is a prayer written by the american theologian reinhold niebuhr 1892 1971. It is commonly quoted as. The serenity prayer appeared in a sermon of niebuhr s as part of the 1944 a book of prayers and services for the armed forces while niebuhr himself first published it in 1951 in a magazine column. Living one day at a time enjoying one moment at a time.
How peaceful and divine this word sounds. The serenity prayer is perhaps the most popular prayer today. 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. It asks for strength and courage to alter the matters within person s control and for acceptance in matters which cannot be changed.
It is a prayer for the acceptance of hardships and a prayer of trust in god that he will bring peace and happiness. What a beautiful word. One of the most popular prayers today is known as the serenity prayer. Ultimately the prayer requests the ability to identify which circumstances are amenable to change.
The serenity prayer has become one of the most widely known prayers in the world. This is the perfect prayer to add to your daily devotions. The serenity prayer is referenced in dan brown s book angels demons. How to pray the serenity 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. Take a deep breath close your eyes and think of what it would look like. The meditation ends by looking forwards to life everlasting beyond the grave. Written by reinhold neibuhr 1892 1971 the prayer was widely used in sermons and sunday school groups and studies.
Try to memorize the words to the. Ask god for serenity on a daily basis using this prayer as your guide. The meaning behind the second part of the serenity prayer the theme of the second stanza is a prayer that asks for contentment in day to day life. Orchids lilies edelweiss and a big oak in.
The original words of this beautiful prayer are attributed to the christian writer and theologian reinhold neibuhr 1892 1971. Set aside a few minutes in the morning or in the evening to pray your devotions to god. Some additional tips and exercises for praying this prayer. It is thought that reinhold wrote the first four lines and that the words after this beginning with living one day at a time which form the long version of the serenity prayer.
The serenity prayer is a petition to god asking for calmness and peace in all matters of life. I took a deep breath i closed my eyes and i saw a quiet garden full of beautiful flowers. Below are a few references to the serenity prayer from well known singers songwriters and artists.