Probably the most well-known Christian prayer besides the Lord’s Prayer is The Serenity Prayer. Though this prayer became popular primarily through rehabilitation groups like Alcoholics Anonymous, it is fitting for many different people in society. Though many people shorten the prayer to the first four lines, the full prayer is as follows:
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. Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships 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;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.
How can this prayer help in your life? What important things can it remind you to do?
Accept Change
Much of The Serenity Prayer is centered on accepting change as it comes. This is something many people struggle with. Change can make you feel as though you aren’t in control. It can make you feel anxious and unsettled. This prayer helps us try to accept change. It teaches us that change is inevitable and happens for reasons that aren’t always clear at first.
Making Change
Along with accepting change, The Serenity Prayer helps lead us to make changes as they need to be made. As the prayer states, it can take courage to change things even when you know you have the ability to. Change is scary. Change is hard. Why would you want to voluntarily get yourself into that? Because change is also necessary at times. The Serenity Prayer reminds us of this.
Live in the Moment
The Serenity Prayer helps us remember to live in the moment and take on challenges as they arise. If you spend all your time living in the past or planning the future, you may miss what’s happening right now. With so many things in life to worry about, it can be hard to focus on the present. The Serenity Prayer helps you remember to make the attempt.
Trust God
As Christian believers, it’s important to trust in God. The Serenity Prayer reminds us that God has plans and reasons for everything. If we trust in God, we will find happiness on Earth and eternal happiness in the afterlife. The Serenity Prayer makes that clear and helps us remember to try to let go and trust in God.
God grant me serenity. What a useful prayer in a stressful world. The Serenity Prayer is a straight forward, realistic prayer that can help anyone out in many ways. Make The Serenity Prayer a part of your daily routine to aim for a more peaceful, accepting, happy life.
(The Serenity Prayer was written by Reinhold Niebuhr)