The Serenity Prayer

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.

--Reinhold Niebuhr

What is commonly called the Serenity Prayer was originally an untitled prayer written by the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr in the 1930s or early 1940s.

Written for a sermon, it has been modified and adapted by groups like Alcoholics Anonymous.  Like current "urban legends," many myths and stories have developed around this prayer, starting shortly after it was written.  For more information, see Elisabeth Sifton, The Serenity Prayer in our Resources section.