The Serenity Prayer

The Serenity Prayer, written by Reinhold Niebuhr, is a cornerstone of the Celebrate Recovery® program. It seeks God’s guidance to find peace and happiness by accepting what is beyond our control, making changes where we can, and gaining the wisdom to discern the difference.

Prayer for Serenity

BY REINHOLD NIEBUHR

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.

Amen.

Explore more resources

The 12 Steps

8 Principles

FAQs