You See Security And Hope In The Serenity Prayer

Reinhold Neibuhr (American Theologian-Philosopher 1892-1971) wrote the "Serenity Prayer". It is beautiful and encourages us to accept with grace what we cannot change. During this COVID-19 crisis, with so much out of our control, this prayer is the perfect antidote to worry and stress.

A little Serenity Prayer history:

There are many, many different versions of this prayer, and it has been adapted, quoted and used by many - including by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) who popularized and used it as part of their 12 Step Program, and named it "The Serenity Prayer".

According to Wikipedia, the original prayer was written by Reinhold Niebuhr in the early 1930s and simply said, "Father, give us courage to change what must be altered, serenity to accept what cannot be helped, and the insight to know the one from the other." Reinhold wrote his versions of the prayer as a single sentence - not placing it into 3 lines like a poem as is commonly seen.

Full Unedited Version of the Prayer:

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.

Although the Serenity Prayer is not listed word-for-word in the bible, it does reflect the writings in it. Such as:

• Several underlying principles of the Serenity Prayer are found in Philippians 4:6-7 KJV, "6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
• “Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace,”. I agree with this because God transforms us daily and this is sometimes with hardships, but it is to bring us to Him who has overcome the world , who is the Prince of Peace (John 16:33).
• “Taking, as He did, this sinful world… Trusting that He will make all things right.” I agree with this because “…all things work together for good to those who love God,…” (Romans 8:28).
• “That I may be… supremely happy with Him. Forever in the next. Amen.” This is a true statement. In Him there is joy (Isaiah 35:10).
• Numbers 6:24-26 KJV, "24 The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: 25 The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: 26 The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace."

Niebuhr used various versions of the prayer widely in sermons as early as 1934. The prayer spread rapidly, often without attribution to Niebuhr, through church groups in the 1930s and 1940s. 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.

The Serenity Prayer is very similar to thoughts expressed by St. Francis of Assisi, as seen in the prayer commonly attributed to him:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me bring love.
Where there is offense, let me bring pardon.
Where there is discord, let me bring union.
Where there is error, let me bring truth.
Where there is doubt, let me bring faith.
Where there is despair, let me bring hope.
Where there is darkness, let me bring your light.
Where there is sadness, let me bring joy.
O Master, let me not seek as much
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love,
for it is in giving that one receives,
it is in self-forgetting that one finds,
it is in pardoning that one is pardoned,
it is in dying that one is raised to eternal life.

The Bible tells us to have peace in our hearts (serenity). The Bible tells us to ask for Wisdom. Wisdom automatically gives us serenity!

James 1:5, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."

I hope during times of worry you find comfort reading these words!