The full text, extended version, and meaningful variations — to help you find peace, acceptance, and courage today.
About the Serenity Prayer
The Serenity Prayer is one of the most beloved and widely recited prayers in the English-speaking world. Written by American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr — most likely between 1932 and 1943 — it distills the wisdom of Christian faith into three simple requests: serenity, courage, and wisdom.
The prayer first gained widespread attention when it was distributed to U.S. soldiers during World War II and later adopted by Alcoholics Anonymous in the 1940s, where it became a cornerstone of recovery culture worldwide. Today it hangs on walls, appears on keychains, and is whispered in moments of overwhelming stress by millions of people every day.
At its heart, the Serenity Prayer is a surrender prayer — an act of trust that acknowledges the limits of human control and invites God into the gap. The short version is a breath prayer; the extended version is a full act of consecration. Both carry the same truth: we are not alone in our struggle, and God's grace is sufficient for whatever we face.
The Classic Serenity Prayer (Short Version)
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.
Amen.
The Full Extended Serenity 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.
Personalized Modern Serenity Prayer
Lord, I come to You today
carrying more than I was meant to carry alone.
There are things in my life I cannot fix —
relationships I cannot force,
outcomes I cannot control,
pain I cannot undo.
Give me serenity to release those things into Your hands.
Help me loosen my grip on what was never mine to hold,
and rest in the knowledge that You are God
and I am not.
But where I can act — where I have been given
a voice, a choice, a step I can take —
fill me with courage.
Let me not hide behind helplessness
when You have given me the ability to move.
And in every moment, give me wisdom —
the holy discernment to know the difference
between the battles that are mine to fight
and the ones I must lay at Your feet.
You are sovereign. I am Yours.
That is enough.
Amen.
A Prayer for Serenity in Hard Times
Father God, I will be honest with You —
right now, serenity feels far away.
The circumstances around me are heavy,
the uncertainty is loud,
and my heart keeps reaching for control
over things I was never meant to hold.
Quiet the noise inside me.
Where I am anxious, bring peace.
Where I am bitter, bring release.
Where I am exhausted from fighting
battles that belong to You —
teach me how to stop.
I trust that You see what I cannot see.
I trust that Your timing is not a mistake.
I trust that the things I cannot change
are not outside Your reach —
they are simply beyond mine.
Grant me the grace to live within my limits
and the faith to believe
that Your power is at work in the spaces
where my own runs out.
Be my peace, Lord.
Be my courage.
Be my wisdom.
Today, and every day.
Amen.
Morning Serenity Prayer to Start the Day
Good morning, Lord.
Before this day picks up speed,
I come to You in the quiet
and ask for what only You can give.
Grant me serenity for today's unknowns —
the meetings I didn't ask for,
the conversations that might go sideways,
the outcomes I cannot guarantee.
Grant me courage for what I know I must do —
the hard conversation I've been avoiding,
the step of faith that feels too risky,
the change I've been postponing out of fear.
And grant me wisdom throughout this day
to know which is which —
when to hold on and when to let go,
when to speak and when to be still,
when to act and when to wait on You.
I offer You my agenda, my anxieties, and my ambitions.
I trust this day to Your hands.
Lead me, and I will follow.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
Scripture Behind the Serenity Prayer
Philippians 4:6–7
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
James 1:5
"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you."
Isaiah 26:3
"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you."
Start your morning with prayer
A heartfelt, Scripture-rooted prayer delivered to your inbox every morning. Free, always.