The Serenity Prayer : A Prayer For Everyone

A prayer for all people, not just those struggling with addiction. This prayer is famous for being the backbone of alcohol and drug treatment programs nationwide. Unfortunately it is often presented in edited form. The Serenity Prayer brings me peace today, not because I have ever suffered an addiction, but because the words remind me that there are things I have no power over…and that’s ok.

It gives the reader permission to “let go and let God”.

So when you have a hard time making sense of people’s behavior or situations that seem to swallow you up in negative emotion arise, I invite you to inwardly meditate on this prayer. For me at least, its words are soothing. They, through the power of the Holy Spirit, wash the stress of saving the world gently away.

Personally, my favorite line is “grant me the wisdom to know the difference” because sometimes it’s very hard for me to know the difference. Perhaps it’s even harder for me to accept the difference and surrender the situation to God. I am learning to release it rather than rework it a million different ways in my mind. I am a problem solver by birth, but God WANTS to solve our problems for us and I am learning to let Him.

It is a blessing to me, especially in its unedited version as below, so I hope it blesses your day a little with the peace it speaks!