What is the Serenity Prayer?

TL;DR:

The Serenity Prayer, commonly attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr, centers on trusting God’s sovereignty, seeking courage to obey Him, and asking for wisdom to discern His will. Though one line is often debated, the Serenity Prayer, as a whole, reflects deeply biblical themes when understood in light of Jesus’s life and purpose.

what does the bible say?

Overall, the Serenity Prayer has many good biblical principles in it, albeit some people may improperly apply the phrase, "Taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is.” This phrase could mean either that Jesus came to earth and left things as they were, which is clearly false; Jesus’s presence on Earth was the pivotal event in human history (Luke 4:16–21). Another interpretation of that line is that we should actively participate in our sanctification process through such actions as obeying Jesus’ command to love others (John 13:34). Because of the solid biblical themes throughout the prayer, a better interpretation is this: While Jesus loved people just as they were, and we should too, Jesus took that love a step deeper—particularly by giving Himself up as an atonement for our sin, so we could believe in Him and receive eternal life (John 3:16–18; 14:6). Aside from the ambiguity of this one phrase, the well-known prayer supports biblical principles like God’s all-knowing nature (Proverbs 16:9; 20:24), our joy being found through a relationship with Jesus and obedience to His commands (John 15:11; Philippians 4:4), and pursuing God’s glory over our own desires (1 Corinthians 10:31).

from the old testament

In asking God to help us live a day at a time, we acknowledge that it is He who is in control. He guides our steps and moves us along a path for His purpose and glory (Proverbs 20:24).

from the new testament

If we interpret the part of the prayer that speaks of Jesus taking the world as it is to mean hopelessly resigning to the realities of the fall or never speaking truth, then this part of the prayer is not biblical (Matthew 28:18–20).
Instead of leaving the world as He found it, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees (John 8:44), told a man whom He'd healed to "sin no more" (John 5:1–15), and through His own sacrifice, offered salvation to all who put their faith in Him (John 3:16–18; 14:6).
If the phrase, "Taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is,” means to actively participate in God's work of sanctification—for example, by loving people where they are at—then this part of the prayer is biblically-grounded (John 13:34). We must simply remember to take our love a step further than just loving people where they are at—just like Jesus did. We must also remember that love is not the same as approval; we should never give the impression that we approve of sin.
John 15:11 links obedience with the fullness of joy in Christ. When we surrender to God's will, both in trusting that He is sovereign and in obeying Him, we can be "reasonably happy in this life." Of course, being "supremely happy with [God] forever in the next [life]" has everything to do with salvation. Those who have trusted in Jesus can rely on His promise of eternal life with Him (John 3:16–18).
Asking God to help us accept that which we cannot change acknowledges that God has placed us here under a given set of circumstances and that our life is meant to be lived for His glory (1 Corinthians 10:31). Our prayer life should acknowledge that truth.
The prayer’s stance of hardship leading to peace is a biblical reflection of passages like Philippians 4:11–13. In that passage, Paul writes, “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned, in whatever situation I am, to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Despite trials like shipwrecks, imprisonment, and floggings, Paul felt content because he was near to God.
The "wisdom to distinguish" between that which we can and cannot change is a godly principle. James 1:5 says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him."

implications for today

What we know as the Serenity Prayer is almost universally attributed to a man named Reinhold Niebuhr (1892–1971). It is believed that the prayer itself came from Niebuhr's diary and was placed into newspaper articles in the 1930s and later, sometime around 1940, into a worship book by one of Niebuhr's students, Winnifred Crane Wygal. Several variations of the prayer exist today. The most common version says, "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."

A more complete and still-well-known version of the prayer was published in 1951. It reads as follows: "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."

The most common use of the Serenity Prayer is in recovery groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Celebrate Recovery. It has helped many people. However, there are a multitude of passages in Scripture which we can turn to as guides for our own prayers of serenity, such as Psalm 1, Psalm 27:14, Proverbs 3:5–6, 1 Corinthians 16:13, Philippians 4:4–8, Colossians 3:16, 2 Timothy 1:7, James 1:5, James 3:17, and 1 Peter 5:6–11, just to name a few.

understand

The Serenity Prayer is attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr.
Several versions of the Serenity Prayer exist.
The Serenity Prayer is, overall, biblical when lines are taken in context.

reflect

What parts of the Serenity Prayer most resonate with you?
What themes in the Serenity Prayer do you reflect on in your prayer life with your own prayers?
Where in your life are you struggling to accept what God has allowed, and how does the Serenity Prayer challenge your response?

engage

How can we, as believers, rightly apply the Serenity Prayer without confusing acceptance with approval of sin?
Why do the themes of surrender, courage, and wisdom resonate so deeply across different cultures and life situations?
How might we use the Serenity Prayer as a framework for corporate prayer while keeping God’s Word as our central guide?