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.
ECUMENICAL C. 1943
The Serenity Prayer
Other forms
Extended form (attributed to Niebuhr)
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
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.
About this prayer
The Serenity Prayer is attributed to the American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971), who used versions of it in sermons during the early 1940s. The earliest documented use in print dates to around 1943. Niebuhr never formally copyrighted the prayer, and it circulated widely and freely from the beginning. The prayer gained its widest audience after Alcoholics Anonymous adopted it in the 1940s, printing it on cards distributed to members. It remains central to twelve-step recovery programs and is also used broadly in pastoral care, hospital chaplaincy, and private devotion. The full prayer is longer than the version commonly known; the shorter form (three lines) is the one in near-universal use. The prayer asks for three things: acceptance of what cannot be changed, courage to change what can be, and the wisdom to know the difference.
When it's said
The Serenity Prayer is said at the opening or closing of meetings in Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, and other twelve-step programs, where it is typically recited in unison by the group. In pastoral and chaplaincy settings it is used with individuals facing illness, loss, or circumstances beyond their control. It is also used in private devotion, particularly in times of anxiety or grief. It does not appear in any formal denominational liturgy.
Notes on the text
The authorship of the prayer has been disputed. Niebuhr's family and most scholars credit him with composing it, but earlier versions of similar sentiments appear in other sources, including writings by the philosopher Friedrich Christoph Oetinger (1702-1782) and others. The version used universally today in its short form is the one Niebuhr himself used and circulated. Because the prayer was never copyrighted and circulated freely from its earliest known use, it is in the public domain.
Common questions
Who wrote the Serenity Prayer?
The American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr wrote it, in the form most people know today, around 1943. Earlier versions of similar prayers exist in various forms going back centuries, but the modern English text is Niebuhr's. He wrote it for a sermon and made no attempt to copyright or claim it. His daughter, Elisabeth Sifton, documented its origins in her 2003 book 'The Serenity Prayer: Faith and Politics in Times of Peace and War.'
Why is it associated with Alcoholics Anonymous?
Alcoholics Anonymous adopted the Serenity Prayer in 1942, the year before Niebuhr's published version, having found it in a newspaper obituary. AA has used it at the opening of meetings ever since, and the prayer is now most widely known through twelve-step recovery programs. Niebuhr did not write the prayer for AA, but he was content for them to use it.
Is there a longer version?
Yes. The most commonly recited form is the first three lines (the 'serenity,' 'courage,' and 'wisdom' petition). A longer version continues: '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.' Both forms are in the public domain.
Source
Attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr, c. 1943. Never formally copyrighted; in the public domain through lack of copyright registration and decades of unrestricted circulation. Public domain.
Last reviewed: May 2026 against primary source.