The Prayer for Serenity

The simple but powerful prayer is a cornerstone of the recovery journey. In Celebrate Recovery, we turn to the Serenity Prayer as a reminder to surrender what we can’t control, seek strength for what we can, and trust God with the rest. It grounds us in peace, invites us to live one day at a time, and encourages us to walk in faith – especially when the road feels uncertain. Whether spoken aloud or whispered in quiet moments, this prayer helps center our hearts on God’s wisdom and grace.

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. Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardships 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. -Reinhold Niebuhr