Explore the history and authorship of the Serenity Prayer, its adoption into Alcoholics Anonymous, and how it became a guide for those battling addiction.
Who created the Serenity Prayer?
once said, “Reinhold Niebuhr was the greatest man I knew.” Yet he is perhaps best known to the general public because of the “Serenity Prayer.” The prayer has long been the target of doubts about its authorship, though many of those doubts were ill-founded.
What is the original full version of the Serenity Prayer?
Reinhold Niebuhr wrote the original version of the serenity prayer that reads: “O God and Heavenly Father, grant to us the serenity of mind to accept that which cannot be changed, courage to change that which can be changed, and wisdom to know the one from the other through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.”
When was the Serenity Prayer created?
She said she fixed the date of its composition to 1943 in her book, “The Serenity Prayer: Faith and Politics in Times of Peace and War” (W. W. Norton, 2003), because she had relied on her parents’ recollections.
Did AA create the Serenity Prayer?
The prayer was written by Reinhold Niebuhr and is specifically for people who want to break their bad habits, change their ways, and accept the things that cannot be changed. The prayer has been adopted by AA, which is why it is often associated with alcoholism.
How did the Serenity Prayer get into AA?
The AA prayer was brought to Alcoholics Anonymous in 1940 by a group member who read it in an obituary in the newspaper. The group’s founder, Bill W., felt the prayer was appropriate for AA members and had the prayer printed on cards for members to use. It has now become a permanent fixture in AA literature.
What is the AA motto for serenity?
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. Our Fellowship’s Serenity Prayer can be recited either in the first (I, me) or third (us, we) person.