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.

This prayer—widely known as the “Serenity Prayer”—is attributed to the American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr and is generally dated to the early 1930s. Niebuhr composed it in the context of pastoral ministry and public theology during the interwar years, when questions of moral responsibility, social reform, and human limitation were especially acute. The text circulated in several forms before becoming famous through its adoption by Alcoholics Anonymous and other recovery movements in the mid-20th century, where it was used as a concise spiritual tool for coping with addiction and life’s uncontrollable circumstances.

The prayer frames ethical and spiritual maturity as a disciplined balance between resignation and agency. “Serenity” names the inner steadiness required to face realities beyond one’s control without denial or despair; “courage” names the moral energy to act where action is possible; and “wisdom” is practical discernment—knowing which situations call for acceptance and which demand change. In Niebuhr’s thought, this tension reflects the limits of human power and knowledge alongside the obligation to pursue justice. The line’s enduring appeal lies in its clear triad: emotional posture (serenity), moral action (courage), and judgment (wisdom).

1) “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.”
2) “Grant me serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”
3) “God, give us 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.”