Where did the "Serenity Prayer" orginate from?

Question

A few friends and I were wondering who came up with this prayer or when it first came into use because it sums it up in those three paragraphs and I use it througout my day with things I have no control over and it is a soothing prayer when things feel like they are boogling you down

Answer 1

People from around the world have shown great interest in this beautiful prayer and there are a number of theories as to how it originated. One only has to go to a major search engine such as Google and type in Serenity Prayer and you will be presented with hundreds of hits on various views on the history of a prayer that has become synonymous to Twelve Steps Programs everywhere. One interesting version is given at http://www.aahistory.com/prayer.html

Little did we know that in 1939 when an AA member who liked the Serenity Prayer so much and brought it to Bill W., the Co-Founder of Alcoholics Anonymous that it would become the most popular prayer in the world. Bill and his staff made up some little cards with the prayer on it and they were printed and passed around. From that day on, this simple and beautiful prayer became a part of the AA movement and subsequently to Twelve Step programs everywhere.

What we have also found interesting is that Reinhold Niebuhr whom many believe wrote the Serenity Prayer denies it and actually credits Friedrich Oetinger, an 18th century theologian, for writing it. This "theory" also suggests that in 1947, Niebuhr read the prayer in an obituary notice in the New York Tribune & was so taken by it that he shared it with Bill Wilson. Perhaps Niebuhr himself, we the "member" spoken of who handed the card to Bill in 1939.

With the Serenity Prayer as well as other inspiring words that speak so eloquently to compulsive eaters and others struggling with addictions, it could be that God in His wisdom orchestrated a series of events that led to the words so many of us say each day ... words which make the quality of our lives a little better ... words that give us hope ... and words that inspire each of us to pray daily for the serenity to accept, the courage to change and, most of all, the wisdom to know the difference.

Answer 2

The Serenity Prayer is a prayer written by Reinhold Niebuhr on July 1, 1943 in for the Union Church of Heath, Mass. It is used in Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and other Twelve-step programs.

Niebuhr made insightful observations on the human condition, emphasizing its social and political aspects. No other theologian has made such a deep impact upon the social sciences. For over two decades his ideas were the most important influence on theology in American seminaries.

The short version that most people are familiar with goes as follows:

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.


Alternate versions of the Serenity Prayer exist. The following version is said to be the author's favorite version in a letter supposedly written by his wife:


God give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed,
courage to change the things which should/must be changed,
and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.


The full version of the prayer is as follows:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
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 hardship as the pathway to peace.

Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it.
Trusting that He will make all things right, if I surrender to His will.
That I may be reasonably happy in this life,
and supremely happy with Him forever in the next.

Niebuhr has been credited with authorship of the Serenity Prayer used by Alcoholics Anonymous. On this he said: "Of course, it may have been spooking around for years, even centuries, but I don't think so. I honestly do believe that I wrote it myself."

Answer 3

Early in 1942, a New York Alcoholics Anonymous member, brought to everyone's attention a caption in a routine New York Herald Tribune obituary that read:

"God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change,
courage to change the things we can,
and wisdom to know the difference."

Someone suggested that the prayer be printed on a small, wallet-sized card, to be included in every piece of outgoing mail.

Answer 4

It is a wonderful prayer - but I don't think that anyone knows its origin. It was the same thing as the Desiderata years ago - very peaceful reading - but author unknown. I used to think that it was written for AA, but it's just a prayer that they use.

Answer 5

Great Prayer, I say it every morning, and every night. In AA it should also read "And grant me humility to know I'm just part of this group, and above nobody else."

Answer 6

I've heard that it comes from St. Francis of Assisi

Answer 7

written by Max Ehrmann, this is used by Alcoholics Anonymous.

Answer 8

I believe it started with Alcoholics Anonymous.