Dear Minister: A friend has been encouraging me to read the Serenity Prayer but I am not sure if it is biblical. Is it?
Answer: It is always wise to ask yourself if a resource is biblically based. In its short form the Serenity Prayer says this: “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.”
If you search your Bible, you will not find those exact words, but that does not mean that the truths within the prayer are not biblically rooted.
In its original form, the prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr 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.”
And in its extended version, the prayer adds these words: “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.”
Many people have found wonderful comfort and true serenity by offering up the words of this prayer. I think you can confidently pray these heartfelt words with full confidence that they line up with biblical teaching and truth. May they become for you a source of peace.
Sincerely,
Dr. Steve Rahter – Pastor
Praise Tabernacle
Egg Harbor Township
