The serenity prayer is one of the most well-known and widely recited prayers in the world today. For almost one hundred years now, the serenity prayer has been a source of comfort for people struggling with life’s challenges. In an article written for the Yale Alumni Magazine [1], Fred R. Shapiro, one of the leading researchers on the history of the serenity prayer, claimed the serenity prayer could be the second most famous prayer in the world today.
“At least in the English- and German-speaking worlds, this is undoubtedly the most famous prayer originated in modern times, probably the only prayer ever to rival the Lord’s Prayer in popularity.”
Fred R. Shapiro
The Serenity Prayer: Its History and Origins
The Serenity Prayer was created by Reinhold Niebuhr, an American Reformed theologian who is believed to have begun publicly sharing it sometime around 1932. Although most historians agree that Niebuhr is the original writer of the serenity prayer, he is not its original publisher. The first written records of the prayer come from Winnifred Crane Wygal, a student of Niebuhr’s who published the prayer in several newspapers throughout the 1930s.
Over the next twenty years or so, the serenity prayer was enthusiastically picked up by different people and spread across the world. It was also adopted and distributed by many community-centered programs, such as the Young Women’s Christian Association, The United Service Organizations, and Alcoholics Anonymous.
The Serenity Prayer: Variations and Original Wording
Today there are several different versions of the serenity prayer; the most common variation goes as follows.
“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.”
Although this is the most well-known variation, according to Shapiro, this is not how Niebuhr originally worded it. Shapiro found one of the earliest printed versions of the prayer in an article published by the Santa Cruz Sentinel on March 15, 1933. The article [2] quotes Winnifred Crane Wygal, who recited the prayer like this.
“Oh, God, give us courage to change what must be altered, serenity to accept what cannot be helped, and insight to know the one from the other.”
Shapiro believes that this version of the serenity prayer is closer to the original wording constructed by Niebuhr.
Why Is The Serenity Prayer So Popular?
Generally, the serenity prayer circulates in communities where people are actively battling against the limits of their very being. The prayer’s consistent appearance in 12-step programs, Sunday morning sermons, military support groups, and general community outreach/support programs are good examples of this.
The Experience Of Struggle
I believe that one of the key reasons why the serenity prayer enjoys so much popularity in these communities is because it accurately describes the experience of struggling with personal problems. Slaying or subduing the dragons that have nested in our personalities, identities, and general life is not an easy thing to do.
It takes a lot of lasting courage to battle things like addiction, sin, character defects, and all the other ways we fall short. Likewise, problems such as trauma, regret, loss, mental illness, and disabilities are often unremovable monsters that we can only combat through finding the serenity to accept and live with.
The serenity prayer also speaks to the struggle of knowing what you can change and what you can not. Personally, there have been many times in my life when I tried to live with something I needed to fix or attempted to change something I simply had to accept. The truth of a situation is not always an easy thing to see; quite often, it is something that has to be searched for. Furthermore, as C.S. Lewis points out in his book, Mere Christianity, once found, facing the truth is almost always an uncomfortable experience, making it hard to do.
The Prayer Directs Us To God
Another aspect that attracts people to this prayer is its focus. The prayer steers our attention, pain, desperation, and needs towards God. Due to the fact that it is a prayer, it naturally reminds us that all of the insight, courage, and serenity we need for our battle with life’s problems dwell with the one who loves us the most. A truth that is overlooked far too often.
Thanks for being awesome!
Souses
- Yale Alumni Magazine
- Who Wrote the Serenity Prayer? – By Fred R. Shapiro
