Sunday, April 25, 2010

Serenity Prayer

I've known the Serenity Prayer since my childhood, but didn't realize it was only the beginning of a longer prayer, written by Reinhold Niebuhr (1926). And so I'm sharing this gem that I cut out from the latest Progress.


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.
*
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships 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.
Amen.

~~Reinhold Neibuhr (1892-1971)
*

6 comments:

Bish Denham said...

Now that's a beautiful prayers. I didn't not know the first lines were just the opening.

Vijaya said...

I'm committing the rest of this one to memory because there are so many truths in it.

Another favorite prayer is St. Francis's ... Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love ... and so on.

Write2ignite said...

WOW. I didn't know there was more to that prayer, either! Thank you for sharing!

I love the St. Francis prayer, too. We pray that in church sometimes.

Vijaya said...

Oh, I'm so glad you stopped by. Do pass it along.

Paul C said...

This is a wonderful poem, author, and poet. Thanks for rekindling the memory.

Vijaya said...

I am glad you stopped by, Paul.