Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971) is credited with authoring this famous prayer but with most successful works of art, controversy of the true author always overshadows the beauty of the piece. Some say that Reinhold Niebuhr was not the author and claim that the Serenity Prayer dates back to 500 A.D. But all research points to Niebuhr as the true author of the Serenity Prayer.
Below is Niebuhr’s unedited, complete, and original version of
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.
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.
Click the link to view the amended and more common Serenity Prayer used by the AA