The Serenity Prayer is a prayer for encouragement that focuses on three words. Prayer has Christian roots, so let’s look at what Jesus says about those words. The Serenity Prayer was composed by theologian and preacher Karl Paul Reinholt Niebuhr. It is not a Biblical prayer, but three words are prayed that are important to follow the recovery program. When we look at what Jesus has to say about this, it is striking that it is largely fear from which we need to be healed.
Self-help groups
Prayer is used in self-help programs for addiction. Particularly in self-help groups using the Twelve Step Program, the prayer is often said at the end of each meeting. The best known are Alcoholics Anonymous.
Eleventh step The Twelve Step Program is a religious or spiritual program where you can become mentally healthy again with the help of accepting a higher Power. The eleventh step is essential here.
We try to deepen our contact with God through prayer and meditation. However each of us accepts Him personally and prays to Him alone to make us know His will and for the power to accomplish it.
Theologian Reinhold Niebuhr
The Serenity Prayer is a portion of a prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr, American theologian, who wrote it in 1943. Alcoholics Anonymous use the portion about Calmness, Courage and Wisdom to encourage each other during or after meetings. The Twelve Step Program was originally derived from a Bible study. The two founders of AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) owe their recovery to attending the Bible study on ‘seven steps to Jesus’. When they noticed that those steps worked, they adjusted them over the years and expanded them to the current twelve steps.
Serenity prayer: prayer for courage and wisdom
Father, 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 between them.
To live one day at a time, to enjoy one moment at a time, to accept difficult times as the path to peace, to accept this sinful world, just as Your son Jesus Christ did, as it is, and not as I want it to be,
to trust that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will, to be happy enough in this life and, to be happy enough with Jesus: forever in eternal life . Amen.
What does Jesus say?
If we search the Bible for the words calmness, courage and wisdom , we will get a whole list of references. It is not our intention to show that list here. As a reader you can check all those text references yourself. We consider a few texts in which Jesus mentions the words.
Calmness
- Immediately Jesus spoke to them: ‘Keep calm! It’s me, don’t be afraid! Matthew 14:27
- They had all seen him and panicked. But Jesus immediately spoke to them and said, “Be calm! It’s me, don’t be afraid.’ Mark 6; 50
In these two texts, Jesus calls on us to remain calm. People are prone to panic. Someone who is addicted in particular has a tendency to react hopelessly or pitifully when things go wrong again. Or in other words; when he himself has made a mess of things again. When Jesus wants to come near or into your life, an addict becomes anxious. Addiction is a mental ‘disease’. Jesus wants to heal diseases. Panic and fear are ailments that you, as an addict, must break. Jesus says clearly; ‘stop spreading panic and let me come in’. The addiction to a substance or behavior is, as it were, a replacement for living with insecurities or fears. When that realization is there, there is a fear of letting it go.
Courage
- Jesus said to them, “Why do you have so little courage, O you of little faith?” Then he stood up and rebuked the wind and the water, and the lake became completely still. Matthew 8:26
- I leave you peace; my peace I give to you, such as the world cannot give. Don’t worry or lose heart. John 14:26
Life is a great adventure. Especially if you do so from a certain philosophy of life. After all, you have a message, a story for this world. The story we want to tell is about Jesus, the Son of God. If you go through life with Him you will certainly experience exciting adventures. just like the disciples. Sure, adventures aren’t just about finding treasure. Adventures also have setbacks. Your life can seem like a storm. Trust the words of Jesus. He says; ‘why do you have so little courage? Don’t lose heart’. Stop looking for peace in this world because you will never find it. Have you lost the courage to quit your addiction? Listen to the words of Jesus, look carefully at the eleventh step and the Serenity Prayer.
Wisdom
- For I will give you words of wisdom that none of your adversaries will resist or contradict. Luke 21:15
- Woe to you lawyers, for you have taken away the key of knowledge; You yourselves did not enter, and others who wanted to enter prevented you.’ When he came out of the house, the scribes and Pharisees were mad with anger; they started asking him about everything, in a devious attempt to catch him making an unauthorized statement. Luke 11: 49 – 53
Addiction is the opposite of freedom. Addiction is destructive and mind-numbing. Striving for freedom creates life. Wisdom is important to work on that freedom. It is necessary to control your addiction. Wisdom is the opposite of ‘stupidity’. If we remain stuck in an environment of addiction ourselves or in an environment, the path remains hidden by our own stupidity and lies or by others. Jesus’ attitude shows a strong example of wisdom. We can follow this as a good example. Jesus is the ‘door’ to true freedom.
It functions
‘Keep coming, it will work if you work on it’ is a frequently heard statement from members of a self-help group. The results are rather cynical in mental health care. The twelve-step method is not reimbursed by the health insurer in most addiction clinics. The reason for this is that it is too religious in nature. The secret of recovery is not the program itself but admitting that there is a God who can heal.