“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 Niebuhr

This prayer was first publicly prayed by theologian and Christian realist Reinhold Niebuhr around 1932-1933 and would eventually become a part of many church worship services. It has also served as a part of the way that the people of Alcoholics Anonymous have sought sobriety and peace.