SERENity pRayER (VERSiONS)
“The LORD will give strength to His people. The LORD will bless His people with peace.”
-Psalm 29:11
Serenity Prayer (Versions) ________________________________________
It has been variously said that…
Reinhold Neibuhr himself denied writing it, and credited Friedrich Oetinger, an 18th century Theologian, with its authorship.
Or that it was actually written in 500 A.D. by a Philosopher named Boethius who was martyred for the Christian Faith.
Both of these theories have been discredited.
The Theologian Reinhold Neibuhr was the actual author, and did in fact claim credit for writing it.
Niebuhr was a major influence on the German Lutheran Pastor and nazi Resister, Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
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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.
Serenity Prayer (Versions): The Longer Version _____________________________________________________
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 hardship 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.
The Original Complete Version by Reinhold Niebuhr
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.
diiEtRicH bOnHOEffER wRiting AbOut intERcESSORy pRayER :
“A Christian community either lives by the intercessory prayers of its members for one another, or the community will be destroyed.
I can no longer condemn or hate other Christians for whom I pray, no matter how much trouble they cause me.
In intercessory prayer the face that may have been strange and intolerable to me is transformed into the face of one for whom Christ died, the face of a pardoned sinner.
That is a blessed discovery for the Christian who is beginning to offer intercessory prayer for others.
As far as we are concerned, there is no dislike, no personal tension, no disunity or strife that cannot be overcome by intercessory prayer.
Intercessory prayer is the purifying bath into which the individual and the community must enter every day.”
-Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945)
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