{"id":757,"date":"2019-12-06T16:03:00","date_gmt":"2019-12-06T16:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/?p=757"},"modified":"2019-12-06T16:03:07","modified_gmt":"2019-12-06T16:03:07","slug":"the-serenity-prayer-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/the-serenity-prayer-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"The Serenity Prayer Meaning"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>This week we\u2019re going to be looking at one of the most famous and inspiring prayers of the 20<sup>th<\/sup> Century \u2013 \u201c<strong>The Serenity Prayer<\/strong>\u201d, and I\u2019m going to be exploring what the full version of this prayer means and how we can use it in our lives. Often known by its first line \u201cGod grant me the serenity\u201d, this inspirational writing has guided so many on their journey towards drinking in the peace of Christ. In an age full of self-help, mindfulness and searching for inner peace, these words carry a message that has resonated with many, particularly those who are caught in addictions or who are in a difficult place in life , especially through the work of AA (Alcoholics Anonymous). There are of course some very practical ways to feel at peace. For example, the tranquility of a restful day, the practice of meditation, the comfort of a massage, aromatherapy or exercise, or the wisdom of self-care. Yet this prayer poem highlights the gift of peace given to us by the Holy Spirit. And this is a special peace that is only found in Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"625\" height=\"352\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/e8DhbFtrT_Y?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>To begin with, let&#8217;s think about the meaning of first words \u201c<strong>Grant me<\/strong>\u201d. God is the source, the very beginning of peace and the giver of peace. This peace is granted to us by the sacrifice, death and resurrection of Jesus. So the words \u201cGrant me\u201d preface the other lines here, \u201cgrant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change\u201d! I see it as the \u201cwall of the fall\u201d, for we are all fallen, and this causes a huge barrier in our lives. I can&#8217;t change my age, I can&#8217;t change my family set up, I can&#8217;t change my physical body, my humanity, my humanness! But God can grant us the serenity we need to handle these things. This is an endless process of confession to God of the feelings around this \u201cwall of the fall\u201d, and an endless outpouring of the Holy Spirit who brings love, peace, joy and hope into our souls!<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Secondly, we find that the third line also has\nthe prefix of \u201cgrant me\u201d the courage to change the things I can! The Holy Spirit\ngives us the \u201c<strong>keys of change and renewal<\/strong>\u201d. I can change, how I feel\nabout my age\u2026. I can change my family relationships and dynamics\u2026I can change\nmy feelings about my physical body and care for it well and I can change my human\nresponses. How? By constantly walking with Jesus, allowing the Holy Spirit to\nlead, to renew and to restore. And then \u201cgrant me\u201d the wisdom to know the\ndifference between those things I can&#8217;t change and those that I can! This is also\na gift of the Spirit. It\u2019s about stepping in time with the Spirit and being prompted\nby the Spirit to pray. Sometimes we can start accepting things that God would\nwant us to change, and other times we can seek change in an area that requires\ndeep acceptance. In an ever-changing confusing world, it is often hard to see\nthese things, which is why we need the Holy Spirit to guide us.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Thirdly, let\u2019s focus on that word \u201ctime\u201d, living\n<strong>one day at a time,<\/strong> enjoying one moment at a time. This line carries an\nimportant meaning for us in an age of career ambitions and achievements and with\nincreasing leisure time and medical science extending life expectancy. Look for\na moment at your watch or clock and just watch those hands turn. Allow God to\nhighlight your time concerns. \u201cGrant me\u201d is the gift we receive so that we are really\npausing, really resting, really allowing peace to reign! We rest in the\ntimeless connection to heaven. It is only by connecting with eternity that we\nmaster time rather than being overwhelmed with \u201csaving time\u201d, \u201cholding back\ntime\u201d, making sure that I&#8217;m \u201cnot wasting time\u201d! You see as children of the\nliving God we have an eternal purpose, a destiny and a home where time is not\nrelevant\u2026. only the present which continues\u2026. so again, the words prefacing\nthis prayer \u201cgrant me\u201d leads us to receive the ability to live with \u201ctime\u201d. it\u2019s\na gift! <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>And finally, Jesus came to earth and walked here.\nGod Incarnate through the rubbish of anger, hate, bloodshed, abuse, robbery,\nsickness and pain. Yet he had the \u201cwonder of heaven\u201d in his heart! <em>How did\nhe endure the pain, the shame, the suffering?<\/em> Was it not the knowledge of\neternity that he carried, knowing the love of the Father and the presence of\nthis divine love in His life? This is what carried him onwards! And so again\nthe words \u201cGrant me\u201d, suggest we will need help from the Holy Spirit to accept hardships\nas the pathway to peace, taking as he did this sinful world as it is, not as we\nwould have it and trusting that he will make all things right. So again, \u201cGrant\nme\u201d, \u201c<strong>the love I need to walk through the rubbish<\/strong>\u201d. What we need is the\nlove of the Father, His divine gift of love and vision. It is imparted to us\nthrough the Holy Spirit into our very souls, so that we might be reasonably\nhappy in this life and supremely happy with him forever and ever in the next. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>When we call out deep within for God\u2019s help with these four\nareas of the serenity prayer, the Holy Spirit living within us will be our\nhelp! It is a moment by moment prayer, powerful in every way because we are not\nalone, Jesus is with us by the power of his Holy Spirit. That is good news! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We have a short meditation on the Serenity prayer which you can watch below. Do subscribe to Prayerscapes if you are enjoying these reflections on prayer, and until next time, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"625\" height=\"352\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/svGyke86kJk?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Serenity Prayer<\/strong> (full version)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">(attributed to Reinhold Neibuhr)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>God grant\nme the serenity <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To accept\nthe things I cannot change; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Courage\nto change the things I can; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And\nwisdom to know the difference. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Living\none day at a time; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Enjoying\none moment at a time; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Accepting\nhardships as the pathway to peace; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Taking,\nas He did, this sinful world <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As it is,\nnot as I would have it; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trusting\nthat He will make all things right <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If I\nsurrender to His Will; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So that I\nmay be reasonably happy in this life <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And\nsupremely happy with Him <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Forever\nand ever in the next. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Amen. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This week we\u2019re going to be looking at one of the most famous and inspiring prayers of the 20th Century \u2013 \u201cThe Serenity Prayer\u201d, and I\u2019m going to be exploring what the full version of this prayer means and how we can use it in our lives. Often known by its first line \u201cGod grant <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/the-serenity-prayer-meaning\/\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":760,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[6,13],"tags":[3,64],"class_list":["post-757","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-prayer","category-reflections","tag-prayer","tag-serenity-prayer"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/UN_Serenity_Prayer_800.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7bKxI-cd","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":791,"url":"https:\/\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/prayer-for-peace-and-comfort\/","url_meta":{"origin":757,"position":0},"title":"Prayer for Peace and Comfort","date":"March 13, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Peace is so important to our hearts, our minds and our bodies, so coming before God will always bring more peace into our lives. It\u2019s important that we take time with our prayers, because God knows that we need to slow down, we need to still our minds, we need\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Prayer&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"A beautiful and peaceful lake","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/un_peaceful_lake.jpg?fit=600%2C371&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":515,"url":"https:\/\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/short-evening-prayer\/","url_meta":{"origin":757,"position":1},"title":"Short Evening Prayer","date":"August 8, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Sometimes life can feel exhausting by the time evening arrives! With the fading light and a jumble of experiences to sift through from the day we can often feel fatigued, tired, even overwhelmed. It can be easy to block out all these thoughts with a good book or a T.V.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Films&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"Woman walking through a field","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Evening_Prayer_Blog.jpg?fit=600%2C337&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":778,"url":"https:\/\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/prayer-for-protection-at-work\/","url_meta":{"origin":757,"position":2},"title":"Prayer for Protection at Work","date":"February 28, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"When we work, we serve God. No matter what our occupation we contribute daily to the ongoing work of His Spirit. It can be daunting when we feel the stress of responsibility, the fatigue of physical tiredness or the fear of the unknown and yet God longs to journey with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Prayer&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"walking to work","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/prayer_for_work_protection_600_un.jpg?fit=600%2C400&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":460,"url":"https:\/\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/lord-make-me-an-instrument\/","url_meta":{"origin":757,"position":3},"title":"Lord, make me an instrument!","date":"March 5, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I find the prayer of St Francis a deeply challenging prayer to read. Whether in a time of peace and prosperity, or in a period of conflict and hardship, it is not instinctive to be an \u201cinstrument of peace\u201d. Yet the word instrument does suggest that we become a channel\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Films&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"Hands in the shape of a heart with beach in the background","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Prayer_of_St_Francis_600.jpg?fit=600%2C337&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":565,"url":"https:\/\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/harvest-prayer\/","url_meta":{"origin":757,"position":4},"title":"Harvest Prayer","date":"September 10, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Our lives go through many seasons, and there are times when it is natural and easy to be thankful at harvest time. So, if you are in a relaxed place and able to drink in the goodness of God and his provision, it is a joyful and special time to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Films&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Harvest_Prayer_600.jpg?fit=600%2C338&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":496,"url":"https:\/\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/early-morning-prayer\/","url_meta":{"origin":757,"position":5},"title":"Early Morning Prayer","date":"June 7, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Worship is intrinsic to our wellbeing. It creates a sense of peace in us as we recognise that all the love and beauty in the world has its source in God. When we wonder at the intricate life and order within nature it allows us to relax and know that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Films&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"man in the sea","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Early_Morning_Prayer_Sea_800.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/757","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=757"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/757\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":762,"href":"https:\/\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/757\/revisions\/762"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/760"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=757"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=757"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=757"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}