What Is the Alcoholic's Prayer?
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Twenty years ago, I worked for a Christian organization helping congregations start Christ-centered 12-step groups in their church. These groups loosely followed the structure of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), a program designed for people to recover from alcohol abuse. Many churches were open to helping this population (some within their congregation). They were pleased that there was an emphasis on God/Christ as the One to atone to and the One to expect to provide strength for healing.
Some churches believed that God was treated too nebulously in the 12 steps. But none could deny the power of the Alcoholic’s Prayer that AA uses. Over two million people have used this prayer in their journey away from alcohol.
But is it a Christian prayer?
Since those years ago, when I worked for that organization, others have used the Alcoholic’s Prayer. In 1991, Saddleback Church in California launched Celebrate Recovery to help people with various struggles. They offer a “Christ-centered, 12-step Recovery Program for Anyone Struggling with Hurt, Hang-Ups, and Habits of Any Kind.” They even have programs for children and the incarcerated.
These groups often include a variation of the prayer that includes the name of Jesus.
What Is the Full Name of the Alcoholic’s Prayer?
The Alcoholic’s Prayer is called the Serenity Prayer, making it a special comfort even to those not dealing with alcohol addiction. We all need help accepting what God allows in our lives and discernment to know which things we can affect and those we need to trust God completely. Some of our greatest stressors come from not knowing what God wants us to do during trials. I can imagine the many places where it could be a blessing (not in place of the Bible, but as prose that can still draw our hearts, minds, and souls to God). For instance, the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital’s pastoral care department offers it to website visitors.
What Does the Alcoholic’s Prayer Say?
The Alcoholic’s Prayer, also known as the Serenity Prayer, reads as follows:
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 things right
If I surrender to His Will;
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life
And supremely happy with Him
Forever and ever in the next.
Amen.
In AA meetings, the prayer’s first four lines are often used as a shortened version.
Who Wrote the Alcoholic’s Prayer?
Much like the poem “Footprints in the Sand,” there has been disagreement over who created the Alcoholic’s Prayer (1892-1971). It is common knowledge that the Serenity Prayer was credited to theologian Reinhold Niebuhr writings the words in 1943.
But Fred Shapiro, writing for US Catholic Magazine, says he began wondering if Niebuhr unconconsciously drew on earlier versions of the prayer. His research found the prayer had been printed eight times in newspapers or books between January 1936 and April 1942, predating Niebuhr’s recorded version.
Further research found that Winnifred Wygal, a woman who did postgraduate work with Niebuhr, wrote something uncannily similar in 1933:
“Oh, God, give us courage to change what must be altered, serenity to accept what cannot be helped, and insight to know the one from the other.”
However, this wasn’t the end of the search. Shapiro found that Wygal used much of this language in a 1932 diary entry about “RN.” Shapiro concluded that Niebuhr was indeed the original author. However, Wygal played a key role in popularizing the prayer through her work with the Young Women’s Christian’s Association (YWCA).
According to the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, the prayer had become well-known in many church groups by the 1940s. However, many AA groups were first exposed to the prayer when it was quoted in AA periodical The Grapevine in 1948. Over time, it became so widely used by 12-step programs that it became known as the Alcoholic’s Prayer.
Does the Alcoholic’s Prayer Fit Biblical Truth?
I believe that much of the Alcoholic’s Prayer aligns with biblical truth. First of all, it is addressed to God. Although some would argue that AA leaves room for you to have your own interpretation of God, Niebuhr’s original intention was the One True God.
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.
These four lines bring several Scriptures to mind:
1. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)
2. “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:12-13)
3. “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” (James 1:5)
Then there is the second part of the prayer:
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 things right
If I surrender to His Will
These fives lines remind me of Jesus’ call in Luke 9, where he said:
“Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.’” (Luke 9:23-24)
However, sobriety is not the same as the call to faith in Christ for salvation. Niebuhr talked about being supremely happy with Jesus in the next life, and there is faith that “God will make things right.” Still, the prayer doesn’t speak about personal responsibility, repentance, and accepting Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins. But it’s a start for someone unfamiliar with Jesus or who has “backslidden” in their faith. Someone like my father.
Dad became an alcoholic after suffering a cerebral aneurysm at 42. He struggled with drinking increasing amounts of alcohol daily for six years until our family talked him into a rehabilitation program based on AA, including the Serenity Prayer. I know that the Serenity Prayer was something that he liked to repeat throughout the program. Raised Catholic, alcohol stole him away from the church, and even this short prayer made him feel closer to God and the very strong faith of his childhood. He came home sober from the program and remained sober until he died at 87.
The Alcoholic’s Prayer or Serenity Prayer greatly blessed our family as we realized that we all have something we need to bring to the Lord and recognize our inability to manage life on our own. We must ask for wisdom and courage to surrender to His perfect will. But the program didn’t lead him to Christ. It would take many more years of witnessing and praying to get him to admit his holistic need for a Savior.
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/fizkes
Mary Oelerich-Meyer is a Chicago-area freelance writer and copy editor who prayed for years for a way to write about and for the Lord. She spent 20 years writing for area healthcare organizations, interviewing doctors and clinical professionals and writing more than 1,500 articles in addition to marketing collateral materials. Important work, but not what she felt called to do. She is grateful for any opportunity to share the Lord in her writing and editing, believing that life is too short to write about anything else. Previously she served as Marketing Communications Director for a large healthcare system. She holds a B.A. in International Business and Marketing from Cornell College (the original Cornell!) When not researching or writing, she loves to spend time with her writer daughter, granddaughter, rescue doggie and husband (not always in that order).
This article is part of our prayer resource meant to inspire and encourage your prayer life when you face uncertain times. Remember, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us, and God knows your heart even if you can't find the words to pray.
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