PRAYER FOR SERENITY

“The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”  (1 John 2:17 NIV)

The first five lines of the following prayer have become best known as the “Serenity Prayer,” recited in AA and other twelve-step groups. This is the full text of the prayer; it was written by the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971).

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 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.

(Reinhold Niebuhr)

-- Adapted from “When In Doubt, Sing: Prayer In Daily Life” by Jane Redmont

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STRENGTH FOR TODAY

“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”  (Matthew 6:34 The Message)

That last phrase is worthy of your highlighter: “When the time comes.”

“I don’t know what I’ll do if my husband dies.” You will, when the time comes.

When my children leave the house, I don’t think I can take it.” It won’t be easy, but strength will arrive when the time comes.

“I could never lead a church. There is too much I don’t know.” You may be right. Or you may be wanting to know everything too soon. Could it be that God will reveal answers to you when the time comes?

The key is this: Meet today’s problems with today’s strength. Don’t start tackling tomorrow’s problems until tomorrow. You do not have tomorrow’s strength yet. You simply have enough for today.

-- Max Lucado in “Traveling Light: Releasing the Burdens You Were Never Intended to Bear -- The Promise of Psalm 23”

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ONE-DAY-AT-A-TIME DISCIPLESHIP

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  (Matthew 28:19-20 NIV)

Discipleship means living one day at a time as though Jesus were near: near in time, near in place, the witness of our motives, our speech, our behavior. As indeed He is.

-- Brennan Manning


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