God Grant Me the Serenity
Many of you will be familiar with the Serenity Prayer. It’s a beautiful prayer credited to the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr. The prayer is as follows:
God grant me the serenity to accept what I cannot change.
God grant me the courage to change what I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.
Based on that prayer, here is my prayer for each of us this day:
Let us pray: God, grant me the serenity to accept what I cannot change. Fill me with your presence so that I am able to let go of past experiences which trouble me but that I can do nothing about. Allow me to let go of all worry and anxiety about the future over which I have no control. As I let go, fill me with your peace.
God, grant me the courage to change what I can. Help me find the strength to turn away from anything that is hurting myself or others. Grant me the courage to forgive where needed and to make amends where possible. And empower me to use the gifts, talents, and money you’ve given me to make the world a better place whenever possible.
But please, gracious God, fill me with your wisdom that I might know the difference between wasted energy and a righteous struggle. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Daily Message Author: Joe Albright
Rev. Joe Albright is a graduate of Flagler College and Columbia Theological Seminary. Together, he and his wife Robbie have five children. He loves spending time on the ocean and especially enjoys surfing and fishing. Before entering the ministry, Joe taught high school Spanish in Cape Hatteras North Carolina and Lawrence Tavern, Jamaica. He has pastored churches in Sarasota and Jacksonville, Florida and is currently serving Trinity Presbyterian Church in Palm Coast. Full Bio “I believe deeply in the power of the Gospel to bring hope, love, and new life. I have seen firsthand how this beautiful ministry of hope has touched people’s lives. It gives me great joy to serve Dial Hope as Lead Pastor.”
