Serenity: The AA Prayer in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)

The Serenity Prayer holds deep significance within Alcoholics Anonymous as one of the most recognized and frequently recited elements of the recovery program. This simple yet profound prayer appears at AA meetings worldwide, printed in literature, and spoken by countless people seeking strength in their journey toward sobriety. The prayer’s emphasis on acceptance, courage, and wisdom resonates powerfully with the core principles of the twelve-step program, offering guidance for navigating the challenges of addiction recovery.

While the prayer existed before AA’s founding, it became deeply integrated into the fellowship’s traditions and continues to provide comfort and direction for people working through the complexities of alcoholism and personal transformation.

The History of Alcoholics Anonymous

Alcoholics Anonymous began in 1935 when Bill Wilson, a man struggling with alcohol from New York, met Dr. Bob Smith, a physician battling his own drinking problem, in Akron, Ohio.[1] Wilson had achieved sobriety through a spiritual experience and discovered that helping other alcoholics helped maintain his own recovery. The two men worked together to develop a program based on spiritual principles, mutual support, and the belief that alcoholics could help each other achieve and maintain sobriety when medical treatments had failed.

The fellowship grew rapidly as Wilson and Smith began working with others struggling with alcohol use, developing the foundation of what would become the twelve-step program. In 1939, the group published “Alcoholics Anonymous,” known as the Big Book, which outlined their recovery method and shared personal stories of transformation. The book’s publication marked AA’s transition from a small group of recovering alcoholics to an organized movement that spread across the United States and eventually worldwide.

AA’s influence reaches far and wide as the twelve-step model inspired numerous other recovery programs for different addictions and life challenges. The organization maintained its core principles of anonymity, spiritual growth, and peer support while adapting to serve diverse populations and cultures.

What Are the 12 Steps?

The 12 steps form the core recovery program of Alcoholics Anonymous, providing a structured pathway for people to overcome alcoholism and achieve lasting sobriety. These steps guide members through a process of self-examination, spiritual growth, and personal transformation that addresses both the physical addiction and underlying emotional issues. The steps progress from acknowledging powerlessness over alcohol to making amends for past wrongs and helping other alcoholics begin their own recovery journey:[2]

• Step One: Admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable
• Step Two: Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity
• Step Three: Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him
• Step Four: Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves
• Step Five: Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs
• Step Six: We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character
• Step Seven: Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings
• Step Eight: Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all
• Step Nine: Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others
• Step Ten: Continued to take personal inventory, and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it
• Step Eleven: Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out
• Step Twelve: Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs

What is the Serenity Prayer?

The Serenity Prayer, also known as the AA prayer, is a brief prayer that requests wisdom to accept things that cannot be changed, courage to change what can be changed, and the ability to distinguish between the two.[3] The version most commonly used in Alcoholics Anonymous reads: “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.” This prayer captures essential principles of recovery by encouraging people to focus their energy on what they can control while releasing attachment to outcomes beyond their influence.

The prayer originated from theologian Reinhold Niebuhr in the early 1940s, though various forms existed before his version became widely known.[4] AA adopted the prayer because it perfectly aligned with the program’s emphasis on surrender, personal responsibility, and spiritual growth. The concept of accepting powerlessness over alcohol while taking action to change destructive behaviors mirrors the core message of the twelve steps. Many AA meetings begin or end with the Serenity Prayer, and members often recite it during difficult moments to find guidance and peace in their recovery journey.

How is the AA prayer used in Alcoholics Anonymous?

The Serenity Prayer serves multiple practical purposes within Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and daily recovery practice. Most AA meetings begin or end with a group recitation of the prayer, creating a sense of unity and shared purpose among members. Meeting leaders often use the prayer to open discussions about acceptance and personal responsibility, while members frequently reference its principles when sharing their experiences with letting go of control over people, places, and situations that trigger drinking urges.

Individual members incorporate the Serenity Prayer into their personal recovery routines as a tool for managing stress, anxiety, and overwhelming emotions that could lead to relapse. Many people recite the prayer during moments of temptation, conflict, or uncertainty to refocus their thoughts on what they can actually influence rather than becoming consumed by circumstances beyond their control. The prayer also supports the practice of surrender that underlies many of the twelve steps, helping members release their will to a higher power while taking responsibility for their own actions and recovery efforts.

The Serenity Prayer’s Role in Daily Recovery

The Serenity Prayer becomes a practical tool that people in recovery use throughout their daily lives to navigate challenges without turning to alcohol. Members often carry printed versions of the prayer in their wallets, display it in their homes, or memorize it for quick access during stressful situations. The prayer helps people pause before reacting to difficult circumstances, encouraging them to assess whether a situation requires acceptance or action rather than immediately feeling overwhelmed or powerless.

Many AA members develop personal rituals around the Serenity Prayer, such as reciting it each morning to set intentions for the day or using it during meditation and reflection periods. The prayer supports the ongoing practice of step eleven, which emphasizes prayer and meditation to maintain conscious contact with a higher power. People often find that regular use of the Serenity Prayer helps them develop emotional stability and clearer thinking patterns that strengthen their ability to maintain sobriety during both routine daily stress and major life crises.