Christian Message Boards: THE SERENITY PRAYER

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Posted by IMAWitness (Member # 5682) on :

THE SERENITY PRAYER

SCRIPTURE: PSALM 37:3-9

KEY VERSE: "TRUST GOD FROM THE BOTTOM OF YOUR HEART; DON' TRY TO FIGURE OUT EVERYTHING ON YOUR OWN. LISTEN FOR GOD'S VOICE IN EVERYTHING YOU DO, EVERYWHERE YOU GO; HE'S THE ONE WHO WILL KEEP YOU ON TRACK." PROVERBS 3:5-6 (MSG)

IN THESE DIFFICULT DAYS, I HAVE BEEN DRAWN TO MY WIFE'S FAVORITE PRAYER, "THE SERENITY PRAYER". WE'RE ALL PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH THE FIRST PART OF THE PRAYER, BUT NOT THE REST. HERE IS THE FULL TEXT:

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 ALL THINGS RIGHT
IF I SURRENDER TO HIS WILL;

THAT I MAY BE REASONABLY HAPPY IN THIS LIFE
AND SUPREMELY HAPPY WITH HIM FOREVER IN THE NEXT.
AMEN

WE CANNOT CHANGE EVERYTHING. THIS IS A HARD TRUTH TO ACCEPT. IN OUR HUMAN NATURE WE ALWAYS BELIEVE WE CAN FIND A WAY TO CHANGE ANYTHING AND ANYONE. THEN WE FIND OURSELVES WORRIED AND FRUSTRATED WHEN WE FIND THINGS NOT WORKING OUT THE WAY WE EXPECTED THEM TO.

THE RIGHT WAY IS TO ASK GOD FOR THE WISDOM TO KNOW WHAT THINGS I CAN CHANGE AND WHAT THINGS I CAN'T. IN JAMES 1:5 WE ARE TOLD THAT GOD WILL GIVE US THIS WISDOM GENEROUSLY. THEN WE NEED TO ASK GOD FOR COURAGE TO GO AHEAD AND CHANGE THE THINGS WE CAN CHANGE, AND TO BE ABLE TO ACCEPT THAT THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE NOT WITHIN OUR POWER, BUT GOD'S, TO CHANGE, AND TRUST GOD TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES.

WHEN WE DO IT GOD'S WAY, THEN WE WILL EXPERIENCE GOD'S PEACE WHICH IS BEYOND ALL UNDERSTANDING (PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7). THIS IS WHAT "THE SERENITY PRAYER" IS ALL ABOUT. PRAY IT OFTEN.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MEDITATE ON "THE SERENITY PRAYER", CLICK THE LINK BELOW.

www.zarcrom.com/users/yeartorem/serenityprayer.html