Serenity Prayer Printable: Free Full Page and Wallet Cards
Here's the Serenity Prayer as a free printable: a full page for your wall or fridge and a sheet of 8 wallet cards to cut out and carry. It's the short, four-line prayer said at the close of countless recovery meetings.
Under the prayer is what each line means in plain words, and a simple worksheet for sorting what's yours to change from what's God's. Print as many copies as you like.
Download free PDFFree. No email, no sign-up. A printable PDF, letter size, 4 pages: the prayer and its meaning, a worksheet, a sheet of 8 wallet cards, and Scripture.
The Serenity Prayer
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.
Traditional. Usually credited to Reinhold Niebuhr.
What it means, line by line
- “God, grant me”: you start by asking. Serenity isn't something you force. It's a gift you ask God for.
- “The serenity to accept the things I cannot change”: other people, the past, the weather, a diagnosis. Accepting isn't approving. It means you stop fighting what isn't yours to fix and hand it to God.
- “Courage to change the things I can”: your own actions, your attitude, an honest apology, a phone call you've been putting off. This takes nerve, and God gives it.
- “And wisdom to know the difference”: most of us get this backward, trying to control people while dodging our own part. Ask God, Scripture and honest friends to help you sort it out.
There's also a longer prayer that continues past these four lines. It's attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr, an American theologian. The short form printed here is the one most people know and say together.
Sorting it out
Think of what's weighing on you today. Write each thing in one column. Then pray the prayer over both lists: hand God the left column, and ask Him for courage to act on the right one.
| What I can't change (I'll accept it and hand it to God) | What I can change (my next right step) |
|---|---|
| My brother is still angry with me. | Call him Sunday and apologize for my part, without asking for anything back. |
The first row is an example. The PDF has 14 blank rows to fill in.
Wallet cards
- The Serenity Prayer 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.
How to use it
- Print the full page and put it where you'll see it: the fridge, a mirror, your desk.
- Cut out the wallet cards. Print on cardstock if you can, and give extras to people at your meeting.
- When you feel stirred up, stop and pray it slowly. Then ask: is this mine to change, or God's?
- Use the worksheet when something keeps nagging at you, and talk over what you wrote with your sponsor.
Scripture to go with it
“…do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”
The short Serenity Prayer is traditional. The explanations and worksheet are original to Steps & Scripture. Steps & Scripture is not affiliated with Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Talk it through with Jimmy or Sarah — first month free
Jimmy and Sarah are AI sponsors who know the Twelve Steps and the Bible. They'll listen, walk the steps with you, and keep pointing you to real people: a meeting, a sponsor, a church.
Free to download · first month free, no card · adults 18+
After the first month, talking with Jimmy or Sarah needs Plus ($9.99/month or $59.99/year).
Common questions
Is the Serenity Prayer free to print?
Yes. Print as many copies as you like for yourself, your group or your church.
Who wrote the Serenity Prayer?
It's usually credited to Reinhold Niebuhr, an American theologian, who used an early form of it in the 1930s. Some researchers think he shaped lines already in circulation, so its exact origin is still debated.
Is there a longer version?
Yes. A longer prayer, also attributed to Niebuhr, continues past these four lines. We print only the short form, which is the one said at meetings.
Is the Serenity Prayer in the Bible?
No, the words aren't in Scripture. But every idea in it is: trusting God with what you can't control, acting bravely on what you can, and asking Him for wisdom (James 1:5).
Get the daily reading by email
One short reading a day: a verse, a few honest words, one thing to do and a prayer. Unsubscribe any time.
We'll send one email to confirm. We never share your address.