Free Printable Serenity Prayer PDF | Short & Long – Looking for a PDF free printable Serenity Prayer you can download and print at home? This page explains the prayer in plain language, shares the short and long versions used across the United States, and points you to legitimate, no-cost downloads.
The most common search is for a clean Serenity Prayer printable PDF on standard U.S. Letter paper (8.5 x 11 inches). You can frame it, keep it in a wallet, add it to a journal, or use it in a recovery or church setting.
What Is the Serenity Prayer?
The Serenity Prayer is a short Christian prayer asking God for three things: calm acceptance, courage to act, and wisdom to tell those two apart.
Most Americans know this short version:
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.
People use it during stress, grief, addiction recovery, caregiving, and everyday decision-making. Twelve-step groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) and Co-Dependents Anonymous (CoDA) often close meetings with it. Churches, hospitals, and families use it for the same reason: it is brief, memorable, and practical.
For a clear overview of the prayer’s meaning and longer text, see this explainer from GotQuestions.org:
What is the serenity prayer?
Short Version vs. Long Version
Printables usually offer one of two texts.
Short version (most common on cards and meeting sheets):
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.
Long version (often used for wall art and devotion):
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.
If you only need a wallet card or meeting handout, print the short version. If you want a fuller prayer for a frame or quiet time, print the long version.
Who Wrote It?
The prayer is widely attributed to American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr (1892–1971). Early forms appear in the 1930s. It reached a large U.S. audience during World War II and became closely tied to A.A. after members saw it in a newspaper in 1941 and printed it on small cards.
A.A. World Services publishes a free service piece on that history. You can read and print a single copy of the official summary here:
Origin of the Serenity Prayer: A Brief Summary (PDF)
A.A. has also stated that it does not hold copyright on the Serenity Prayer itself and therefore cannot grant or deny reprint permission for the prayer text. Decorative layouts, fonts, and artwork created by others may still be copyrighted. Use those designs only as the publisher allows, usually for personal or meeting use.
Where to Get a Free Printable Serenity Prayer PDF?
Below are legitimate, current sources. None of these require payment for the files listed. Always print for personal, family, church, or meeting use unless a site clearly allows more.
1. Official CoDA meeting printable (simple one-page PDF)
Co-Dependents Anonymous hosts a clean, meeting-style Serenity Prayer PDF you can open and print right away:
Download the CoDA Serenity Prayer PDF
This is a straightforward black-and-white page with the short prayer. It is a good choice for groups, sponsors, or a no-frills home print.
2. Local A.A. group printable
A U.S. A.A. district site offers high-resolution meeting readings, including the Serenity Prayer:
Download the A.A. Erie, PA Serenity Prayer PDF
This type of file is typical of what U.S. meetings keep on a clipboard or literature table.
3. Decorative home printables (several designs)
If you want a prettier page for a kitchen, office, or prayer journal, Bible Study Printables offers free Serenity Prayer pages and coloring versions:
Free Serenity Prayer printables at Bible Study Printables
Those files are designed for home printers. Download only from the site’s own buttons so you get the current file.
Skip paid “premium bundles,” email-only gates that never send a file, and random social-media images with no source. If a site asks for a credit card for a “free” PDF, leave.
Free Printable Serenity Prayer PDF | Short & Long
How to Print It in the United States?
Most free files are built for U.S. Letter (8.5 x 11 inches).
- Open the PDF in Adobe Reader, Preview, or your browser.
- Choose Letter, not A4, unless you live outside the U.S. or the file is labeled A4.
- Set margins to Actual size or 100%. Avoid “Fit” if you plan to frame the page.
- Use regular copy paper for drafts. Use 24–32 lb paper or light cardstock for framing.
- Print in black and white for meeting copies. Use color only if the design needs it.
Wallet card tip: Print the short version, cut it to about 2 x 3.5 inches, and laminate it. Early A.A. members carried the prayer on visiting-card-size stock for the same reason.
Frame sizes that work well: 8 x 10 with a mat, or a simple 8.5 x 11 document frame from any U.S. drugstore or office store.
Practical Ways People Use the Printable
- Recovery meetings and sponsor work
- A nightstand or bathroom mirror reminder
- Hospital, hospice, or caregiver packets
- Church bulletin boards and small-group handouts
- Journals, Bible studies, and coloring time with kids
- A calm visual in a home office
The prayer is not a substitute for medical or mental-health care. In a crisis in the United States, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
FAQ
Is there a truly free Serenity Prayer PDF?
Yes. Official 12-step meeting pages and several ministry sites publish free PDFs. Start with the CoDA file and the A.A. history PDF linked above.
Can I print as many copies as I want?
For the prayer text, personal and meeting copies are the long-standing practice. For a designed page, follow that site’s terms. Do not sell someone else’s layout.
Which version should I print?
Print the short version for cards and meetings. Print the long version for wall art or devotion.
Is the Serenity Prayer only for A.A.?
No. A.A. helped popularize it in the United States, but churches, families, and other 12-step fellowships use it too.
Why do some PDFs look different?
The wording has small variations (“God grant me” vs. “God, grant me”; “hardship” vs. “hardships”). Choose the wording your group or family already uses.
A Quick Note Before You Print
The prayer itself has been shared freely in American churches and recovery rooms for decades. That is why so many free printable Serenity Prayer PDF pages exist. What you should not do is treat a decorated download as public-domain clip art you can resell.
Download one of the files above, print it on Letter paper, and keep the words where you will actually see them. That is the whole point of the page.