The Serenity You’re Desperate For: A Prayer for Moms with Addicted Adult Children

jbhoward429
Oct 16
5 min read

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." — James 1:5 NKJV

There’s a holy ache only a mother understands.Especially when the child she once rocked to sleep is now lost in addiction—and every instinct screams, Fix it. Save them. Don’t let go.

But what if peace doesn’t come from holding on tighter...What if it begins with surrendering well?

The full Serenity Prayer is more than a mantra - it’s a roadmap for moms like us. Moms whose hearts are breaking, hands are trembling, and hope feels like a flickering candle in the dark. It has meant so much to me on my journey - an anchor that I could cling to on the bad days - and I think it can help you too.

🌿 The Full 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.

Living one day at a time;Enjoying one moment at a time;Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace;Taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it;Trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will;So that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with You forever in the next.Amen.

🙏 Breaking It Down for the Battle You’re In

💔 “Accept the things I cannot change” The Release

Scripture: “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” — 1 Peter 5:7

You cannot change their choices.

You cannot erase their pain.

You cannot force healing.

But you can grieve what’s lost, surrender what you can’t fix, and trust God to work in places you can’t reach.

👉 Ask yourself: Am I trying to control what only God can redeem?

💪 “Courage to change the things I can” The Obedience

Scripture: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid… for the Lord your God goes with you.” — Deuteronomy 31:6

You can set boundaries,

You can stop enabling,

You can take care of your own soul.

Courage may look like saying “no” with tears in your eyes.Or sleeping through the night after leaving your child in God’s hands.Or refusing to live in fear.

👉 Ask yourself: What act of obedience is God calling me to today, even if it breaks my heart?

🧠 “Wisdom to know the difference” The Discernment

Scripture: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” — Proverbs 3:5

This is that tension that requires us to seek guidance from the Holy Spirit:

When do I step in?

When do I step back?

And wisdom, true wisdom, begins with stillness and prayer, not panic.

👉 Ask: Holy Spirit, show me what is mine to carry… and what I need to lay down.

🕊️ The Rest of the Prayer (Where the Deep Healing Lives)

🌱 “Living one day at a time” The Grace for Today

Scripture: “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” — Matthew 6:34

You don’t need to have next week’s answers.

You don’t need a five-year plan.

You need grace for this day.

Mercy for this moment.

And the permission to say, “This is enough for now.”

👉 Ask yourself: Am I trying to survive the next 10 years… or just today?

🌸 “Enjoying one moment at a time” The Invitation to Stillness

Scripture: “You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy.” — Psalm 16:11

Guilt will tell you you’re not allowed to enjoy life while your child suffers.

But that’s a lie from the pit.

That peaceful walk,

that coffee with a friend,

that belly laugh—they don’t mean you’ve stopped caring.

They mean your soul is breathing.

👉 Ask: Where can I receive joy without shame today?

🔥 “Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace” The Furnace of Faith

Scripture: “We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” — Romans 5:3–4

This one’s hard.

Who wants to accept hardship - especially one that has your child’s name on it?

But what if this pain is not punishment… but preparation?

A refining fire, not a consuming one?

You’re not being crushed. You’re being carved into a woman of deep, immovable hope.

👉 Ask: What has this suffering taught me about God I couldn’t have learned any other way?

✝️ “Taking this world as it is, not as I would have it” The Surrender of Control

Scripture: “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” — John 16:33

You’ve dreamed of a different life.

A healed child.

A peaceful home.

A testimony instead of a trauma.

But Jesus didn’t wait for the world to be fixed before loving it.

He stepped into the mess and overcame it with love.

👉 Ask: Am I demanding perfection before I allow peace into my heart?

🕊️ “Trusting that You will make all things right…” The Anchor of Trust

Scripture: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” — Romans 8:28

This is not blind optimism.

It’s sacred assurance.

God may not make all things easy.

But He will make all things right—in His time, His way, His mercy-soaked plan.

Even this.

Even them.

Even you.

👉 Ask: What would change if I believed God was already working, even when I can’t see it?

😊 “So that I may be reasonably happy in this life…” The Permission to Live

Scripture: “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” — Nehemiah 8:10

Reasonably happy. Not perfect. Not always peaceful. But a real, breathing, honest kind of happy.

A happiness that coexists with grief.

That laughs while still missing what was lost.

That finds meaning in small victories and deep connections.

You don’t have to wait for your child’s healing to begin your own.

👉 Ask: What joy am I allowed to receive without guilt?

🌟 “And supremely happy with You forever in the next.” The Eternal Hope

Scripture: “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain…” — Revelation 21:4

This isn’t the whole story.

Heaven is not just a wish. It’s a promise.

And while your mama-heart aches on earth, your soul is tethered to eternity.

Your child is not beyond the reach of grace.

And you? You are headed for wholeness, beauty, and joy unspeakable.

👉 Ask: Am I living like heaven is real even when my heart is breaking?

🧡 Dear Hope Holder,

This prayer isn’t about passivity.

It’s about peace.

It’s about letting God be God...and you, His beloved daughter.

Not the savior.

Not the fixer.

Just His.

You are not alone. You are one of us now.And hope is still holding you.

✨ Reflection Questions:

Which line of the Serenity Prayer speaks most deeply to your heart today?
Where are you resisting surrender?
What might peace look like if you let God take over?

💌 Call to Action:

📝 Comment “Amen” if you're choosing surrender today.📖 Save this post to reread when the weight feels too heavy.💌 Want more prayers like this in your inbox? Join our Hope Holders community.