(No, not that one.)
There’s this prayer. You’ve probably heard of it. It’s called the Serenity Prayer.
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.
I’ve hated that prayer ever since the first time I ever it, and I finally figured out why.
It’s those first three words.
“God grant me…”
No. Fuck no.
Starting that group of words with those three not only contradict the meaning of the rest, but cheapens them. Everything else about it is so utterly true that the prelude makes it the worst kind of lie.
And, if you think that prayer is a sub-set of spellcasting (and of course I do), it’s the most selfish, passive-aggressively whiny spell I can possibly think of.
That kind of courage, self-insight, wisdom? That’s not something that should be granted to a person. That needs to be earned. Tested in actual experience, by facing your own choices ruthlessly and dealing with them, and their consequences, with utter honesty. And, of course, surviving that experience.
Getting it through other means is like beating the final boss in a game with cheat codes – a meaningless victory which teaches you nothing at all.
Having a god just give it to you? That’s not a miracle.
That’s a bribe.
Go find it yourself. Then, you might find serenity.