A Prayer for the New Year

Happy New Year! Tomorrow we launch into 2024. A number of people are predicting a tumultuous year ahead. I have learned to stay out of the predicting game. I’m just bad at it. Over the years, I have settled into being a “wait and see” guy. That’s my lane and I’m going to stay in it.

While I can’t say what the New Year holds, or even predict what might happen, I can say we can trust God with it and pray our way into it. As a matter of fact, wouldn’t that be a great way to start the New Year!

So, what to pray. Here is a prayer by Henry Thornton that seems fitting. He doesn’t mention the New Year, but it sounded appropriate for the occasion to me. Maybe it can serve as a prompter for you and give you idea about ways to pray on the Eve of 2024:

Establish us in your faith, and fear, and love; and enlighten us, that we may understand you whole will concerning us. Where we make mistakes, have pity on our errors; and if we have wandered from the right way, do in mercy bring us back. Lead us, O Lord, into the paths of righteousness and peace. And if we have in any measure attained to the knowledge of your truth, may we bring our faith into active exercise. May we watch our hearts and bridle our tongues, and govern our tempers. May we be ready to forgive, even as we hope to be forgiven. May we be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that our labor shall not be in vain in the Lord.

Amen

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash