A New Year's Prayer

A New Year's Prayer

If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins and heal their land.

                                                                                                2 Chronicles 7:14

This passage of scripture takes me back to a classic contemporary Christian song that I am sure was inspired by that very verse of scripture entitled When God’s People Pray by Wayne Watson.  The chorus went like this:

“When God’s people pray

And take the pains of earth to the doors of Heaven

When God’s people pray

There is hope reborn, there is sin forgiven

And miracles you can’t explain away

When God’s people pray”

With this scripture in mind please pray with Me now.

Oh God, we who are called by your name come humbly before you today.  We thank you for life, health, and strength.  We ask that you be with us as we begin a new year.  Help us not to carry last year’s trouble into the new year. We come with an expectancy of direction and purpose as we shed the unnecessary and pick up the purposeful.  Because your thoughts are not our thoughts and your ways are not our ways, we ask for your eyes to see and your ears to hear along with clarity of mind so that our prayers are both strategic and effective. 

Help us to see clearly who our enemy is and to know that his purpose is to steal the imparted word that is given to us in scripture and sown in our hearts, to kill our natural and spiritual bodies if he were able, and to destroy any sense of unity among your people. 

Lord we know that he is already defeated but he wants to take as many of your children as possible with him.  Lord God help us to see through his many manipulative smokescreens including materialism and  racism, a tactic of the enemy to keep us divided.  We know that beyond ethnic diversities we are one people ... your people.  For we know that You made us all and through the redemptive blood of Jesus we can all be born again into your kingdom and family. 

Lord in your creativity You made each culture unique and different.  You alone are our common ground.  Help us to remember that You have called us to be one with You, just as Jesus is.  Help us to remember that who we are in You supersedes who we are as an ethnic group and that all Christians, from all ethnic groups, make up the body of Christ and form your precious bride.

This year Lord as we make all manner of resolutions, help us to exercise your spiritual gifts of patience and self-control. Help us to depend on your strength in our weakness.  Help us to prefer one another and to live together in the bond of peace.

Also, help us to continue to walk in love as you commanded by showing forgiveness when we are wronged and by loving our enemies.  And last, but certainly not least, to allow vengeance to be yours and not to ever take it into our own hands. 

It is in Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

Be blessed!