Mama "J" sent me this

A New Year Prayer

My Good and Gracious Father,

You have brought us safely through another year. This was a year in which we saw and experienced to so much of your goodness. You were good when you gave, and you were good when you took away; you were good when the sun shined upon us and you were good when the night fell around us. You were only ever good.

In your World, you give the sure promise that you have loved us since before the foundation of the world. That love was always with us and held us fast through another year. You led us in each step we took. You led us around the wilderness to the places of cool rest and quiet. You led us through dark valleys to the joy beyond. You were there even in times when we wandered and went astray. There was nowhere we could go that was beyond your love, beyond your reach, beyond your care and compassion. You are so good and we are so grateful.

Father, we trust and we believe that your love and your kindness will be our theme in the year ahead. We entrust the future to you and we do it with joy and with confidence. We do it with sure hope that you already know each step we will take and that you will be with us to direct each one of them.

If you have appointed trials and tribulation, we know that you will guide and comfort us through them all. If we have to pass through persecution or times of deep temptation, we can have full confidence that you will never leaves us nor forsake us. If this is to be the year you call us home, we can receive that with joy, knowing that we will rejoice to be in your presence at last. If this is the year that Christ returns, then we will join with all Creation in rejoicing and praising your name.

But if you grant us length of days, and if you grant us health and safety through the year ahead, it is our prayer and our deep desire that we will live them all in your service and to your glory. Please grant us a grace that guides, sustains, and sacrifices us every day and every hour, that in this new year we would not live a moment apart from you. Let us rely on your Spirit to supply every word we need to speak, to direct our every step, to prosper all we do, to build up our faith, and to grant us the heartfelt desire to display your glory, to advance your kingdom, and to declare your gospel.

Whatever may come in the year ahead, we pray that you would glorify yourself through us. In times of joy or sadness, in times of security or trial, in times of peace or temptation, make yourself known and make yourself great through us.

We pray this in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.