A Prayer Full of Hope for the New Year
I love the beginning of a new year.
A clean calendar. A fresh start in Genesis.
It always feels like a do-over for…
Resolutions. Goals. Hopes. Promises.
That’s typically how I feel on December 30th and 31st. Sometimes the feeling lingers a little and I can carry in through January 1st, 2nd, and maybe even the 3rd. But inevitably, I always come to that moment of realization that no matter how hard I’m trying to maintain that “clean fresh” start … I fail. I mess up. As I bring the junk of the past year into the new one.
And maybe that’s the problem.
Did you catch that one phrase … “no matter how hard I’m trying?”
Maybe it’s not so much about “trying” as it is about surrendering.
John wrote the following words in Revelation 21:
“Behold, I am making all things new.”
verse 5
Our ascended Lord and Savior gives us the hope we need … not only for our eternal future but for our today and tomorrow as well—for the new year ahead.
David wrote:
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 28:6–7
For He has heard my cry for mercy.
The Lord is my strength and shield.
I trust Him with all my heart.
He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.
That’s exceptional news on December 30th and on January 3rd.
The Lord hears our repentant cries for mercy, forgives us of our flaws and failures, and gives us the strength we need. You and I can trust Him to help us when we surrender each day to Him.
So, today I’m praying and asking the Lord to give me all I need to faithfully follow trust and follow Him in the new year. I’m asking Him to be my hope for the New Year. I’d love for you to join me.
A Prayer Full of Hope for the New Year
Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
Proverbs 3:5–6
do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek His will in all you do,
and He will show you which path to take.
Father, Please help me. I want to trust You with all my heart and I believe that with Your Spirit at work within me I will have all I need to surrender my heart, mind, and soul completely to You.
I believe You will help me SEEK Your will and give me everything I need to follow the path You set before me. My faith is in You, Lord. I lay my life before You as an offering to be used by Your grace for Your glory.
The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
Lamentations 3:22–24
His mercies never cease.
Great is His faithfulness;
His mercies begin afresh each morning.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;
therefore, I will hope in Him!”
Father, Thank you! Because of Jesus, I can begin the new year trusting that Your mercy covers my sin. I can leave the struggles and failures of the past in the past and I can go into the future knowing I have been made new. I can go into the year ahead with hope trusting that You will give me whatever I need to face whatever You allow. I can get up every morning confident that I am secure in Your faithful never-ending love. By Your grace, I am healed and whole. By Your grace, I am full of hope.
Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
2 Corinthians 5:17
Father, Please imprint these words on my heart and mind. I have been made new in Christ Jesus. My old sinful selfish life is gone as I surrender myself to Your Spirit’s transforming work in my life.
Because of Jesus, I can run to You with my concerns, problems, failures, and emotions. I trust Your grace, mercy, and love. I believe in and with You, my new life can be full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I believe I can live each day full of hope and joy. Thanks and praise now and forever.
[Jabez] was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!” And God granted him his request.
1 Chronicles 4:10
Father, thank you for wanting me to know this simple humble prayer. And thank you for allowing me to know that it is a request You granted.
So, I join with Jabez and pray…
Father God, please bless me and increase my opportunities to serve You. Some days it can be hard to live in this broken and fallen world. Please be with me in all that I say and do; protect me from evil and keep me safe as I face life’s challenges. Please guard my heart and mind and bless me this day, in Jesus’ name.
The Lord is my shepherd;
Psalm 23:1–6
I have all that I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.
Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me.
You prepare a feast for me
in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
Surely your goodness and unfailing love
will pursue me all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
forever.
Father, Thank you that I can come to You completely dependent on Your direction, protection, and provision. May I be a faith-filled obedient follower of Your will … confident that You will always lead me to the best place in the right ways.
I believe whatever You allow in the year ahead, I will not have to face it alone … You will go with me giving me everything I need. I have nothing to fear for Your grace is sufficient for anything I am permitted to endure.
Father, I trust Your grace, mercy, and love are with me every day of my life and I believe Your promise that I will spend an endless beautiful forever in Your presence. Thanks and praise now and forever. I am gifted this day by Your grace, may I live it full of hope and for Your glory. Amen.
Happy New Year!
I love this quote…
“Let’s make one resolution this year: to anchor ourselves to God’s grace.”
Churck Swindoll
Of all the resolutions you and I make for a new year, there is really only one we need.
To be attached securely to God’s grace found in Jesus.
One resolution. One grace. One Savior.
May your year be filled with the love of Christ Jesus … the One in whom we have everything we need to live full of hope.
Thank you for this devotional today. It renews my faith and spirit of love to always come back to the Lord!
You’re most welcome! Thank you for visiting and for leaving this kind encouragement. It truly blessed me. Happy New Year and God’s blessings in 2020.
Such uplifting and inspirational prayers as we head into the new year, Deb! Proverbs 3:5-6 was the source of my word “lean” in 2019, and I’ll be using this scripture once again for my 2020 words (yes, I chose two).
You are so right that all we need to face each day is to submit to God’s will and trust Him to handle the rest.
Blessings!
I can’t wait to read what you’ve chosen for your words in 2020. I love Proverbs 3! It’s not always easy to surrender the day in complete trust but that reminder that He will show us the path when we do is an awesome blessing. Happy New Year, my friend!
Thank you, Deb, for this heartwarming post. This is just what I needed as I begin my new year and my new life in Christ. A fresh and new beginning completely in Him and with Him. I rededicated my life to Christ back on Nov. 10th, 2019 and was baptized and been following Him closely every since. This post has opened my eyes, even more, knowing I’m completely forgiven and He’s given me a brand new life filled with the Holy Spirit. I’m learning so many new things I never knew or understood before and it’s wonderful to know His peace and experience His joy and know His love for me is real and unconditional and I can fully and completely trust Him. I look forward to walking the rest of my life’s journey with Him and learning all I can to become more Christ-like and one day be living in heaven with Him. Thank you, Deb, and Happy New Year. Karen
Karen, thank you so much for visiting and for taking the time to say “hello” and share your journey! The blessing of walking with the Lord is full and exciting. It is so good to know that no matter what happens … His grace is sufficient. Praying God’s blessings to cover you throughout the new year!
“Maybe it’s not so much about “trying” as it is about surrendering.” I LOVE THIS! oftwn we tey to do too much in our own strength. X
Thanks, Deb and God bless you!
Thank you, Amele! May the year ahead be filled with His blessings!
Thank you for leading us into prayer. God bless you.
Thank you, Linda! I’m so glad you visited and stopped to say “hello.” Blessings!
I have decided not to set a long list of resolutions and goals for 2020, just walk with Jesus each day and let Him lead me. Thank you for your biblical encouragement again. God’s word is rich with hope for each day.
I love that, Christine! That may very well be the best goal/resolution of all … one that will lead to the beautiful blessings of the Lord! Thanks so much for sharing this! God bless!