Whether you did things right in 2015, stumbled through it or couldn’t seem to get a solid footing on being brave, December 31st is the moment we all toss out the past. Calendars are on their last day. Most pocket planners peak at this moment. Many goals are measured with an end-of-the-year deadline. No matter if you achieved your goal(s) or abandoned them, we all flip open to the first page tomorrow and begin again.
If you want to fan a fire that sets your future ablaze, breathe the air of a ferocious prayer at the base of the future’s flame. January 1st is as close to the bottom, the beginning, as we can get.
The intensity of flavors in a fiery prayer can keep us at the table lingering in our petition with the Lord. I can’t think of a better place to be when there’s a plate piled high taking up residency in my mind that I need to release.
Carve out some time to stir in seasoned supplications you asked for last year and have yet to see. Stay longer and let the taste of these bold requests mix with the sweet intimacy of Jesus. This kind of meal will drown out the blandness of living with anything less than a constant craving for more time at the table.
There are a few personal pieces you may want to add to this prayer starter here, so I encourage you to use a sharp pair of scissors to trim off the excess and tailor the threads of thanksgiving and surrender to custom fit your life.
In Jesus Name, we come before you with boldness. We thank you, Jesus, that we are your sons and daughters and we can approach your throne at any time because of what you did on the cross.
Lord, I thank you for the work that you did on the cross. You did the work so that we can rest. We shake off the worry and anxiety that has us pinned beneath your best.
We pray for a baptism soaking in grace that brings new levels of restoration to these desires You have planted in our soul. We pray for a refreshment of hope in 2016.
Lord, for those who have been working and striving to achieve that love from you, I pray for your power to strengthen their spiritual muscles so that they can shake off this work mentality right now and receive rest and grace and the peace that is only found in you. Lord, You did the work so that we could rest and receive all that is in store for us, in Jesus Name.
In Jesus Name, we receive the wisdom that only you could give us, Father; wisdom to make the right decisions in our careers, with relationships, over our finances and the future. Lord, we thank You now that the Holy Spirit counsels us, comforts us and is the director of our story.
Father, Your word says that we can plan our way, so we bring you our plans for the new year and we lay them at the altar of your will. We acknowledge there are things You see in our future that need adjustment to our plans today, so we lift up to You these goals and ask You to establish our way.
We trust You to lead us into the right appointments this year. We believe that you are setting us up even at this moment with divine meetings in 2016. You are opening every right door and closing every wrong door, and we thank You that You guide us and lead us with peace. And that You are making a way even when there seems to be no way.
With each choice we make, Your Word says that your peace will be the presiding sign that points to the direction we must go. So still the contents of our heart to remain calm in the storms so that we may see this sign.
Lord Jesus, our desire is to act with more courage these days. Strengthen our resilience to say ‘no’ in the name of love and rest and grace, and creating more memories with the people we care for. You are the God who loves us and will bring new life to our worn-out hearts. Fill us also, Lord with the audacity to say ‘yes’ to the talents you have entrusted to us.
Creator of heaven and earth, we acknowledge you have planted a dream in our hearts and interwoven uniqueness that’s exclusive to the story we’ve been living. We’ve been wrestling with doubts because our eyes are still fixed on our weakness. Empower us with the courage to lift our mind above the colossal concern that we’re not worthy enough. Restore the joy in this gifting and help us to refocus the fears to the mere satisfaction that we receive when we’re working out of this skill.
We ask that the noise would recede and the most important things are made clear and lovely. Detach our doing from our being in our minds and open our hearts to the transforming power of being still. Our prayer is that we’ll find ourselves drawn closer to the heart of Your story.
In Jesus’ name, I thank you that You are providing us with everything we need according to Your riches in glory, Lord. We are not limited to our bank account. We are connected to the right hand of the Father who has unlimited resources to dispense to His children.
Lord, I thank you for financial miracles happening right now; debts are being canceled and running over blessings are being poured out.
Lord, I thank you for your healing, in Jesus’ name. That every cell, bone, ligament, tissue, and organ is being brought back to the way they are supposed to be operating, in Jesus’ name.
Lord, I thank you that addictions are being conquered, that strongholds are being released and that chains are being broken even at this moment that we speak it into the atmosphere.
Lord, we declare and we believe that whom the Son has set free is free indeed. Thank you, Father for changing the palette of our desires, the contents of our heart and the thoughts consuming our mind.
We know that You cause all things to work for good to those who are in Christ Jesus, so we acknowledge our inheritance as victors of this world and not victims. Lord, because of You, we will prosper. Because of You, Jesus, we are moving from strength to strength and glory to glory!
Heavenly Father, our prayer is that we will live on fire with hope, fully engaged with intention, alive in our passions, and offering generous amounts of grace as we embrace every opportunity to love in 2016.
May we live fully, deeply, and more courageously with greater impact in our present places. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Soaking up the Tennessee sun, I’ve spent the last few days in pure peace hiking in the hills and reflecting over the year. My soul is tender as I laugh out loud recalling some stories. Tears aren’t too far behind as my memory reaches the hard paragraphs too.
Prime your purposes in perennial prayers in proximity to God’s promises.
