Heavenly Father,

Thank You yet for another beautiful day. You are amazing! We never tell You often we are grateful for everything even the most hurting times in our lives. Many times we are asking for things, questioning why some things have happened, complain, and end up acting like stubborn children. We never really get to say, we trust Your plan and mean it.

You know, it is easy to quote Your Word but another thing to actually live up to it. And at times we quote Your Word when our minds and hearts are so far from You. So I ask today Father, that You may align our thoughts and hearts to Your perfect will this year. Order our lives into Your great purpose which You ordained before the foundations of the world that we should walk in it.

Father, I pray for each and every one of us struggling to understand the role You have given us in this life. Others struggling with self identity and embracing their God-given individuality. Reveal to us in Your gentleness, what is causing the strife, the struggle, the turmoil; and help us to release our hold and work with You.

Lord, You once asked, “And why do you call Me Lord, Lord, and do not do the things which I say?”

Help us to examine our own selves in truth and with gentleness. Many times, we are so harsh on ourselves that we perceive that is how You see and treat us as well. Lord, this year, I pray that we may learn and see Your gracious hand in our lives. Seeing You lifting us up, encouraging us, and correcting us in Your love as a Father and not as a tyrant. Help us to heed to Your Word and submit to You in all things. Meet us where we are, each of us. Having different backgrounds, cultures, stories and views of life.

I love that You work on everyone differently.

We will all begin our journey with different paces, many times falling and being shoddy at it. Encourage us to keep going. You told Jeremiah, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”  All this, at a time when the children of Israel were in exile still by Your hand. You still had a perfect plan. And this is what we don’t see most times when we are going through our own valleys and caves. Help us to have Your peace that surpasses all human understanding despite the circumstances.

Lord, many of us don’t even know You love us or even care about us. We have been so entrenched in sin that we have become extremely self-condemning. We perceive You have written us off completely and prefer to work with the ‘holy and good people.’ Work with us and show us Your grace. We thank You that You are not like man, but Your ways and thoughts are higher than ours.

Forgive our rebellion and help us to be honest and committed to You in all ways. Help us to redeem the time we have lost being stubborn, complaining, and chasing after the things of this world, and seek fervently the things above. Lord, we love You but we do a terrible job showing it. Give us a new heart everyday that we may desire to do Your will and be pleasing unto You. Remove from our hearts the desire to please men and engrain into them, the desire to please You.

That in all we do, in service to man or to You, You may be well pleased with us.

We honour You and we thank You for Your grace throughout our lifetime.

In Jesus’ loving Name,

Amen

♣