Lord, At the beginning of this year we need you. Our days are written in your book and only you know if I shall live through this year that has just begun. Be merciful to me and forgive me all my sins. Bless my body and soul, my property, and my honor. Renew in me the knowledge of the promise you made to me at my baptism, so that I may have childlike assurance throughout this year that you will never forget me. Allow me to the best of my ability, to live a year of service to you. Let this year be one which draws me closer to you as I serve my Savior Jesus. Amen. (From “There’s a Prayer for That.”)
Tuesday, December 31st, New Year's Eve
“He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.” Psalm 91:15 (end of year)
Dear God, There is trouble all around me. There are challenges and obstacles around every corner. The devil wants to destroy me. He is always working in me, on me, and around me to destroy my faith, to destroy my ministry, to destroy my family, to destroy me. He hates me and wants me dead to you. Protect me from his evil darts. Shield me with your angels, with your power, with your Word, so that his darts do not pierce me. Send your angels to watch over my every footstep so that I do not fall into danger. Yes, dear Lord, be my refuge, my strength, and my shelter from life’s storms. I hear you promising that my hope is not displaced. You promise that you will hear me and not just hear me but be with me and not just be with me in trouble but also deliver me. You will not let me down today, tomorrow, or any day. Stay close, dear Lord, as this year ends and a new one begins. Guard me. Guide me. Protect me. Amen.
Our trust in God is not misplaced. He has done, is doing, and will do what he has promised that he would do.
Monday, December 30th
“Jesus Christ is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loves us, and looses us from our sins by his blood; and made us to be a kingdom, to be priests unto his God and Father; to him be the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” Revelation 1:5-6
Dear Jesus, You have loosened me up from every negative feeling I might have about myself because of my sins and failures. You have restored to me my own personal identity that I am part of your kingdom and royal member of your family and a priest that represents you in the world. You have made all of my Christian family and friends into the same new creation. Help me to live in the optimism that remembering I am your chosen royalty brings. Help me also to view all my fellow Christians as the same royal citizens treating them with dignity and respect. And since you rose from the dead I live in the hope that I too will beat whatever it is that threatens my life now and always. Amen.
We are members of God’s royalty with his angels as secret service protectors.
Saturday, December 28th
“May they all be one, as you, Father are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us, so that the world may know that you sent me.” John 17:21
Dear Father, Strengthen and deepen the unity of your church. Make it just like the unity that you share with your Son. I can hardly imagine how tight, deep, and synchronized the unity that you share with your Son is. How your thoughts completely align. How your beliefs and characteristics are in total synchronization. You share completely in everything-your goals, your desires, your characteristics, your motives, your works. They are all united fully. Strengthen and deepen the unity of your church. We are all unique and different, made that way by you. Yet, we are all one! By faith in you, we share a unity that goes beyond the differences and uniqueness. Remove all false doctrine and teaching from church so that we all stand together and confess the truth together. I pray, dear Father, bring the church to united confession in all that your Word clearly teaches. Give us a full and complete unity in mission too. Align your church in confession and in mission, dear Father, with your Word and your mission. Yes, Lord, strengthen and deepen the unity of your church. Make it just like the unity that you share with your Son. Amen.
Friday, December 27th
“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” 1 Peter 1:18-19
Dear Heavenly Father, What am I worth to you? What price would you pay to get me back after I had wondered away and enslaved myself to the devil? I cannot fully fathom that you, as a Father, would give your own perfect Son for a broken and self-defeated person like me. But you did. You redeemed me and now you call me your own. Forgive me for not valuing myself at times as much as you do. Forgive me for trashing and re-trashing my thoughts with negativity, criticism, envy and anger. Forgive me for being selfish and petty. Forgive me for thinking am worthless when you say I am priceless. And give me the power of your purifying grace to rise above my self-centered feelings to make others know their worth in you by the way I handle them even when they are wandering and wayward. Make me a life changer like you have been for me. I ask this all for your glory and the glory of your Son who gave it all for me. Amen.
God thinks we are worth his greatest sacrifice. So, don’t diminish the value of any human being including yourself.
Thursday, December 26th
“I am not prying that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world just as I am not of the world.” John 17:15-16
Dear Lord Jesus, I don’t belong here. It is becoming clearer and clearer to me every day. My thoughts are so different than those who still belong to this world. My priorities and goals in life are so divergent from theirs. My wants, my likes, my pursuits and my passions are all from a different place. Lord Jesus, first, I thank you that you set me apart from this world and made me an heir of eternity. Because of your grace, this is not my home; I don’t belong here. Then Lord when my thoughts, priorities and goals clash with those of the world protect me from those who would cause me harm. Protect my thinking and my wanting. Protect my planning and my pursuing. Protect my heart, Lord, because if the evil one can get my heart then he has my life. I pray, deliver me from the evil one by protecting my heart from his temptations. Keep on praying this prayer before the Father’s throne that I might be protected by your praying and your power. Amen.
Wednesday, December 25th, Christmas Day
Dear Savior Jesus Christ, On this day as we celebrate your birth we rejoice at the message the angel proclaimed, “A Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.” You came to do what we could not do for ourselves. You came to be our righteousness; keeping your Father’s commands. You came to be the One who covered our sins with holy blood shed on Calvary’s cross. This day, grateful hearts bow in humble adoration, grateful tongues rejoice and grateful eyes see that you, O Savior God, did all so one day, through faith in you, we will enjoy heaven’s glory. As the Holy Spirit has given us faith in these truths, may these truths inspire us to proclaim this life-giving and life-changing message to desperate people dead in their sins. May many more be blessed to see you, Jesus Christ, as their Savior from sin. We ask this blessing, O Savior, as we also again this Christmas Day thank you for coming to be our Savior. Amen.
Tuesday, December 24th, Christmas Eve
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for making this holy night so beautiful. The sparkling lights, the joyful carols, and the beaming faces of family and friends cheer my heart every year. With the angels I glorify you; with the shepherds I kneel and adore you. With Mary I treasure up the wonders of your birth, and all year long I will ponder such unfathomable love that made you, both the Son of God and a human child, my Savior. Amen. (From “There’s a Prayer for That.”)
Monday, December 23rd
“This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: ‘In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.” Isaiah 30:15
Dear Heavenly Father, How much energy I can spend worrying and scheming on how to control my life and get what I want! But you give me clarity here in this verse about the path to a secure future. It’s through repentance of what I am by nature and resting in your grace that erases all the guilt. It’s about silencing my self-defense and trusting that you have already fixed the problems. It’s in letting go and letting forgiveness repair every relationship and all the fallout from my life. It’s in letting myself be a child again while you do all the parenting. I want that life where I give the controls to you but I learn to be honest, humble and trusting. Give me this attitude by your Holy Spirit and make me a quiet but strong Christian. Amen.
Sometimes it’s just best to sit quietly by, admit that you are powerless to fix the big problems and leave room for God to do what he does best.
Saturday, December 21st
Maybe you remember the story of Balaam. Balaam was a seer who was hired by Balak the king of Moab to curse the people of Israel. The king of Moab was worried because Israel had come out of Egypt, and they were traveling north. They were a force to be reckoned with and the king of Moab knew that he needed all the help he could get if he was going to defeat this threat coming up through the desert, so he hired Balaam to speak a curse over the people. The king of Moab believed that Balaam’s words were more than just words. He believed that Balaam’s words had power to hurt the people of Israel. Perhaps you remember how it went though. Each time Balaam began to speak a curse against the people of Israel God made him speak blessings. The king of Moab was furious but this was Balaam’s response, (from Numbers 24:13), “Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the LORD-and I must say only what the LORD says”. All the blessings that Balaam spoke over God’s people came true. There is one that is particularly important to us during this Advent season. Balaam said, (from Numbers 24:17), “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.” Though he didn’t know it, Balaam was talking about Jesus. Jesus was the one who was coming and generations of God’s people from that time on continued to BEHOLD him by faith, seeing him over and over again in the word of God, till one day he came. Now we behold him. We behold him coming at Bethlehem in a lowly manger, to be our savior from sin and death. Like Balaam we continue to see him but not now to behold him, but not near, for Jesus is coming again.
Friday, December 20th
“I made your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love you have loved me with may be in them and I may be in them.” John 17:26
Dear Father, Your love for me is beyond all knowing and all expression and yet your Son wants me to know it better. He is the one who makes known your love for me. By his coming, his living and his dying you show me that there is nothing that you wouldn’t do for me. You deeply loved your own Son, yet you gave him up for me! Me! I can hardly believe it sometimes. That you would love me so deeply and cherish me so dearly and would give up your Son for me is hard to fathom. You loved your Son from all eternity. He was and is your dearest treasure. Fill me with a higher and fuller understanding of your love. More than that, let your love dwell in my heart and spill over into my life so that my whole life is moved by your love for me. Let your love dwell in me and move my whole life. Amen.
Thursday, December 19th
“The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.’ “John 4:9-10
Dear Jesus, That woman threw poo at you and you stayed in the conversation and loved her through it all. When you ignored the poo and reached out again boldly with your love and truth, I’m sure she could feel it. But she held to her hard hearted guns for a few more moments. Then you outlasted her and got behind the walls to rescue her lost soul. Help me to ignore the poo that people throw at me in conversations and to stick to a loving course of communication so I can reach behind their walls to either save or encourage their hearts. Help me to hang in there and not just walk away. And maybe more importantly, keep me from throwing poo at others. Instead, give me the courage to humbly accept their help even if it makes me feel a little uncomfortable. Amen.
God constantly pursues our hearts with love and truth through people. Give up the fight and embrace it.
Wednesday, December 18th
“Each one will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.” Isaiah 32:2
Dear Jesus, I love how you tell me that you will make me a shelter in the storm for other people. I am yours Lord. Lead me to the people that you want me to show this to. And make me a stream of freshwater for their soul. I will not be such a blessing if you don’t do this through me. I need your words, I need your wisdom and strength. Are you my savior and their Savior at the same time? Make this day useful and a blessing. Amen.
God loves to help others through his own people.
Tuesday, December 17th
“This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent-Jesus Christ.” John 17:3
Dear Lord Jesus, You had one thing on your heart and mind when you came to earth. You wanted us to know God, our Father. You wanted us to know you, the one sent by the Father to save the world. You wanted us to know you and your Father that we might live with you forever in all glory. Dearest Jesus, continue to reveal yourself to me in your Word that I might know you better. Continue to make my Father known to me that I might grow closer to him. Holy Spirit, keep teaching me that my eyes might be enlightened to see and know how long and wide and deep and high your love for me is, to know your power that passes all understanding, and to know your presence in any and every circumstance of life. Dearest Jesus, continue to work in me to know you and to make you known. Just as it was your mission to make your Father known, so let this be my main endeavor to make sure that people know who you are that by hearing they may believe. Work this in me, O Spirit, and keep me in this faith until my dying breath. Amen.
Monday, December 16th
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. James 3:17-18
Dear Jesus, Give me this wisdom from above. I cannot produce it on my own. Make me peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Help me see the supreme value of unity and togetherness. Produce this wisdom between others AND ME. Make it fun and peaceful for us to live and work together. I want to live in the peaceful fruit of righteousness and help others experience it too. Amen.
Godly wisdom always heals, always helps, and always unites.
Saturday, December 14th
The third candle on the banner has the word BELIEVE printed on it. This probably sounds like the most obvious one, of course we have to believe. Yet we ought not take the faith that we have for granted. Think about Mary, about to start the next phase of her life. She is betrothed to Joseph. She is about to be a wife and if God will it a mother. She likely had all these plans in her head about what life would be like. Then an angel appears to her with a very strange message. The angel tells her that even though she is a virgin, that she is going to become pregnant and give birth to the Son of God. If that happened to you, what would you think? We might think it was a very strange dream, or maybe we might wonder if there was a gas leak in the house that is making us hallucinate. Yet Mary believes the angel (Luke 1:38), “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Even though what she has just been told is impossible and ridiculous to human reason, yet Mary believes it. By his grace God overcomes her unbelief and brings her to faith. God has done the same for you. You believe that it was not just an ordinary birth in Bethlehem, but that in the manger rests true God and true man in one person. That you believe this is God’s gracious gift to you. That faith also believes that this same Jesus will come again, but not as before in humility. Instead we believe that Jesus will come again in glory with all the angels and end this world. When that day comes we believe that he will take us to be with him forever.
Friday, December 13th
“Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.” 1 Peter 2:13-16
Dear Jesus, You modeled how to submit to leaders in government and in the streets even when they are oppressive and represent causes you don’t approve. You lived for a higher mission. I want to live by your higher mission too. I realize that makes me forego my opinion about the more menial rightness or wrongness of more common things. Don’t let me become disrespectful and disobedient to officials during this pandemic just because I have a certain opinion about what they say about masks, vaccines or anything else for that matter. Help me to respect police and clerks behind city desks. I trust you to preserve my good behavior in their memory so you can remind them later that they should listen to your people because they saw my good life before them. Amen.
Don’t be tempted to think that any political cause old or new can be the mega-guide for your behavior.
Thursday, December 12th
“Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating or doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you. Leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. ‘He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.’ When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. ‘He himself bore our sins’ in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by his wounds you have been healed.’ For ‘you were like sheep going astray,’ but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.’” 1 Peter 2:18-25
Dear Jesus, From heaven you decided to come to earth and endure the most foolish and cruel hardship to buy my salvation. It never was about you. It was always about me. Give me your Spirit so I purposely follow your example when I experience hardship in my job. I will commit my life and behavior to your care. You can use my story to encourage others in the same way your life encourages me. Don’t let me fall short by whining, quitting or trying to get even. Amen.
Loving someone who has hurt you is supernatural behavior with supernatural consequences
Wednesday, December 11th
“Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,’ and ‘A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.’” 1 Peter 2:7-8
Dear Jesus, You and your love have become the rock that my life is built on. You give me stability, purposes and peace. But I know people who scorn your name, ignore your message and make fun of people like me. It’s comforting to see your apostle Peter reminding me that all this was spelled out in Scripture thousands of years ago. You are the dividing line for all social grouping. If a person is in Christ, he is my friend and family. If not, he’s not. Case closed. Help me have an open heart to those who have closed theirs to you and me. Make me comfortable being grouped with your people while being open to friendships with pagans. Amen.
The trick of living as a Christian in the world is to take punches from people ignorant of Christ while not swinging back in frustration.
Tuesday, December 10th
“Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” 1 Peter 2:1-3
Dear Jesus, Just as great food satisfies my tongue, your great words satisfy my soul. I marvel that you have chosen me of all people to understand the beautiful truths of your living word. Every time I read them, they change my thinking, repair my attitude and restore my faith. They satisfy a hunger deep within me. I see people every day that are starved for your word. They live in anger, bitterness, envy and fear. They struggle with the power of selfishness and despair. I have all those struggles too, but I have your word to combat them and to push them back out the door for my heart. Help me to crave your words so I take time to “eat” them every day. I want to live in the strength of the powerful gift you have given us. Amen.
If you are tired of mulling through your own thoughts today, get off the merry-go-round and sit quietly with God’s word and ingest the newness of life.