30. December 2011 by BruceSmith.

A New Year’s Prayer

Father, as we look back we give thanks for all you did in us, with us, through us, and for us.  As we look forward we pray that you might be glorified in ways we have not yet dreamed of as we walk in stride with you.  For the failures of the past we ask your grace, forgiveness, and renewal.  For the victories, we give you praise and thanks.

We are thankful for those moments with friends, family, and others where you were present and extended to us sweetness beyond measure.  As we wrap up the holiday season, help us to remember that the next year should be lived in the spirit of those moments of praise, tenderness, togetherness, and grace we just experienced.  May the holidays become for us, preparation for how we ought to live throughout the year.

Many of us step into the new year with enormous challenge and uncertainty about what awaits us.  God, we pray that you would be strong where we are weak, true where we are false, and faithful where we fail.  Some of us need new adventures.  Some of us need renewed courage.  Many of us need deeper passion for the things of God.  Make us new where we walk in the old ways, and revive the dreams you once kindled in our hearts, we pray.  Help us to walk in wisdom in every moment ahead of us this year.

Lord, we pray that whatever the year ahead holds for us that in the end YOU will be the one people see in our story.  As a new page turns, and as new plot twists enter our lives, our longing is that Christ be front and center on the page.  May our story, this year, point to your story.  In our work, our ministry, our play, may there be a different quality about our lives that causes people to be drawn to you.  May we ask the right questions this year, pursue the right relationships, react the right way, tell the right stories, pursue the right things, and give ourselves to that which is admirable, enlarges our hearts, strengthens our families, and contributes to the world in bigger ways than ever before.

We set aside the brokenness of false ideas, desires, and quests, and we open ourselves to goodness, Godly ambition, and God-sized efforts.  May we give more, love more, serve more, encourage more, lead more, bless more, hope more, and experience more of you.  Comfort those who have experienced great loss this year, lead them to great gains in you in the year ahead.  For those who walk through deep valleys in the year ahead, give them a deeper sense of your presence and strength.  Make them formidable bulwarks of faith amidst the fight.  

God, we are thankful that you are God of the new.  We are thankful that you make all things new in us, as we come to you, and walk in the confidence that in all things you are working your good plan in us and for us.  May that reality envelope us in the year ahead.  Thank You for surprising us with miracles we did not expect.  Thank You for keeping us when we thought we would not make it through another challenge.  Thank You for being God for us.  Thank You that your love is unchanging and unfailing, unlike us.  Thank You for people around us who show us your character and go the extra mile for us.  

We step into the new year, oh Lord, hungering for more of you.  We pray that when we look back on the year ahead we will remember, again, how marvelous you are.

Amen.

Bruce Lee Smith

Author, Life in 3D!

www.bruceleesmith.co

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21. December 2011 by BruceSmith.

Merry Christmas, friends!

I hope and pray you take in the fullness of the season, embrace the majesty of God’s grace extended to us, and enjoy time with family and loved ones.  You can still get my new book, Life in 3D!, delivered in time by going to amazon.com where you can purchase the book in paperback and kindle format!  Get a bunch for anyone you know who may be looking for the bigger, more heroic life we were created to live.

Lastly, you can now follow me on twitter, @bruceleesmith3d

MERRY CHRISTMAS, and I pray 2012 is your best yet,

Bruce Smith

www.bruceleesmith.co

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