PRAYER FOR 2014

Heavenly Father there are many voices (from the media, to economists, to ministers, and more) telling me what will happen to me in 2014, but I belong to You and I choose to cover this year in prayer. My life and my times are in Your hands. You are all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving, and You have chosen me; so I choose to trust and follow You. May my life bring You glory this year. Lord help me be a witness that draws others closer to You. Let my life abound with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I ask for a closer relationship with You this year; and for greater discernment and clarity in recognizing Your voice and Your will. Help me spend more quality time with You and truly enJOY Our relationship.

Father I enter this year full of hopes, dreams, and desires, but I submit them all to Your perfect will. Help me stay open to Your possibilities. I want to keep the faith, but I don’t want to be like the Israelites who didn’t recognize the Messiah they were waiting for because He didn’t come the way they expected. Help me to not be presumptuous about what You are doing or how You are doing it or when You will do it. I will not make demands about when You bless me. I will ask and I will trust You. I ask for confirmation during times of doubt; for You are not the author of confusion.

Lord help me recover from setbacks quickly. You warned me that in the world I would have trouble; but You assured me all things work together for my good when I love You and am called according to Your purpose. Help me learn something from every mistake, every mishap, and every experience. Help me shake off every negative thing and focus on what is lovely, true, good, and worthy of praise.

Father I ask that You bless my family, my relationships, my health, my finances, my nation and everything that concerns me. I know that it is Your good pleasure to protect me, to provide for me, and to bless me, so I will not become anxious. I cover every area of my life with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. I thank You for everything You give me; whether it’s a lesson or a blessing. You are good and Your gifts are good. May this be a year of great gratitude. Make me a prisoner of hope this year. Help me embrace each day with hope, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I thank You for everything You’ve brought me through so far, and I look forward to all that You have in store for me. In Jesus' name.

Amen!

Now Jesus returns to prayer, an important and sometimes difficult topic. Here He gives the very essence of prayer.

⁷ Just ask and it will be given to you; seek after it and you will find. Continue to knock and the door will be opened for you. ⁸ All who ask receive. Those who seek, find what they seek. And he who knocks, will have the door opened.

⁹ Think of it this way: if your son asked you for bread, would you give him a stone? Of course not—you would give him a loaf of bread. ¹⁰ If your son asked for a fish, would you give him a snake? No, to be sure, you would give him a fish—the best fish you could find. ¹¹ So if you, who are sinful, know how to give your children good gifts, how much more so does your Father in heaven, who is perfect, know how to give great gifts to His children! ¹² This is what our Scriptures come to teach: in everything, in every circumstance, do to others as you would have them do to you.

Matthew 7:7-12 The Voice