A Prayer for 2022

Sweet, precious Lord,

Praying can feel hopeless when you're disillusioned, and so many of us are. We are tired, sad, confused, and lost. We are hungry for lasting change, for progress, for healing. The last two years have been so many things except easy. So we've come to You a little battered, a little bruised, a little broken. We've come to You clinging to you, our last thread of hope, believing that You will still deliver on Your promises -- promises for restoration, renewal, new mercies, and grace.

God, we come to you asking that you instill in us a sense of peace. Remind us that our struggles here are temporary, but Your kingdom is eternal. Remind us that the gospel is rooted in grace, not accomplishments. Remind us that our worth is not dependent on social standing, obedience, perfection, or power. Remind us that, in the words of our brother DL Moody, the bible was not given to us to increase our knowledge, but to change our lives.

May we fix our eyes on things above, keeping our faces toward turns the sun as we remain steadfast in the hope of our ancestors. May every stumble we make become a part of the dance. May we accept love only when it is accompanied by truth. May we be ambassadors for our true Home, remembering our calling as a people in-the-world-but-not-from-it.

Let us stay connected to the present moment -- take away the desire within us to scroll mindlessly through our social media feeds, comparing our lives to others. Take away the pressure to keep up with Joneses. Take away the fear that we are not good enough, that we are missing out, that we don't matter unless everyone else thinks we're successful. Replace these things with the truth of You and You alone. And Lord, if we need to change our lives, dismantle toxic behavior, and get rid of dangerous addictions or habits, help us to be brave enough to do so.

You have always been enough, and will always be enough. You call us chosen, beloved, worthy, and capable. You know every hair of our heads, and You declare over us that we are not mistakes, we are not accidents, we are Yours.

Fortify us with Your spirit, Abba, that we may be lighting campfires along this dark stretch, showing other people the way towards Freedom found in You.

Amen.