Things we should pray for in 2017

“In the beginning” is the great way the first book of the Bible begins. Every year we stand at the beginning of a new year. This New Year will bring times of joy, times of celebration, times of sadness and times of mourning. It will also bring times of gain and times of loss. For some, this year will be easy financially and for others, this year will be tough financially.

Some will face tough medical issues this year and others will experience one of their healthiest years ever. For some, changes will be few, however, for others changes will be numerous whether expected or not. This, my friends is the truth of it all. It will all happen whether we expect it or not.

Sometimes when we read the Old Testament there are some things that we do not understand. Sometimes when we are reading things in the New Testament there are things we do not understand. Experiences of all kinds will come our way this year. Whether they will be good or bad at this time, we just do not know.

Living with the unknown can sometimes be scary, especially if the Lord is not in control of our lives. Let’s be honest about it; even if the Lord is in control of our lives, it can still be a little scary. However, I cannot imagine going through the unknown without God in control because things would be much worse.

Living through the unknown is possible with the Lord in control. It will not be easy, but it will be possible. Therefore, my prayer to God every day is to be with us during the year ahead, which will be a year full of unknowns.

We need to pray for the hungry that they will have food this year. We need to pray for the people who are homeless that they will have shelter this year. We need to pray daily for the people who are sick that they will have healing this year. We need to pray for the people who are jobless that they will find meaningful and fulfilling employment this year.

We need to pray for the people who are struggling with their coworkers, their neighbors, their friends and their family members so that they will find peace with one another this year.

We need to pray for people who have lost all hope that they will see the light at the end of the tunnel and have hope unlike they have had at any other time in their life this new year.

We need to pray for the aspiring writers who feel that their articles will be published this year, and we need to pray for the aspiring singers who hope to be recognized more this year.

We need to pray for our church members who need more time, energy and resources to do more of the Lord’s work this year. We need to pray for our pastors who desire to be better motivators and speakers this year.

We need to pray for ourselves that we will be better witnesses to others in all that we say and do for the Lord and others.

Please pray every day for our newly elected officials in Washington that they will do all they can to make our great nation a more Christian nation and the home of the brave and free.

We need to pray daily that God’s Holy Spirit will watch over us all, guide us all and enable us all to be all that we can be in making our life and the lives of everyone that we know better this year. Thank you, God, for a new year of beginnings and let it all begin with me.

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