A Prayer for 2020

I wish I could tell you what this next year has in store for you, but I don’t have 2020 vision…

Okay, I got that out of my system.

Happy New Year! I wish you God’s blessing, guidance, and strength for the year to come. No matter what happens, we can have confidence in knowing that God walks with us through it all. In fact, Jesus promised God’s presence to His followers before He left Earth. In Matthew 28:16-20, we read about this encounter:

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

The end of the age has not yet come, so we are left to trust that God is truly with us and that God’s love and care for us is still legitimate. This may or may not be easy depending on how 2019 went for you. I don’t claim to know what this past year was like for you, but I’m sure it was a mix of reassurance and questioning about the character of God.

Maybe you’re entering this new year with hope for new beginnings. Maybe you are dreading the change that’s about to come. Either way, as we reflect on where we’re going, I pray that we grow deeper into our trust of God, even in the unknown. The best tool we have to do this is prayer. 

It’s through prayer that we commune with God, share with Him, and open ourselves up to listen to what He would have to say to us. It’s through prayer that we discern God’s will for our time, and prayer is the avenue through which we can share our deepest longings, disappointments, and frustrations. Jesus not only taught His disciples how to pray, but tells us to pray in all situations.

I offer up this prayer as we take on another year, full of excitement, faith, hope, but maybe some hesitation and fear as well. May Christ be your light in 2020.

Dear Creator God,

You the creator and sustainer of all things. You hold each day in Your hand - past, present, and future. Before the world began, You knew 2020 would come. This year and what will happen in it is no surprise to You for You are in control. You are more beautiful, powerful, and loving than anything that lies before us, and we thank You that You have adopted us into Your family as Your children.

Thank You for 2019. Thank You for Your protection, provision, guidance, grace, mercy, and peace. Thank You for the moments of laughter, joy, freedom, and creativity that have made this past year one to remember. Thank You for new experiences, new life, and new opportunities. Thank You for stories of redemption, reconciliation, and renewal, even as we have experienced these things in our own lives.

Yet You also know that 2019 has also been full of suffering, pain, and death. You know the state of our world and the condition of our hearts. We lament the state of Your creation and the divisions that lie between us. We struggle with the many fragmentations of Your Body, the Church. We don’t always know how to deal with polarization and we often forget who our neighbours really are.

As we enter 2020, we know that we need You. Only You have proven Your power over evil and death. Only You are perfectly holy. Only You have the power to transform us to reflect Your likeness. Only You have been willing to go to the most extreme measures to save us and give us new life. Without a doubt, we need You.

May Your Spirit give us life, hope, joy, peace, and love in 2020, no matter what obstacles stand in our way, or in the ways of our families, churches, or communities. May You give us the strength and guidance we need to push forward in truth. Please give us the energy, resilience, and commitment to make a difference in a culture that keeps pushing you away. Give us the freedom to dream again and to find new and creative ways to show people who You really are.

May your spirit give us patience, gentleness, and rest in 2020. Help us to see each other as beloved beings created in Your image. May we see our harshest enemies as people who, like us, need Your grace and mercy. Whether they are our family, neighbours, co-workers, celebrities, or political leaders, give us the compassion and fortitude we need to choose peace over violence, justice over revenge, and love over hate.

We commit this new year to You, knowing that as always, we rely on You for everything. Please make Your kingdom come on this earth as well as in our hearts. Use us as Your instruments of light and hope. Transform us evermore into Your image. Fill our lives with joy, hope, rest, and peace. 

Dear God, our rock and our redeemer, walk with us in 2020. And may all glory and honour go to You, God over all.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen.