It seems impossible that another year has passed. Where did it go? It seems like it was just yesterday that we were celebrating 2017 and now here we are looking toward 2018. As I reflect on the last year, I wonder if I made God proud of me or if I disappointed Him. I wonder how many opportunities I missed that He gave to me. I wonder how many lives I touched over the last 365 days. Did I make a difference for Him in this fallen world? Did His light shine through me in a way that made people see Him? Oh how I pray I made a positive difference in people's lives. I pray people saw Him through me. I pray He shined brightly through my words, actions and attitude throughout 2017. Most importantly I pray people will see Him through me more in 2018 than ever before. I pray for more opportunities to share Him. I also pray for more of Him to fill me to overflowing so people will have no doubt who He is to me. I pray for more wisdom in 2018 so the decisions I make will reflect Him. I pray for more of His love to ooze out of me so people will not even begin to question my Christianity. I pray for more of His strength to get through tough days and more of Him empowerment to be mine. When situations arise with people who are not living for Him, I pray He will give me His words to speak to open their eyes. I pray 2018 will be a year of healing in not only my physical body but most importantly my spiritual body. There are some areas that have been compromised through dealing with difficult people and situations. I pray they will be restored. I pray 2018 will be a year of abundance in my spiritual life which will flow over into other people's lives. I also pray it will be a year of great wisdom gained through my studies of His Word. Psalm 90 ends with a verse that I pray over 2018. I love the way Matthew Henry describes this verse. He writes, "Let us pray that the work of the Holy Spirit may appear in converting our hearts, and that the beauty of Holiness may be seen in our conduct." Yes! I pray for "the beauty of holiness" to be seen through all we do and say.
Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the blessings of 2017. Thank You for the blessings ahead in 2018. I pray for Your empowerment over everything we do in this new year. I pray for Your wisdom to direct us so that Your love will flow through us in a different, new way. Lord, cleanse us of anything not of You so You can be greater in us. I pray for lives to be changed through the way You work in and through us. Not just in the lives of others but most importantly our lives. Open doors that need opened and shut doors that need shut so You can use us mightily. Empower us to knock down the devil when he comes knocking at our door. Thank You Jesus for being Our Beauty. Amen.
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