A NEW YEAR'S EVE PRAYER

To all of you who click on this page regularly, once in a while, or even just for the first time today, I want you to know that I pray for you all the time.

I pray for you to be deeply encouraged, I pray that you will grow closer to Jesus, and I pray that you will invite Him in to all the things that are going on in your life.

And I thank Him for you. I’m so thankful for your friendship, your comments, your prayers, your excitement about the book. Thank you for opening your hearts to think about words and Jesus with me.

Here’s a short and sweet prayer for you as we begin a new year…

Dear Jesus,

You are so, so good to us.

Thank you for giving us your words to help us understand your grace and truth.

Thank you for caring about every detail of our lives.

Thank you for hearing our hearts whenever we pray or cry or write or sing to you.

For my friends who are hurting, worried, sick, or overwhelmed– I pray that you will be closer than ever to them in this new year. Lift their fear and discouragement and surround them with your love and peace.

For my friends who are questioning and wondering about you– I pray that you will make yourself real to them in the unique and thoughtful ways that only you can. Surprise them with your friendship, Jesus.

For my friends who are in need of direction and clarity– I pray that your truth and light will guide every step they take. Please take their hands and clearly lead them in your direction…

And Jesus, thank you for the gift of sharing life with these beautiful people. Thank you for connecting us with your love and for helping us to grow and encourage each other. Please hold us close and keep showing us more of you. We look forward to all that you have for us in 2019! Amen.

“What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven–and the future starts now!

God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all–life healed and whole.

I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime.

Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it’s your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory.

You never saw him, yet you love him. You still don’t see him, yet you trust him–with laughter and singing.

Because you kept on believing, you’ll get what you’re looking forward to:

total salvation.” 

1 Peter 1: 3-9 MSG