By Becky A.2012 is gone. Past. Over.
2013 is staring me in the face. All 365 days of it.
The new year usually finds me writing down my list of "resolutions" or "goals." This year, however, I am writing down prayers instead, asking God to do things in my life and heart.
But there's something weird about this year. I am being less specific. My requests are more general. I find myself leaving the specifics to Him - for He alone knows exactly what I need. He knows me better than I know myself. He is the Giver of good gifts. He is my Abba Father. He desires to give me His best.
He WILL give me His best.
And I can never imagine how He will bring those gifts to me.
The last year and a half have been some of the most difficult months of my life, but I can look at the circumstances that made them difficult and see how they were "answers" to some specific prayers in my life. They just didn't come wrapped up like a beautiful gift ready to be opened. Some of them felt like a hand grenade.
But they were still answers to my specific prayers. And I find myself saying "thank you" to a heavenly Father who really does know, hear, care, and answer.
So as I think through what I think I see in my heart that needs to change, I am just going to ask God to do a few things. A few general things. I'll let Him decide what specifically needs to happen.
Lord, would You:
- Grow my faith. (Mark 9:24)
- Increase my hope in You. (Ps. 146:5, Psalm 147:11)
- Make my heart more quickly convicted of sin. (Ps. 34:18, Ps. 51:17, Is. 66:2)
- Show me how to love You more and love others more selflessly. (Matt. 22:37-40)
- Remind me often that though I can't always see You working, You are always doing thousands of things in my life and in the lives of those around me. (Piper)
- Open my eyes to see You in the difficult times by looking into Your Word often. (Ps. 119:18)
- May I experience and exhibit Your joy each and every day, no matter what I am facing. (Phil. 4:4)
- Make me forever grateful. (Eph. 5:20, I Thess. 5:18)
- Make me zealous to do my part in edifying the body of Christ, especially in my home church body. (Eph. 4:12-16)
Lord, bring into my life whomever You wish. May I see each one as a gift from You.
Purify my heart and life. Be gentle but thorough.
I trust You. Help me when I fail to trust You.
Thank You that YOU are the reason I can anticipate a new year with great joy and excitement. May You do a mighty work in, through, and around me.
Help me to honor You.
