1/28/24 Prayer

Dear Gracious and Heavenly Father, 
Today we pause for a moment. We take a big deep breath. We breathe in. 1-2-3. We breathe out. 1-2-3. We take a moment to remind ourselves that we belong to you. We remember that following you does not mean a life without pain, but it lets you into the pain with us. We know that in all the hard that comes with living, we are not alone. So today we choose to let you in. We let you into our hurt. We let you in to do the work that only our Creator can do. We make a conscious choice to stop doing it on our own. We recognize a life without letting you in is impossible. We choose you Jesus. Thank you for coming into our story to do life with us. You did not promise a life without suffering. You promised a life of getting us through the suffering, Thank you. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.

Jailyn Mabe

1/27/24 Prayer

God of heaven and earth, our Creator and Sustainer, we come with worship and praise for you in our hearts. We declare your goodness and your faithfulness. We recognize that without you we are nothing.

Forgive us where we have failed you and where we have not loved our neighbor. Forgive us when we are not faithful to you and when we rely on our own strengths or put our hope in things of this world. We seek your forgiveness for the things we have done that are wrong as well as for the things we did not do that are right.  Thank you, God, for your grace and mercy. Help us to offer that same grace and mercy for others who have wronged us.

Thank you for loving me. Thank you for the blessings you have given to us and for the blessings you have planned for us.  You are a good and wonderful God. You deserve all praise.

We know you are always with us, and we are grateful. May we feel your presence in our life. When the days are stressful and we are anxious; when the days ahead seem difficult and overwhelming; remind us that you are there beside us and we have your strength to carry our burdens.  When the days are full of happiness and when we feel satisfied and content, may we remember that all good things come from you and may we praise you and give you the glory.

Lead us down the paths that bring us closer to you. May we choose your way and not our own. 

Watch over us and protect us from danger.

We pray in the name of Jesus.

Amen.

Mike Clements

1/26/24 Prayer

Lord Jesus, I thank you especially for all the wonderful, beautiful, loving Christian people you have placed in my life. The ones who have held me when I’ve been broken and not judged me when I‘ve gone astray but lovingly brought me back to the fold. The ones who have taught me and shown me what it means to be a Christian. 

Lord, I pray that you will make me more like you every day that I live and that I will accomplish all that you created me to do before I’m called home to be with you. Thank you for forgiving me for all my shortcomings and help me to be a testimony of your goodness and grace to everyone I meet. Please forgive me when I fall short of this. 

I pray for all the people in this world who don’t know you, Jesus, especially the ones in my own family. I pray that they and all the loved ones of my fellow Christians will come to know you, Lord. I know I’m not responsible for their decision but I feel like I should have done more in the past and be doing more in the present to reach them. Please guide me in this. 

There are many things on my heart today but these are at the top of my list. Thank you so much for listening to me, for loving me, and for choosing me as one of your own. I will be eternally grateful my precious Lord and savior!

In Jesus name, I pray,

Ginger Bailey

1/25/24 Prayer

Lord, change is hard. It scares us and we do not like it. Please forgive us for our limited views and our fear of what we cannot control. We come to you trembling, yet we are here. We beg you to meet us in the midst of our trembling and give us a new view, a holy view of change. Please use that which scares us to transform our hearts as well as the hearts of others. Redeem the messiness and fears and proclaim your love, grace, and mercy through us. Birth a healthy, holy, God-centered attitude about change in each of us and use this new holy attitude to propel and carry us forward as we run the race you’ve set before us.

Amen.

Andrea Perdue

1/24/24 Prayer

Assurance (A Prayer)

Jesus help me to love others today
because I have the assurance that you love me
Help me meet the needs of others today
because I have the assurance that You will meet all of my needs
Help me to be generous today 
because I have the assurance that you will provide everything I need to be generous
Help me protect others today
because I have the assurance of your protection
Help me work on my imperfections today
because I have the assurance of your perfection
Help me to resist sin today
because I have the assurance that you completely resisted sin
Help me to forgive today 
because I have the assurance that you have forgiven me
Help me love others today
because I have the assurance that you love me.
Amen. 

Kurt Cooper

1/23/24 Prayer

1/23/24

“but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40: 31

Heavenly protector,

At the start of a new year, all things seem possible as we are renewed from the celebration of your birth. Allow us to soar as we navigate all that 2024 is destined to bring, both joyful and daunting, knowing that you are our strength. With you, we will never want nor tire in the journey.  Your love will sustain us, when we celebrate it and even when we doubt it.

We pray to you, our father above.

Amen.

Julia Saddington

1/22/24 Prayer

Lord, lead me in my life. I think I know what’s best, but the true reality is that You have the best vantage point. I only see this point in time and a sliver of my life. You see my whole life and how it fits in with the ones I love and with whom I interact. You want good for me, and for my life to be glorifying to You. I want that too, though sometimes I just want good for me. You know that and You love me despite my selfish desire. Holy Spirit please work in me, and bring my desires to be in line with Yours. Help me because I can’t do this on my own. And thank you for being with me and loving me just as I am!

Amen.

Patty Covington

1/21/24 Prayer

Loving Father, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, I adore you and worship you. How I long to be in your presence. I confess I have not always followed your will for me. But I am thankful that you have seen fit to forgive me through Jesus. Thank you for all the goodness you have brought me and continue to pour out on me. I won’t deny there have been trials in the past year where I’ve had to throw myself on you to get me through them. I am so grateful for your faithfulness. And there have been times when through my own carelessness and forgetfulness, I have messed up. You have always been there to bail me out. I pray that your church all over the world will hold fast to its faithfulness to you this new year even if there are times that seem troubling and confusing. I pray for those in my circle of relationships. For those whose names are written in your book of life, increase their ability to see things through your eyes, clamping down on any biases or prejudging of people or their circumstances. Help them to meet the needs they encounter with a God kind of love and acceptance. For those who do not yet know you, I pray for their spiritual eyes to be opened. Help them to realize that science and technology are not anti-faith but are tools and gifts from you. Help them to recognize who you are and in seeing, believe on your name and be saved for eternity with you. Lord, be my strength as I go into this new year. Show me where I can serve you best. You know my limitations, yet I always want to please you.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Faye Hoover

1/20/24 Prayer

Precious Father….

How quickly the years have flown by…one year morphing into another, seemingly in the blink of an eye, yet I know that YOU have been leading me step-by-step through each and every day. We’ve walked hand-in-hand along this sometimes-tedious life-path, together. Surely, You demonstrate Your complete and holy love for me… for All of us … every single day. Open our eyes, Lord, so we may clearly see and experience the Wonders and Joy of this amazing world and life that You have created… just for us! For your goodness and mercy, Father, I give you my thanks … what a completely inadequate word that is… Better, I give you my life, my heart and soul! Open my heart to receive Your blessings! Blanket us all with your unconditional love and grace… forever and always! I don’t want to live a day without You! Father, please continue to guide and direct me along this life-path. Please pick me up when I stumble and fall… and when I cause your eyes to water in disappointment because of wrongful thoughts, words, or actions, I ask for your forgiveness, guidance and deliverance from those earthly temptations. I give you All glory and praise for your Redemptive Salvation, Lord! No matter what happens now and forward, it gives me great comfort to know You are here with me always… leading, watching, nudging, and encouraging me. You are my Heart and I love You! Truly, I anticipate the years ahead… continually holding your hand, Father. Come what may in 2024 and beyond…… You are and always will be My God and I am and forever will be your child! In Jesus’ name I pray………Amen.

Joan Bowers

1/19/24 Prayer

Loving Creator,

As I enter a new year, I offer my gratitude for the journey behind and the possibilities ahead. Grant me the clarity to see the beauty in each moment and the strength to face the challenges with resilience. Guide me in the pursuit of purpose and passion. May this year be a canvas where I paint my aspirations, dreams, and contributions to the world. Help me navigate the uncertainties with courage and trust, knowing that you hold the map to my destiny. During transitions and new beginnings, let your light illuminate my path. Bless my endeavors with creativity, perseverance, and an unwavering faith that, in your hands, my potential is limitless. Surround me with relationships that inspire, uplift, and encourage growth. May I be a source of kindness, empathy, and understanding in the lives of those around me, creating connections that foster love and unity. In moments of solitude, grant me the wisdom to listen to the whispers of my heart and the guidance of your Spirit. May I carry the hope that springs eternal, trusting in your promise of a future filled with purpose and grace. With hopeful anticipation, I surrender the coming days into your hands, O God, confident that with you, each step forward is a step toward a brighter, fulfilling future. 

Amen.

Brian Spittle

1/18/24 Prayer

Holy God, Father, Creator, The Great I Am,

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for who you are and for what you mean to me. Thank you for guiding me, protecting me, pursuing me, holding me in hard times, for always being just what I need.  I am sorry that I don’t always seek you first Father, in the good times or hard times. I am sorry that I don’t talk to you every day, I am sorry that I don’t always make our relationship the priority it needs to be. I am sorry that I get caught up more in the ways of this world than I do in seeking after you. Father, you are so good and I ask you to help me fully trust in you, to trust that you may have my best in mind, even if I can’t see the next step. Father, I ask for your blessing upon my church family. I ask for us to seek you more Father in everything we do. I pray for our generosity, stewardship, and discipleship. Father, I pray that you bring new people into our church family, I pray that you protect those already here Father, and most of all I pray for your will to be done for our church. Father, 2024 may be a difficult year in the United Methodist Church, but for any conversations that are to be had, Father, I ask that you be right in the middle of all of them and let us only seek after your will. Father, I pray for our physical and mental health, knowing that there will be pain, illness, strife, and hard days, Father, but I ask for your healing powers and again for your will to be done. Father, let me remember how good you have been to me, so when the hard days come, fear will not rule me Father, but my faith in you will. I love you Lord, and I thank you for loving me. 

Amen.

Jason Mabe

1/17/24 Prayer

God of creation, we come to you this day, in awe of your amazing masterpiece! You created the heavens and earth with just a brushstroke. The vibrant colors twinkle across the sky and smile in the form of a rainbow. The sun and moon await your nod to carry out your grace and glory. The hummingbirds sing of your melody and delight in the dew of the morning that you provided. The rushing river dances out to sea as if being chased by a child who is eager to catch it. We joyfully lift our voices of praise to you, and rejoice in the abundance that you have provided!!

Amen.

Lori Epps

1/16/24 Prayer

Whenever I look back on the path my life has taken this is the prayer that most often comes from my heart.  I hope these simple words resonate with you. 

Dear Father God, thank you for this day. Thank you for the people you have placed in my life and those that I will encounter today.  Grant me the strength and wisdom to be of service and to spread peace where there is strife. Amen.

Eileen Cerny

1/15/24 Prayer

Lord God,

Thank you for who you are, Immanuel God with us! Thank you that you are our Wonderful Counselor, our Prince of Peace, the Lover of our souls. Thank you for your Holy Spirit! We need you so - please help!  Lord, there are so many times that we have failed and sinned against you by the things that we did, said, or thought or by the things that we left undone or unsaid. Please forgive us and fill us with your Holy Spirit. Help us live for you, experiencing the goodness that you have for us, fully alive to give, flowing over into the darkness around us. May we hear the cries of the oppressed, not to weigh us down but to move us into action that will reduce the unjust economic, social, and political systems. May we build healthy families and live responsibly. Where there is a need that is pulling on our hearts, give us vision to move.  May we never resist the pull of your love and do whatever you tell us to do, trusting in your sovereignty, your protection, your provision in your loving presence, shining your Love Light bringing Hope to the world around us. We need you, we want you more and more! They need you, please help! In Christ Jesus' all-powerful name, Amen. 

Lindy Bettis

1/14/24 Prayer

Heavenly Father,

We love you more than words can express. We love you, not just for what you’ve done, but for who you are. We love you for being a good and gracious Father, whose faithfulness and steadfast love have kept us through the years. We thank you for your son Jesus Christ, who came into the world not for judgment, but for salvation. We thank you for the sacrificial act of love that was the death on the cross that redeemed us while we were still in sin. We thank you for your Holy Spirit, the same spirit which raised Jesus from the grave and lives within us. We thank you for this Holy Spirit, which moves in our lives and keeps us in perpetual remembrance of the truth of Christ. As we move into the rest of our lives, Lord God, may we do so with a constant reminder of that truth; that it was for love that the Word came to dwell among us. Open our eyes to the resurrection reality, where we have been raised to life and made new creations. Thank you for waking all the sleepers from the grave, calling us forth into the new day, where we bask in the light of Christ Jesus! Make us aware of the movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Lord God, empty us of everything that would keep us from you. We offer ourselves as a holy and living sacrifice, an earthen vessel, completely poured out, ready and willing to receive all you have to give! What a gift it is to know that we can always run to the fountain that never runs dry! That fountain of Living Water, where we can come and be filled to overflowing. So we ask that you fill us, Lord God. May we run over like a bubbling spring until we pour out on everyone around us! May we pour out peace indescribable, joy unspeakable, and love untamable.Continue to teach us your ways, revealing more and more of who you are. Do this so that we might know it is through our faith in Christ Jesus, we have a bold and confident access to God! Teach us to walk like Jesus and perform good works in his name. Let our good works and faithfulness shine like a light in the dark, showing the world the goodness of the Father! We desire to constantly be in pursuit of you. Give us the courage and endurance to follow wherever you lead us. May each breath we take be a reminder of your closeness and the intimate nature of our life with you. For it is in you that we live, move, and have our being! May all these things serve to make us more like you! We ask all these things in the name of The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Scriptures to reflect upon, that inspired this prayer: 

• Ephesians 3:1-13

• Ephesians 5:14

• Romans 12:1-2

• Acts 17: 22-31

• 1 Corinthians 2:6-16

• 2 Corinthians 3:7-18

• John 4: 13-14

• Matthew 5:13-16

Mansoor Yagoub

1/13/24 Prayer

Dear Father,

The world says it is all about what possessions I can accumulate and the power to determine my own destiny. I know that I have the option of following the world’s ways, but I also have the option of following your truth.  All that I have has come from you, and I thank you. Help me to find contentment in simplicity and happiness in generosity. Help me to find real security in knowing you will provide for my every need. Father, let me be deaf to the voice of this world and in tune with your will.

In Christ I ask this.

Amen.

Fred Hicks

1/12/24 Prayer

Dear Lord,

We thank you for all that you have done through the years at New Life. We praise you for the pastors and staff members who have led us. We pray your blessings on them wherever they are now. 

Bless our current pastor and staff with the depth of unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 

We lift this new season of life together to you and ask for your power and presence to be with us all bringing us into a deeper and stronger relationship with you.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Martha Orcutt

1/11/24 Prayer

GOOD, GOOD FATHER, I LIFT MY HANDS TO YOU because I was MADE TO WORSHIP! HOW CAN I KEEP FROM SINGING? You bring so much JOY TO THE WORLD, UNSPEAKABLE JOY!! YOU ARE GOD OF THIS CITY and I WILL FOLLOW YOU and REJOICE all the days of my life. PRAISE THE FATHER, PRAISE THE SON, for NOBODY LOVES ME LIKE YOU DO. 

JESUS MESSIAH, I LOVE your RESURRECTION POWER it washes over me like a WATERFALL. When WE FALL DOWN, WHOM SHALL I FEAR, because with you I WILL RISE. HOLY IS THE LORD, Oh HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD!! OUR GOD is an awesome, loving and merciful God! That is WHO YOU ARE TO ME! FAITHFUL, in your UNFAILING LOVE. 

From the first NOEL in a lowly manger to the BURNING LIGHTS of the star that shined so bright to announce your arrival, we give thanks for your entrance into our world & hearts! And AT THE CROSS, you showed us that JESUS LOVES ME by taking on the sins of the world & bearing that weight for us. We CROWN HIM with all praise, honor, and glory!! 

Amen & Amen.

Lori Epps (Prayers from Chris Tomlin’s songs)

1/10/24 Prayer

Dear Lord, 

I pray that all who enter the doors of New Life Church will see Jesus in each person they encounter, that they will be filled with the love, peace, and joy that only You can bring, and that every one of them will open their hearts up to the love that God has for them in Jesus Christ. 

I ask that You protect all of the members of our community of faith from ungodly influences in their lives, and when faced with trials, You give them the strength to remain steadfast and trust You in all circumstances. 

Fill us with a renewed love for You, a desire to read and study your Word, the humility to serve with grace, and most of all, to remember to give You all the glory in everything we do.

Psalm 5:11; Isaiah 40:31; John 15:5; Philippians 4:7

Amen.

Rhonda Cafazza

1/9/24 Prayer

“O Lord, let my soul rise up to meet you as the day rises to meet the sun. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.” From ‘Common Prayer- A Liturgy For Ordinary Radicals’

Heavenly Father, 

I thank you for the gift of this day. No day is a given nor is it owed to us, so I will do my best to make my day a reflection of your love. Walk with me and guide me whether this day is a good one or a difficult one. Help me to see joy in your simple gifts, compassion for those who hurt, and patience for trying times. Use me to be the hands and feet of Jesus if that is your desire.

Father, I love you and want to be the person you created me to be. Amen.

Zona Hicks