The good news of Christ
Doubt is darkness — I would walk in light —
Even the children know the blinding fright
Of blackness — But adults learn to love the shadow —
Here reign both open shame and bitterest sorrow.
To you, O Lord, the God of splendor and glory,
I turn — as face to sun, to feel your very
Presence and power — no cloud to cast a gloom
Upon you — filling even an empty tomb.
O Lord, to walk before you I’m content,
Where peace flowers along the rocky way,
Where joy descends like rain to liven the heart,
And love perfumes the air with heaven’s scent.
Let not the flesh make us, your saints, lose sight,
Keep feet from stepping aside, in mud and clay,
From us let not the Spirit’s breath depart,
Permit us to walk under your warming light.
Father, so many people groups remain to be reached. They live not only in remote corners of the earth, but near us as well, in poor ghettos and rich enclaves, behind walls of their own choosing or imposed upon them, people considered sane and others thought to be crazy, people who suffer great pain or wrongs, others who live in pleasure and luxury. Let us never refrain from speaking and from offering the salvation in Christ that we have come to know.
Let us see this day with hope and expectation. Help us hold on to faith in the flurry of activities, in the whirl of work and demands. Show us the opportunities that lie before us. Give us courage to create moments of openness by our demeanor and speech.
Make us see that in our world we deal with souls who will live forever in heaven or hell, people who were created in your image, individuals with perspectives, opinions, fears, and ambitions. Help us hear and observe to understand, that we might more effectively share the truth of the gospel.
Let the Good News be to us our life. Let us be willing to surrender all for the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us be wholly dependent upon the guidance of your Spirit. Let your love be our most precious possession. Let your presence comfort and encourage us at every step of our journey toward eternity. Amen!
Thank you, Father, for the new year,
For the old that brought us blessing,
For the friends that sharpened us,
For the family that surrounds us,
For work to give meaning,
For walking in your light,
For forgiveness for every sin,
For fellowship with the saints,
For opportunities of tomorrow,
For joy in the present,
For the lessons of the past,
For your plan before time began,
For hope of Jesus’ coming,
For strength in frequent suffering,
For power in the Spirit,
For knowledge to give us confidence,
For love that binds together,
Undying love forever.
Dear God, Creator of seasonal lights,
The Maker and Marker of human time —
We’ve limited years, our earthly lot
By land and sea and air contained.
The imagination flies beyond,
In search of your eternity;
So help us live to apprehend
The promised life we cannot see.
Father, look into my heart. You know what’s there.
You know the corners that still hide the darkness.
Sweep in with your light to cleanse and purify.
Make me pure for full possession by your Spirit.
Take full control of my being, words, and actions.
Let Jesus lead in every step along the way.
May he grow before my eyes and in the world’s sight.
Enlarge the only true hope of eternal life.
Build up our holy faith as your chosen ones.
Strengthen our hands for faithful life and service.
O Lord of earth and heaven, hear us!
Let love revive and service move us.
From quaking mountain and sea, come near us!
From grace let Satan not remove us.
Our Christ is King of kings, we praise him!
Disciples mustn’t deny or betray him.
No evil force detains or delays him!
We trust, confess and daily obey him.
Your word has life, Lord, let us read it!
Where the Holy Spirit lives, we’d know it.
Our hunger for justice, O God, come feed it!
You’re faithful and true, to the righteous show it.
There’s not a single thing that you don’t know,
But every heart is open to your eyes;
I wonder about the who and where and how,
O God, you hear the baby’s hidden cries.
In you, Almighty, there’s no place for pride,
Jehovah, Father God, you simply are,
All else is finite, subject to time and tide,
From smallest creature to the largest star.
We thank you, Lord, for love and life to share,
We seek your grace, to move beyond our plane,
To rise from earth and breathe a purer air,
Give hope to live without our tears and pain.
We trust, O God, for every promise made,
We march with certain steps, our faith is sure,
In heart, let not our final destiny fade,
But heaven’s throne increase its high allure.
See me, O Father, bowed, humble and low,
Exalt me soon to Omega — be not slow.
Take from me, O Lord, my every burden.
To you, O God, I give this day’s battle.
Let this small struggle never return to me.
To you I release it, surrendered now and forever.
Give plentiful help to meet my needs this hour:
Your hand to raise me up, your sacrifice
To pull me out of self and into grace,
Your love to stir rejoicing that shatters silence.
Your Spirit’s gift of presence, give me fully,
That I might have to freely give to others;
Among the olive trees my Lord was never alone.
And I, with him, alone will never be.
Heavenly Father, praise belongs to you, and power and glory. Thank you for this fine day. Bless us as we go about our tasks. Protect our family from harm. Forgive us our empty words and senseless acts. Make us aware of your presence.
Give us peace and cause our government officials to work for the benefit of society, providing security and justice to all. Wake people up to your commandments. Bring honesty and fairness to transactions and interactions among people. Thank you for the progress made to live in a mutually beneficial society. Let civil and friendly discourse prevail. May Christians lead the way in blessing when we are cursed.
Show us how to love our family in Christ. Help us to give them priority, even above our physical families. Make our love for them sincere, earnest and intense. Give us openness, transparency, and honesty among us. Let truth prevail, and not lying, as we put on Christ and assume your image according to true knowledge.
Give us patience. Let us learn from life’s detours. Keep us from the viper’s bite! Teach us gratitude, that we be not impoverished by our blindness. Give us new eyes in Jesus Christ.