Prayer for the New Year
Dear Loving God,
2019 was a year. For many of us it was filled with some triumphs but many lows: jobs lost, relationships broken, dreams shattered, and the deaths of loved ones. Not to mention the numerous instances of racism, anti-Semitism, and gun and domestic violence that continue to plague the United States on a daily basis.
Many of us, God, are just tired.
We are tired of living in fear of the next mass shooting.
We are tired of being murdered because our Black and Brown skin mark us as a threat to law enforcement.
We are tired of being ridiculed and condemned to hell because we are part of the LGBTQ+ community.
We are tired of mental illnesses that plague us and our loved ones, making life appear dark and meaningless.
We are tired of death robbing us of our loved ones.
We are just tired.
For the upcoming new year, we pray for rest and strength. We pray for the rest we need to recuperate from a trying year filled with heartbreak and sorrow. We pray for your strength to help us face the challenges and obstacles that a new year will bring.
We pray for strength as we continue to advocate for justice and we fight for a more just world where poverty, violence, and oppression are eradicated.
We ask that you envelope us in your love and you help us to see the ways you work in this world even in the midst of violence and suffering.
And finally, we thank you, because despite a hard and difficult year, we survived to see another one.
Amen
Image from: goodfreephotos
