By Joseph Ametepe
Good and Gracious Father, we rejoice and revel in Your goodness and grace toward us. For by them, You, O LORD, have given us the wonderful privilege of entering the NEW YEAR of 2024! You are deserving of all praise and thanks for caring for us all throughout the year 2023. Not only that, You carried us, just as a man carries his son, in all the way in which we have walked until we came to this place (see Deuteronomy 1:31). Yes, we owe You a debt of gratitude for Your goodness and grace that abounded toward us in the past year.
Your goodness and grace were demonstrated toward us
Indeed, in the past year till today, Your goodness and grace were demonstrated toward us in pardoning our many sins. For, “If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared” (Psalm 130:3-4; NASB). O Lord, Your goodness and grace were also displayed in our lives, in providing for all our needs. Of a truth, You have demonstrated Yourself to us as “YAHWEH YIREH” (THE LORD WILL PROVIDE).
Your Word promises us
Moreover, Good and Gracious Father, Your goodness and grace toward us were shown in protecting us from all evil. Your word promises us: “The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul” (Psalm 121:7; NASB). In the past year, You protected us not only “from all evil,” but also from “the evil one.” O Lord, how can we thank You for all Your goodness and grace toward us?
We render our gratitude to You
Like the psalmist of old, we render our gratitude to You for all Your benefits and blessings and bounties toward us. “What shall I render to the LORD for all His benefits toward me? I shall lift up the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the LORD” (Psalm 116:12-13; NASB). This very day, we also lift up our cup of salvation and call upon Your name.
O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth
Indeed, “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:1a). Surely, Your goodness and mercy have followed us all the days of our lives (see Psalm 23:6) in 2023. And today, they are pursuing us and will pursue us throughout the NEW YEAR of 2024! We can testify to Your glory and honor that Your goodness was great toward us in 2023. And it will be great toward us in the NEW YEAR of 2024. For Your word declares: “How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You, which You have wrought to those who take refuge in You, before the sons of men” (Psalm 31:19; NASB).
Your grace abounded toward us in the past year
Similarly, Gracious Father, Your grace abounded toward us in the past year. Because You showed us Your favor and compassion again and again. Not only that, You strengthened us and sustained us throughout the tough times of the year. Moreover, You sought Your very best for us like a loving father would do for his children.
Indeed, You will not abandon Your work in our lives
We are confident that just as Your goodness and grace abounded toward us in 2023, so they will in 2024. For You are committed to fulfilling Your purposes concerning our lives. Indeed, You will not abandon Your work in our lives in the midst of the years. Certainly, what You commence, You continue and complete it. This is affirmed in Your word. “I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).
You complete what You commence
Because You complete what You commence in our lives, we commit our cause in the NEW YEAR of 2024 to You. We cast ourselves upon Your mercies that never cease and Your compassions that never fail (see Lamentations 3:22). We choose to look to You alone to lead and guide us in the NEW YEAR of 2024. For Your word assures us that You will lead us in Your truth (see Psalm 25:5). It also affirms that the Lord will continually guide us (see Isaiah 58:11).
You are committed to leading and guiding us
Good and Gracious Father, since You are committed to leading and guiding us, we dedicate the NEW YEAR of 2024 to You. Please, mercifully and miraculously accomplish what concerns our families, friends and fellow-believers, and us. Also, “O Lord, the God of Israel” (1 Kings 8:23), be pleased to carry out all that concerns the nation of Israel – Your chosen and cherished people. As well, Lord and Lover of the Church, perform Your ordained purposes for Your Church – Your called-out and consecrated people. Also, “God of all the earth” (Isaiah 54:5), establish what concerns Your world. Made up of all the countries and coastlands You created under the heavens.
O Lord, You know all things
O Lord, You know all things. You know the end of the NEW YEAR of 2024 from its beginning. Nothing that happens in it will be a surprise to You. In fact, all that will occur in it will pass through Your hands. We confess that we know very little of what is ahead of us in the NEW YEAR of 2024. Will the Russian-Ukraine continue and intensify? What about the Israel-Hamas war? Will it also rage on? Will persecution of Your Church spread to more countries? Also, will the Church experience a great awakening in the NEW YEAR of 2024? What about the world’s economy? Will it flourish or falter in the NEW YEAR of 2024?
O Father, You alone has a perfect answer to these questions
O Father, You alone has a perfect answer to each of these questions. For You are a God of infinite knowledge and understanding. As the sweet psalmist of Israel, David, affirmed, so we also affirm today: “O LORD, You know it all” (Psalm 139:4b). Indeed, Your knowledge of it all, is a comfort to us. It puts our hearts at rest. It also sustains and strengthens our trust in You. Because we know that You will do what’s good concerning us even though we know very little of what lies ahead.
We know very little of what lies ahead of us
Indeed, though we know very little of what lies ahead of us, it’s our desire that You revive Your Church. Therefore, we earnestly beseech You. “Will You not Yourself revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?” (Psalm 85:6). It’s also our yearning that You restore Your Church. As such, we call upon You. “Restore us, O God of our salvation” (Psalm 85:4a). “Restore us to You, O LORD, that we may be restored” (Lamentations 5:21a).
It's our longing for You to renew Your Church
Furthermore, it’s our longing for You to renew Your Church. Therefore, we fervently plead with You. “Renew our days as of old” (Lamentations 5:21b). Above all, Your supreme goal for genuine born-again believers is for them to be conformed into Christlikeness. Therefore, we pray: Rest not in Your gracious and glorious work of conforming us into the image of Your Son (see Romans 8:29)!
Good and Gracious Father,...Your heart is a missionary heart
Good and Gracious Father, since Your heart is a missionary heart, we cry out to You. Please raise up believers in the NEW YEAR of 2024 who will be committed to sharing and spreading the good news! Release them from all the fears that hinder them from speaking of Christ! Remove all the obstacles in their paths of making Christ known in such a time as this! Rescue them from all the schemes and snares of the enemy as they advance the cause of Christ in our day! Remind them that You are with them even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20b) as they spread the good news.
You, O Lord, do not take pleasure in the death of the wicked
Surely, You, O Lord, do not take pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn and live (see Ezekiel 33:11a). Since that’s the case, we earnestly pray that You reveal Yourself to unbelievers in our world. We pray that they will receive the word spoken to them and understand it and bear fruit (see Matthew 13:23). Also, we beseech You. Please, grant them repentance that leads to life, even as You did for the Gentiles in Cornelius’s house (see Acts 11:18). Please, put a longing in their heart to know the truth so as to be set free to live for You.
He who touches Israel, touches the apple of Your eye
And now, “God of Israel” (Exodus 5:1), who says, he who touches Israel, touches the apple of Your eye (see Zechariah 2:8), we pray for Israel. We pray for the peace of Jerusalem according to Your command: “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6). We know that only Christ, the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6), can bring true and lasting peace to Israel. Therefore, grant them the desire to look on Christ whom they have pierced and mourn for Him (see Zechariah 12:10). Like Paul, our heart’s desire and our prayer to You for them is for their salvation (see Romans 10:1). For the sake of “[Your] covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” (Exodus 2:24), bring the Israel-Hamas war to an end after accomplishing Your purpose through it.
We also pray for the cessation of the Russian-Ukraine war
We also pray for the cessation of the Russian-Ukraine war after carrying out Your sovereign purpose through it. For Your word says of You: “He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth” (Psalm 46:9a). Lord, please direct the hearts of the leaders of Russia and Ukraine to wherever You will in order to accomplish Your divine purposes. For Your word declares: “The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes” (Proverbs 21:1; NASB).
We thank You that You do all things well
Good and Gracious Father, we thank You that You do all things well. We thank You that You have our best interest at heart in the NEW YEAR of 2024. As such, we turn to You in all humility of heart, confident that You will do what’s best for us in it. We trust that You will be our faithful guide and guardian throughout this year. Also, we take You at Your word to us. “The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed” (Deuteronomy 31:8).
We do not know what lies ahead of us
O LORD, we do not know what lies ahead of us in the NEW YEAR of 2024. But we know who holds the future. We know who is in control. Moreover, we know that You will be with us through it all. Because You have promised not to fail us or forsake us, we refuse to live in fear.
The fear of the future will not paralyze us
The fear of the future will not paralyze us! Nor the fear of lack of finance! The fear of failure! The fear of failing health. Through the indwelling Spirit, we choose to live by faith, thankful that You have not brought us this far, to abandon us! No! Never! To You O LORD, be the glory for the great things You have already done and will do in our lives! We pray all these in the precious and powerful name of Jesus Christ our Lord! To whom be the glory forever and ever! Amen!