By Joseph Ametepe
You alone are the true God
True and Trustworthy Father, You alone are the true God of the universe. We confidently affirm this truth on the very first day of January 2022. Your holy word authoritatively and assuredly declares: “Behold, I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:5b, ESV). In fact, the New Year of 2022 is a partial fulfillment of this declaration. We bless You, O Lord, because You are in the business of making new things in our lives, not only in this life but also in the life soon to come.
You are in the business of making new things
Since, Abba Father, You are in the business of making new things, a truth revealed in the Bible - the most precious document You have given to mankind, we are thankful for the new things You, our good and gracious Father, have in store for us. Indeed, it is with great delight that we recall Your promise: “Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind” (Psalm 31:19; ESV)!
We cannot imagine all the abundant goodness You have stored up for us
Indeed, merciful and mighty Father, we cannot imagine all the abundant goodness You have stored up for us, who revere You, in January 2022. The scriptures eloquently and expressively speak of them in this way. “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him – these God has revealed to us through the Spirit” (1 Corinthians 2:9-10a; ESV).
We look forward with great anticipation
Because, You, our Loving and Living Father, have prepared so much for those who love and revere You, we look forward with great anticipation of how You will accomplish them in our lives in January 2022 and beyond! Precious Father, You have a proven record of doing what You say and making good on what You’ve spoken. Your scriptures testify to this truth.
God is not a man that He should lie
That’s exactly why they confidently and convincingly say: “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” (Numbers 23:19; ESV). The expected answer to the questions asked in this verse is Yes! Yes, indeed! You always do what You say. And yes, You always fulfill what You’ve spoken concerning Your people. Simply put, You keep Your word to us.
Your good hand will be upon us
Therefore, with glad and grateful hearts, we are confident that in January 2022, You will cause Your goodness to abound upon our lives. Your good hand will be upon us as it was on Ezra and Nehemiah (see Ezra 7:9; 8:18; Nehemiah 2:8). Not only will that, Father, You, who are good, will do good to us (see Psalm 119:68). Lord of our lives, You will also give us what is good (see Psalm 85:12) in January 2022. Loving God, You will also satisfy us with good so that our youth is renewed like the eagle’s (see Psalm 103:5).
Life on earth does not only consist of accepting good from You
Since we are well aware, gracious Lord, that life on earth does not only consist of accepting good from You, but also accepting adversity (see Job 2:10), we know that January 2022 will have its own troubles and trials. As such, we look to You, our Deliverer, to deliver us out of all the troubles (see Psalm 33:17) we will encounter in January 2022. Lord of hosts, Defender of our lives, defend us (see Zechariah 9:15a) from our chief “adversary, the devil, [who] prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8b; ESV). Please Gracious Father, derail and defeat the evil plans and plots the evil one has purposed against us in January 2022.
We need You to derail and defeat the evil schemes of the devil
Yes, indeed, Lord, we need You to derail and defeat the evil schemes of the devil against us. But we also need You to make a hedge about us and our households, and all that we have on every side (see Job 1:10) so that our chief spiritual enemy, will not touch us unless You permit him to do so for reasons known only to Yourself. Dear Lord, should You permit him to buffet us with relentless attacks as You permitted him to do in Job’s life, please strengthen and sustain us to endure to the end and see Your victory in our lives (see Job 42:10-12; James 5:11).
You delight in doing good to us
Loving Father, because You delight in doing good to us and delivering us from all our troubles, we commit and dedicate January 2022 to You on this very first day of the year 2022 – in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit! Please Lord, mercifully and marvelously carry out what concerns You Yourself, our families, our friends and fellow-believers, and us; Israel – Your chosen and cherished nation; Your Church – that is, Your consecrated and called-out ones, and Your world – made up of all the countries and the lands You created under the heavens – for the praise of Your great and glorious name!
Our utmost desire is to bring a revival into our lives
Our Father, while we are confident that You will do good to us and deliver us from all our troubles in January 2022, our utmost desire is for You to bring a revival and renewal in our lives in the New Year. Therefore, we pray in the spirit of the psalmists: “Will You not Yourself revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You” (Psalm 85:6; NASB)? Individually, our cry to You is: “Revive me, O LORD, according to Your word” (Psalm 119:107; NASB). We desperately need and long for Your revival and renewal in our lives. Indeed, our heartfelt desire is to experience Your reviving work among Your Church in January 2022 and beyond. As such, we echo the earnest prayer of the prophet Habakkuk: “O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make it known” (Habakkuk 3:2b; NASB).
We also long for Your work of restoring us to Yourself
Not only that, gracious Father, we also long for Your work of restoring us to Yourself in this New Year. As such, we fervently ask, even as the sons of Korah eagerly asked of You: “O God of hosts, restore us and cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be saved” (Psalm 80:7; NASB). “Restore us, O God of our salvation, and cause Your indignation toward us to cease” (Psalm 85:4; NASB). In addition, Lord, restore us to our first love to do the deeds we did at first (see Revelation 2:4-5).
We count on You to crown the New Year
Indeed, Loving Father, we count on You to crown the New Year of 2022 with Your bounty and overflowing abundance (see Psalm 65:11). Therefore, we earnestly ask that, in January 2022 and beyond, let Your Church abound in the work of “[making] disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded” (Matthew 28:18-20a; ESV).
Father, grant also that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly
Father, grant also that “the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified” (2 Thessalonians 3:1b; NASB), in January 2022 and beyond. We pray all these in the precious and powerful name of Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Savior – believing that You are “able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to [You] be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21; ESV)!