Happy new year to everyone in the world! I find it utterly amazing to welcome in a new year in my life, wouldn't you agree? 2014 was a year of personal development, breakthroughs and blessings...absolutely amazing! I thank God for His exceedingly and abundantly provisions. I thank Him for the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. I thank Him for blessing me when I thought I didn't deserve it, the Father always know's better!
Thinking back on all those blessings made me want to follow through with a suggestion I read in Henri Nouwen's book, Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World. The suggestion was to pray blessings over our friends and families. I read this book sometime in the fall of 2013, I believe, and was inspired by it. Whenever I read Apostle Paul's letters to the churches, he always began and ended those letters with blessings. So, here am I, typing a blessing for my friends and my family for 2015:
Hallelujah Father, praise be to your holy name!
Thank you for being so loving, patient, understanding and awesome to us! Thank you for the desire in me to lift up all of those I love and who come to mind as I pray on their behalf. I pray for bountiful blessings in their lives this year. I pray for a renewing of their hearts and minds. I pray for breakthroughs and peace to touch them. I pray they feel you as you lovingly correct and guide their paths.
Whatever their struggles are, Lord, whether it be sin, worries, doubts, fear, etc, I pray they turn it over to You! For many of them, 2014 was a difficult and trying year...some of those difficulties were spillage from 2013 and their hearts became full of sorrow and hardened. Lord, let 2015 be a year of redemption by your hand! Let my brothers and sisters thrive in You! Let them finally have their breakthroughs and be able to enjoy peace! Please be with those whom have to make difficult decisions this year, whether it be moving away, cutting off relationships, changing jobs, etc. Let your Spirit dwell within them as they take those steps of uncertainty. Your will be done in their lives in the name of your son Jesus Christ!
Lord, I lift up the young and the old. I pray for protection over them all for wherever they go. I pray for those who are wrestling with unbelief and for those who believe they are doing fine without you. Let the truth of love sink into them so that they can no longer deny your existence! Let the lies and deception of Satan fall away into the dark where they belong and let loose the bondage of struggle from the hearts and minds of my friends and families! Father, I lift up all who read this. Wherever they are in their walk in this life, I pray they seek your guidance and everlasting love!
All this I pray in the name of your son, Jesus Christ. Amen!!!
