Heavenly Father as I enter the end of this year and look forward to the new year, I praise You for all You have done for me. I praise You for helping me survive some very dark times. I praise You for reminding me that I have a purpose and I am Your child. I praise You that the grounding of my faith is supported by the hope that is within me.
Holy Spirit Your word says, “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.” [1Peter 1:13; 1Peter 3:15&16]
Holy Spirit before I lost my son Philip my hope rested on my salvation. After the death of my son, my hope now rests on my salvation but also on the desire to see Philip again and to find out why he died the way he did. I also long to see many who have left ahead of me. But, most of all I want to see Jesus and You, the Holy Spirit so that I can praise and glorify You to Your face for loving me enough to walk me through the darkest chapters of my life. Help me to face the new year standing strong in my faith and continue to grow my faith. Help me to be faithful to continue to put prayers on my website for anyone who needs to learn how to pray Your word or be encouraged to learn to just talk to You. I send these prayers for You and know they reach heaven. Help me to be faithful to pray, pray with hope and wonder, every day I walk and breathe on this earth. Help me to teach and openly witness of You.
I want men everywhere to lift holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing. Since prayer is at the bottom of all this, what I want mostly is for men to pray—not shaking angry fists at enemies but raising holy hands to God. And I want women to get in there with the men in humility before God, not primping before a mirror or chasing the latest fashions but doing something beautiful for God and becoming beautiful doing it. Without question, great is the mystery of godliness: God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached to the Gentiles, believed on in the world, and taken up into glory. The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon their faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. If you point these things out to the brothers [and sisters], you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. Physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe. Amen. [1Timothy 2:8; 1 Timothy 2:8-10(The Message); 1 Timothy 3:16; 1 Timothy 4:1-11]