PRAYER OF COMMITMENT FOR THE NEW
YEAR
One: God, our God,
Many: We worship you!
One: God, One and only God,
Many: We offer You all of our praise!
One: Move among us by your
Spirit in this new year.
Many: Enable us to receive refreshment and energy from You.
One: Make us aware of the
depth of your forgiving and healing love
Many: So that we may live each day with thanksgiving and joy.
One: May your Spirit guide us
in effective and fruitful service to our many
Neighbors, so they may see and experience your
generous reign.
All: Teach us to see and love our neighbors as they are.
Teach
us to act in their best interests, even when that may not
match our
preferences or needs.
Guide us to
pray for them and do good for them without growing weary.
Free us to act with extravagant generosity in the face of real needs.
Help us to
welcome and include people who are often attacked,
abused, or
excluded by others.
Open our hearts
and homes and church to strangers.
Enable us to
practice mercy for people who do not deserve it.
Enable us to
offer forgiveness of both the personal offenses we
have endured
and the financial debts we are owed.
Help us to
bring peace and reconciliation to relationships that
have become
painful in their brokenness and bitterness.
Let us be a
source of presence and comfort for those who are sick or in prison.
Let us be
agents of freedom for those who are bound by
addictions,
sin, and human servitude.
Shape us for
effective stewardship of this beautiful and complex
planet that You have created and provided as our home.
One: We know that without
your help we can do nothing. We know that
we cannot do all of these things every day.
All: We trust in your promise that You will never leave us or forsake us.
One: Free us from any fears
that prevent us from being bold disciples.
All: Free us to practice love for you and for every person we encounter with
overflowing gladness. Amen.
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