Every Monday, Living Lutheran offers a week’s worth of prayers from the ELCA resource Prayer Ventures, which can be downloaded here. These petitions – one for each day this week – are offered as a guide for your own prayer life as together we pray for the needs of the world and give thanks for the ministries of our church.
Monday, Dec. 28: The refugee crisis in the Middle East and Europe changes day by day, but we remain steadfast in our prayers for peace in the homelands they flee, for acceptance and respect throughout their journeys and for newfound communities that offer refugees stability and new opportunity.
Tuesday, Dec. 29: With humility, we ask God to help us walk in the light of Jesus and bear faithful witness to the gospel every day and through every aspect of life and human endeavor.
Wednesday, Dec. 30: As we move farther from the celebration of Christmas, we pray that our expressions of joy and thanksgiving for the gift of Jesus do not fade but gain new energy and life.
Thursday, Dec. 31: New Year’s Eve Remembering the ways in which we have fallen short of our promises and commitments, we come to God in prayer each day trusting in the forgiveness and newness God has promised us in our baptism and through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.
Friday, Jan. 1: New Year’s Day We give thanks for the Christ child, our Savior, the son of God named of Jesus, and ask that his name be on the tips of our tongues when we speak of our faith.
Saturday, Jan. 2: New Year’s resolutions come and go, but we ask God for the strength to realize our hopes and goals, and when we fall short of what we intend, to have faith in God’s mercy, forgiveness and the gift of beginning anew.
Sunday, Jan. 3: In Jesus Christ we hear and experience God’s word of truth, the good news of our salvation. We offer in our prayers thanks and praise to God for this immeasurable blessing.