Heavenly Father, as we begin a new year, we look back in gratitude at the year just past for your constant presence in our lives. You have blessed us all with unique opportunities to fulfill the commission your Son gave to us to go and make disciples.
Holy Spirit, you graciously encourage us individually and collectively to be part of your wondrous plan to bring salvation to all people. Each new day, You invite us to partner with you in spreading the Gospel to the world. We hear your gentle call within us to draw all people to Jesus. You stand at the door of our hearts and knock for us to open our lives to you, and we can sense your presence all around us. We know that we are your workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which you lovingly and graciously prepared for us beforehand. We ask you, Holy Spirit, to help us walk in these good works, by the gifts of grace you have given to each one of us.
Each of us find ourselves at the start of 2022 in a community of faith at Genesis UMC, where there are many ways we can serve you through our prayers, our presence, our gifts, service, and witness.
We pray for those in our local community that they would sense You reaching out to them. Let us be the channel of reconciliation to you, encouraging them to seek you and come to know your Son as their Lord and Savior. Let us be your ambassadors of love to our families, our neighbors, our work colleagues, and others you bring into our paths to learn about you.
We thank you for our newly renovated building in which we can fulfill your commission to us in 2022. You have blessed us with expanded facilities for fellowship, worship, and in-person Christian Education. Help us each find our places in the ministries of Genesis to serve you and our community, using the unique gifts and talents you have provided. May we find delight in serving you as your disciples.
As we reopen our Genesis Nursery, may your presence guide us to carry your love through our nursery workers, to the parents and their children. Help us to staff appropriately as you bring to us new individuals who you are calling into their places at Genesis to serve you. Help us train them, give them ample space, and cheer them on as they share their unique and amazing gifts of grace. Let them bear much fruit for your kingdom as our fellow workers in Christ.
As we re-introduce a 2nd worship service on Sunday Morning, may your strength be with us as we lead and support each other in our walk together as your disciples. Be with us as we open our new classrooms for in-person Christian education for all ages. May your creativity be with us as we fellowship together in our newly expanded Koinonia space in ways both old and new. Help us use this space in new and creative ways – drawing people together to seek you and support one another.
Kindle in each of us a renewed desire and commitment to progress in our discipleship of your Son through our Prayers, Presence, Gifts, Service and Witness.
At each opportunity you present, let us respond personally to you in both word and deed: “Here am I Lord, send me”. Send me to the broken-hearted and needy in my path. Send me to others in Christian community and fellowship. Send me to those who may have felt disconnected to you or your church in recent months to encourage them to reconnect to you together with us. Enable me to represent you in such a way that we inspire a passion for walking with you – serving, worshiping, and glorifying you.
Holy Spirit, move me to use my gifts to serve others and your church. Amen.
Prayer written by Mark Binkley