Prayer for the 1st Sunday in the New year

We begin our new year with you,
Hoping that this year will be different and be better than last year.
Hoping we will be better persons ourselves.
Hoping our work will be improved.
Hoping our marriages will be better.
Hoping our families will be stronger.
Lord, we place our hope in you for you are the author of our lives.

We pray for our churches that your spirit will be alive for all to experience you.
We pray for our country’s leaders that they will use wisdom in their decision making.
We pray for country that as we continue to come out of this recession; jobs will continue to become available, foreclosures will continue to decline, and that debt will be paid down.
We pray for our world that relations among all your people will be better, that strife will cease, that those who hunger will be filled.

Holy Author,
We have no idea what this year holds for us, but we know who holds us.
And because it is you that holds us, we place our faith and trust in you.
Lord help us to have our eyes open to your light, your ways, and your presence as we go throughout this year.
Amen.
cross posted at revabi's long and winding road and revgal's prayer blog