Prayer

A Prayer of Trust to Begin the New Year

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Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and shun evil.
This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones.
 Proverbs 3:3-8 (NIV)

Even though we wish we could see all that is to come this year, let’s open our hands and trust God with the unknown. His goodness, love, and faithfulness continue to be true for us.

Lord, there is so much ahead of us that we can’t foresee, so much we wish we could control but can’t. We hold all the questions, desires, and longings out to You. We want to trust You, but we acknowledge that we need help with that sometimes. Help us. Thank You that we can be anchored in faith when we are tethered to You. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen. 

How can we pray for you?

On this first Sunday of 2021, let’s hold space for one another in prayer. Leave a prayer request in the comments and then pray for the person who commented before you.

 

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At (in)courage, we empower women to be like Jesus. Our writers share what’s going on in their life and how God’s right in the middle of it. They bring their joys & struggles so that you can feel less alone and be empowered by the hope Jesus gives.

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  1. I ask for prayer to walk in a new fresh Revelation of the word of God and to find the job that God has prepared for me.
    Thanks a lot

    • Sara,

      Asking God to give you discernment regarding the job He has planned for you. May He also send you revelations of His word. Praying you have a better 2021 & He bless you immensely.

      Blessings 🙂

  2. In Courage

    Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. I pray this over my husband all the time. Asking God to reveal His plans for our lives. Hubby is trying to decide on what direction he should go with work-stay or travel. Need discernment.

    Also prayers for co-worker whose aging dad has cancer & won’t take help. She needs strength to endure this trial & other decisions she is trying to make this year.

    Prayers for pastor’s wife & church. That church lost their preacher to Covid last year. It has been extremely hard on everyone. Prayers for peace & calm for the wife as she mourns His death & tries to go on with her life.

    Praying 2021 is a much much better year for everyone. Good news is Covid Vaccine is out & being given to public now. Praise God.

    Blessings 🙂

  3. I’m single mother who is trying to put down roots for her and her daughter. Please pray that God provides the wisdom I need to know if I should consider a move and different career (as I am currently building two businesses).

    Please pray for the physical and mental health of our nation and world after this devastating global pandemic.

    • I pray that God’s direction is clear and in peace to you to understand His direction..our nation and Gods people must fear the Lord and shun evil, not being wise in our own eyes but trusting Him, submitting all our ways to Him, teaching your child to have love & have faithfulness bound around your neck, written on your heart… this is what Gods word says in Proverbs 3:3-8. Blessings and love as you continue your walk without fear for the future! Immanuel is here❣️

    • Gail, praying for health and discernment with finances. May God’s light shine for others to see as you abide in Him. Blessings, Adrienne

  5. Elizabeth,

    Praying that God directs your steps as you consider your career options. I trust that he will provide a wonderful home for you and your child(ren). Praying for healing for our nation–for the pandemic to end, for our healthcare workers to persevere, for people to make wise decisions to protect their own health and love their neighbors. Praying for everyone who has lost someone they love during this difficult time, and praying for the mental health of all of us, especially those on the front lines, as we navigate this trauma.

  6. I have much to be thankful for, even in the midst of this difficult year. But I have perhaps an unusual prayer request–a friend of a friend was incarcerated a while back, and while in prison, he came to faith. Our mutual friend reached out to me because he was looking for a Christian pen pal. I hesitated at first, because I am a married woman, and I didn’t know why this person was in jail (other than he was a recovering alcoholic who had made some big mistakes). But now I am so grateful for the friendship I share with my penpal, Dwight. Please pray that he can find some more Christian friends to write to (I reached out to local ministries with no luck, and I put him on a few national databases, but the lists are long). He truly loves God and is a changed man, and he is pretty lonely (not much support from family or others in his life).

    Please pray also for my family, as we lost my mommom to cancer this year. And I’d love you to join me in praying for our country–for God to move in powerful ways as we struggle with the pandemic and racial and political tensions.

    Thank you.

  7. Dear Lord, I pray for each of these women. That they may see and feel Your hand as they make decisions and actions in this new year. Praying for the church family that lost their pastor, may his wife be surrounded by a congregation that uses this time to support and love each other as a testament to this man that now experiences Your glory in heaven
    I ask for prayer for each person that has been isolated during this horrible time. Please bring Your peace to those in senior facilities and to their families that are unable to be with their loved ones. Please let each one feel Your love.
    Amen

  8. Please lift up a friend’s mother who is on a ventilator with Covid. Pray her blood pressure will stabilize as they begin to ween her off. Thank you!

  10. Please pray for my husband who is having health challenges. My wish is for him to find gratitude in something each day. Thank you

    • Dear Father, I pray that Cinda and her husband will find such peace and hope in You in this difficult time, may they experience you in tangible and beautiful ways. I pray that her husband may have a heart filled with gratitude and gladness through Your strength and see the beauty in each day. I pray for healing, if it is Your will. Amen

  11. I would like to ask prayer for wisdom about what job to pursue, I finished my studies in 2020 and as so many are, I am finding it difficult to find clarity and trust amidst a lot of uncertainty.

  12. For my son, that his life is guided and rich this year and my weary, worrying heart hands it over to God. And for all marriages in this difficult time of isolation.

    • Dear Father come lift Donna’s weary heart, and fill her with a deep, lovely peace and trust. I pray that her son will experience Your guidance and presence every step of the way and may he know fully the the abundant life that You give, surprise him with Your goodness. I pray also for protection and redemption of marriages in these difficult times, that love will overcome. In Jesus name, Amen.

  13. I need prayers for myself and my husband. He has recently been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer in the bone marrow. Since the isolation COVID has caused we’ve had our ups and downs dealing with this, so I just ask for strength and a strengthened faith in God’s Word and promises. I pray for Sara, who was the person I had read before me where she asks for more understanding and growth in God’s Word. May she seek Him daily and through his Word know Him and have a more intimate relationship with God. May God’s Word guide and sustain her throughout this year and every day of her life. Amen!

    • Miriam, prayers to you and your husband. I pray for your strengthened faith in God’s word and promises.

  14. Lord, I pray that this year I will find peace in my heart, knowing that my baby boy, my mother, and my father are together in heaven. I also pray that my father gets the justice he deserves, that his death not be in vain, and that I’m able to one day forgive the evil person who committed such wrongdoing against him and my family.

  15. I seem to get new health diagnosis each year. I would love healing, even if it where just one of them gone. I feel the thorns in my side multiplies each year. I pray I would have strength to carry on & faith to believe in God’s for healing.

  16. Please pray that my relationship is fully restored and that God may be glorified in the process and the blessing both. Please pray for my patience as I wait for God to work on both Rich and myself and help me Lord to know when to be still and when to move. Thank you for praying as this has been a long and painful journey, but I am now seeing God at work and He has so graciously given me glimpses at what He is doing. Help me resist all the attacks the enemy had been making and pray for my protection and for Rich’s as well- also please for his salvation and that I may be so privileged to be a part of it.
    Thank you!!❤️

    • This prayer is for Stacey who is struggling in her marriage. Please stand with Stacey and help her to remember all the good things about her relationship with Rich. Help them both to see their love as a gift from you. Please change them both to be more like you. Help them to be patient. Amen.

  19. God guide the surgeon’s hands and may Daniel have a complete recovery.
    Please pray for my mom’s healing as she continues to fight Covid pneumonia. She is in critical condition. Please pray that I trust God’s plan in every aspect of my role as a mom, wife, and as I pursue my career outside of the home this year.

    Sending love and appreciation to incourage.me.

    Molly

  21. Please pray for strength, healing, comfort and wisdom for my family. We lost our matriarch yesterday to cancer. She was only 57, and she was the best woman I knew.

  22. Please pray that God will help me to trust him with all my heart and soul as I navigate this year without my husband of 34 years. I feel lost so much of the time and I just want to rest in His promises and hold on to Him in ways that I never have.

  23. Please pray for my up coming surgery this Friday and for my family for peace, blessings, healings, love, wisdom, understanding and grace daily.
    For my mother’s continued healing and strength daily.
    For brother, God’s strength and wisdom daily and that his wife will be touched by God to see and return to her God given family to be the wife and mother to her children.
    For my friend because of her family situations she is depressed, praying for her healing.
    Also joining in every ones prayers in praying for their needs, amen.

    • CD, I am praying for peace, healing and strength for you and your entire family and their needs.

  24. Please join me in praying for my friend’s husband who is battling COVID, and is fighting for his life. My friend is completely broken.

    • Akua, praying for God’s healing and speedy recovery for your friend’s husband from COVID, strength and comfort for your friend at this trying time.

  25. Prayers that my husband will beat this latest cancer and related health issues and get healthier in 2021. Prayers that I will be mentally and physically able to continue to care for him. Prayers that the Lord will continue to bless us daily and that we will serve him as we should.

    • Lord, I lift up Lynn and her husband and his health challenges. We know from your Word in Proverbs 3:5-6 that we must put our trust in you and you will lead us through anything that you allow to come our way. I ask you, Lord, to give Lynn the strength and patience to care for her husband in a loving and gracious way and that you would encourage her through your Word daily. Be with her husband as he faces whatever comes in 2021 and that he feels your presence with him all the way. Thank you for loving us so much. In your name I pray,

      Amen

  26. I preach all the time ‘trusting in God totally’ gets us through everything. Alas, I do fall short of this trust at times. But I do pick myself up and carry on.
    I am entering into a great financial decision this month. Something I have prayed for quite some time. There is still much to do and many more complex decisions to make. Please pray that the wisdom and knowledge of the Holy Spirit will be my guide in all of this. And that after it is done, I will continue to make decisions helpful to my family. Thank you and God’s blessings be with you.

  27. Father, I lift up those in my family who don’t know you or are not walking with You right now. You know who they are and I know you love them more than I possibly can. Please help Jeff to find a job to provide for his daughters and son. Help Liz to find you and to know you are with her and will guide her into better choices for herself and her daughters. Lord, we all need you every day and I ask you to be close to us through this Pandemic and beyond. Lead and guide us in the way you have planned and with the help of your Holy Spirit, helps us be seeking after you daily. Amen

  29. Please pray for my nephew who is going through some trying times. Pray that good will overcome bad. (Romans 8:28) Pray also for my sister who already lost a son to a physical disease and may lose another to disease of the mind.

  30. Praying for God to reveal my purpose and calling this year – I’m a high school senior who just finished college applications, and I really want to focus this year on seeking God and his will first and following his dreams for me as opposed to my own ambitions.

    • Allison, I know God will show you the way you should go. Deciding what to do at such a young age is difficult, but the fact you have faith and are leaning on God means you are heading in the direction he has for you. May the Lord bless and keep you, and may His face shine upon you and give you strength.

    • Holy Father I pray for wisdom, discernment, hope and encouragement for Linda and her family. The uncertainty and fear during this pandemic can be overwhelming even for the most faithful followers of You, Jesus. Thank you for being near, a close companion full of love and compassion as we struggle through this strange time. Fill them with hope, belief and trust in You. Reveal yourself to them in a way that they know You’re there with them. Fill them with overwhelming peace and encouragement today, I pray. And may You get all the glory. Amen

  32. For complete healing for my daughter Megan. That she will walk without assistance this year.

  33. I would love prayer for the growth of my new health coaching business and that I can bless many lives by walking with them to gain better health!

    • Arian, taking a moment right now to life you and this relationship in prayer. God is the God of redemption, restoration and reconciliation. He has this.

  36. Asking for prayer for my 23 year old adopted son who has Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder but denies it making it difficult to provide him with the tools to help him achieve successful independence. It is draining and heartbreaking. This only adds to the fear I have already because he is Black and has already encountered so many struggles. I am so afraid each time he leaves the house.

  37. Let us pray for all those who have been affected by the Corona Virus in one way or another.
    Let us thank God for protecting us from this virus and let us reach out to those in need.

  38. We are fostering a little boy, hoping to adopt him, but it is a messy situation with his mom. He has special needs. Pray we parent him as he needs, that Gods will be done as decisions are made for his future. Thankyou.

  40. Giving thanks and praise for NYE engagement. Need prayer for wisdom, direction, discernment and financial provision for wedding.
    Also, both of us are struggling with some strange heart rate and blood pressure issues.
    Please pray for trust and rest in the midst of overwhelming fear in this pandemic and for direction and guidance for the job that God would have me doing right now. Thank you.

  41. Hi everyone.
    Thank you to the incourage team for posting this devotion today. I’ve really been struggling with trust in God lately. I might be moving into an RV soon, but I need prayers please for the right one, at a reasonable price, the funds/resources to keep coming in to sustain, pay for it and maintain it, and take care of any immediate as well as future repairs on the RV. It’s not my choice but please pray if it’s God’s will that I live in one fulltime that He will take care of every detail and concern i have about it and if it’s NOT His will I live in this fulltime etc, that He will release me so that it can be sold. I want God’s will. Please pray, thank you. And I pray for Rebecca the gal who posted ahead of me that God will grant wisdom, direction, discernment and financial provision for her wedding. Work out every detail, Lord, give her undeniable peace during this time of planning and carry them thru, Lord. Lord, physical stress and it sounds like perhaps anxiety may be plaguing Rebecca and her fiancé Lord. Please rebuke those things in Jesus’ Name. Give their doctors wisdom and help Rebecca and her fiance get to the source of their heart and blood pressure issues. We know You are the Great Healer, the One who heals us. Please guide Rebecca and her fiance in the right direction for the jobs that you have for them. Your plans are good, God because You are good. Great is your faithfulness. Give them rest and peace and strength, Lord and help them to know you’re right alongside them as well as leading the way. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

  42. Please pray for my adult granddaughter, C. She suffers from mental illness and is having a particularly difficult time.

    • Catherine, I pray that God will wrap His loving arms around your granddaughter and bring her peace and strength. I pray that for you too as you continue to love her.

  44. My prayer is for revival and that the people of God will truly apply 2 Chronicles 7:14. For myself is to seek first the Kingdom and to have a hunger for the Word of God. To put Him first in every area of my life. Also for marriage, and children.

  45. That I will remain healthy in mind and body and not lean on my own understanding but allow the Lord to lead me.
    May the Lord grant Arnesia a good marriage and children according to His will. Amen

  46. Please pray that Anna’s liver transplant will be successful and that she will be restored to perfect good health. Thank you!!

  47. Father,
    I ask that Carol would remain strong and healthy in body, mind and spirit! That she would discern your leading and always seek you.
    In Jesus’s strong name,
    Amen!

  48. That our nation will repent and be intentional and bold in honoring God with our lives
    That my job will continue as God uses it to provide for my son and I. That I would have favor with those in authority.

  49. Praise be to God in 2021! Lifting my son in prayer as he prepares for a test on January 25th for his surgical residency exam preparing for a medical missions ministry – and for a wife! ❤️

  51. I pray for our country, that we are able to cast out evil and allow peace to reign. For all of us to be united as one, to realize there are no sides, we are all in this together. If we just all rowed in the same direction, we could bring this boat to shore. I pray for all of us. Praise be to God. Amen

  52. I have been on a physical and mental health roller coaster for the past several years. I want to start this year out filled with God’s peace, hope and joy and it’s what I pray for every chance I get. Sadly, I am just exhausted…physically, mentally and emotionally. I need courage because the anxiety is unrelenting. I know God is always working. I pray that I can begin to feel his presence.

    • Please God, cover Sandra in Your peace, hope, joy and love. Protect her from the enemies attacks. Grant peace to her mind and remind her that she is constantly in Your loving care. You are with her and for her and You will move the mountains in her life. There is not a moment that she is alone. Renew her heart and mind and grant her Your peace. You are God, You are in control and You are good! Thank You for hearing our prayers. In Jesus’ Name, amen! ❤️

      “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

      You are not alone in your anxiety Sandra. Praying you lean into our Jesus and that you feel His peace. God bless you friend! ❤️

      • Stephanie thank you!! Praying for you as well, sister. God did not give us a spirit of fear! ❤️❤️

  53. I just have a prayer request to have more trust in the Lord! Proverbs 3:5-6 seems to be coming up a lot in my thoughts and in devotionals and articles I’ve been reading. So, I pray that I strengthen my trust in Him with every concern.

    • Please God, bless Courtney’s faith and trust in You. May she continue to grow in trust in You and may You lead her to do Your will. Thank You God for hearing our prayers and blessing our faith. In Jesus’ Name, amen! ❤️

      God bless you sister! ❤️

  54. Please pray that I continue to trust in our Lord Jesus and that I I am less fearful and less anxious. Thank You and God bless! ❤️

    • Dear Stephanie (my daughter-in-love is Stephanie also), I’m praying for your trust in the Lord to grow. I identify with fear and anxiousness, but God is able to bring peace that passes understanding. I pray from Psalm 62 that you will not be shaken, and that you will lean into God who is your rock, your fortress, your hope and your salvation. When fear threatens may you remember who God is…and all He is, He is for you. Blessings,
      Joy

  55. This is the passage the Lord gave me in my time with Him earlier today. This devotional reminder comes as a “sacred echo” to my heart. God is reminding me to trust Him…regardless of what appears…don’t lean on my understanding, but wait on Him. Tomorrow morning at 9am I’m having a biopsy done after a mammogram revealed an area of concern. As a cancer survivor of almost 10 years ago (ovarian) I understand the “red flags” this triggers. Praying that tomorrow will reveal nothing further of concern, but trusting myself to the Lord. Thanks for praying.
    Joy

  57. Please pray for me to continue to trust and seek God after a near fatal stroke left me disabled! Thank you

  59. Please pray for my children to acknowledge their need for God this year and accept Jesus’ saving grace. And please especially pray for my daughter, Megan, facing a challenging pregnancy. Please pray for God’s hand on the baby and that His will would be for a healthy baby and Megan and dad Matt to see God’s miraculous work. Thank you!

    • Hi Donna – Prayers for a happy and healthy baby!!! May this be the most special year so far for you and your family!!!

  62. Please pray that I grow closer to Jesus and that love and friendship finds me this year 🙂

  63. Please pray that my 3 adult children will be saved, Jesse, Brad and Brook, the last 2 need deliverence from drugs, 16 years for Brad, 4 for my daughter, she’s lost her kids and the other grandmother who has custody won’t allow me to see them, 4 and 1 year old, so I have no family in my life, thank you for praying

  64. For my mom’s first husband and his second wife.. they just went into the hospital with COVID.. they are really sick .. we love these two!!! Please pray that they pull through!!!

  65. I ask prayers for my 47 year old son, Micah, who has just been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer which has spread to his brain.
    The treatment, which is to begin January 16, includes 2 types of chemotherapy and an immunotherapy drug. Part of me feels this is not really happening. He has a precious 18 year old son, Gabriel. We are all Christians, but our family has never had anything like
    this attack our family. I pray for a miracle healing for Micah.

    • Trudy, I join your prayers for a miracle healing for your son Micah. May our God the Devine physician take over Micah’s treatment and lead everyone involved in his care to be the best person to help him with the miracle healing, in Jesus name amen. May God equip you with the strength you need to be there for him.

    • Joan, God bless you in 2021 as you trust and obey Him in all that you do. Love in Christ,
      Andrea

      My prayer request is for my dad. He is having major heart surgery this week and I really don’t want to lose Him. Thank you for your prayers.

  67. Prayers for great health. Getting our bodies to Gods best in health for serving others including my grandchildren. Prayers for our new baby coming. Salena to have good health and baby too. Brienna so far away but always in our heart and on our mind.

  68. Prayers for great health. Getting our bodies to Gods best in health for serving others including my grandchildren. Prayers for our new baby coming. Salena to have good health and baby too. Brienna so far away but always in our heart and on our mind.
    Prayers for your father. Lord we ask that YOU be the eyes and hands of each doctor, nurse, and attendant c!ring for this Dad. Bring expertise, compassion and love into surgery and beyond. Amen

    • Prayers Carmen for great health and getting your body in best health in order to serve others including your Grandchildren. Prayers for the new baby coming for both the mother and baby that all will go well. Prayers for Brianna so far away but always in your heart. In Jesus name I pray.

  69. Prayer for guidance and being able to stick to a Bible study that I am starting on Forgiveness to be able to forgive myself as well as others in situations many years ago.

  70. Please pray for my two adult sons that they will come to know Christ as they Lord and Savior, it be a rough year 2020 for them, they were out of a job from March of 2020 and the financial load is so hard on me, one of my son is marry and have two children, one of his daughter is sick and needed surgery. Most of all we need strength in this new year to make it through. Please pray for my grand daughter for her healing in this surgery and God favor upon my sons life, that they will find jobs, a Financial breakthrough for me and a piece of mind in the mist of this.

  72. Lord we lift Ashley and her young adult son before you. You promise to direct our steps. Be his guide and give Ashley the wisdom to stand in the gap for him. Help him to put you first, and you will guide his pathways and grant him good success. Give him grace, favor and wisdom in his decisions concerning his future. In Jesus name Amen!

    I need prayer as I sit my State Board Marriage and Family Therapy licensure exams in February. Also for my sister who is addicted to substance use.

  73. Dear Lord- Help me to place all trust in you. I cannot control certain outcomes so let me be accepting and grateful in all things.

  74. That my husband would come back into a relationship with the Lord and that my adult children would seek Him wholeheartedly. Thank you!

  75. Andrea, I will pray for your “daddy” this week that he will feel God’s loving, comforting arms around him so he’s not scared. I pray that God will direct the surgeon’s hands and the actions of the entire staff to perform the surgery and care to heal your dad. God bless you.

    Trudy