Psalm 84

John Chamberlain   -  

January 3, 2021

Heavenly Father,

We are thankful that we have the opportunity as your children to one day be united with you in heaven.  The psalmist lets us know that you even allow the sparrows to find a home in your presence.  What a great day that will be when we finally get to see you face to face! In the meantime, we praise you for assuring us that you will be in our midst here on earth, where two or three are gathered in your name.  Please help us Father to be children who strive to follow your instruction and lean fully on you. In doing so, may we receive the favor and honor that is promised in the passage we read today.

As we start this new year, help us to be a people of hope. Because of the truth we find in your word, we can know we will ultimately be with you when we put our trust Jesus, who paid the penalty for our sin.  So many people around us have not put their trust in Jesus and live in fear of what will happen when they die.  Help us to be ready to share with our friends why we can be hopeful instead of fearful of what the future will bring.

We are thankful that you have heard our prayers from last year and allowed research scientists to find a vaccine for Covid so quickly.  We now pray that you bless the distribution of this vaccine, to our most vulnerable people and then to the population at large.  We also pray for your hand of blessing on the international distribution of the Covid vaccine in 2021.

Thank you for the ways in which you have been providing for Catherine and Dan recently.  Even though it made for a hectic end of the year, it appears you have provided a home that will meet their needs for many years to come.  We also thank you for blessing Catherine’s efforts to help the church to be mobilized in its vision and responsibility to reach people around the world for Jesus.  Please help Catherine and her work at Wycliffe to be creative in how they meet the needs of Bible translation in this globally challenged environment.

Finally Father, as we head into 2021 we ask that this will be the year when we can once again meet in person to worship you together as one body.

We pray this in Jesus name,

….and all God’s people said………Amen.