Heavenly Father,
Maker of all things,
The One who holds all things in his hands,
We bless you for the richness and depth of your mercy and love.

As we begin the year,
let us start with thankful hearts, postures of humility,
openness to new and better things from you.

Thank you for our homes.
Help us to remember those who are without homes or feel far from home.
Thank you for our community.
Help us to open ourselves to those who feel as if they have no community.
Thank you for the freedom to openly worship you.
Help us to remember those who risk their lives to practice their faith.

Thank you for our city leaders.
Give them wisdom from on high to lead us in ways beyond ourselves.
Thank you for our courts and their officers.
Help them to faithfully seek mercy, justice and peace.
Thank you for our sheriffs and our police.
Guide them in the way of peace in the midst of trouble.

Thank you for the creative beauty of our park district and forest preserves.
They help us to see your handiwork all around us.
Thank you for our school administrators, teachers and staff.
Bless them as they bless our children with the gift of learning.
Thank you for our neighbors.
May we bless them throughout the coming year with our presence and care.

Thank you for College Church
And the gift of giving ourselves
To this church and its people.
Help us to serve with all that we are,
With everything we have,
With our hopes, treasures, trials and dreams.

Guide and protect those who lead our congregation.
Empower them by your Spirit
To lead with your wisdom, not theirs,
To teach with your Word, not the word of man,
To give of themselves like Christ for his bride.
Help our following to be grumble-free.

Thank you that you make us messengers.
Bless our messages with your grace and love.
We ask you to make 2025 a year of blessing and growth for our people, community, nation and world.
May many discover the life-changing wonder of Jesus.
Bring peace, we pray.

Father, Son, Holy Spirit, may we bless you with everything that we are, with all that we have, in our weaknesses and our strengths, we pray.

May you bless us and may we bless others in new and unexpected ways in the days ahead, we pray.

Thank you for the blessing of prayer. May we pray and grow in prayer through good and bad and glorify you in word and deed.

Amen
This prayer was adapted from a prayer written for the Wheaton Leadership Prayer Breakfast.