A Prayer for the New Year

A Prayer for the New Year

            New Year’s resolutions seem to be out of favor.  I remember sitting down each year, writing out the things I wanted to get rid of from the past year and planning what I would aim for in the coming year.  Now I read a few articles about making resolutions and see a lot of jokes and comics about how quickly those resolutions can be broken or foolish resolutions that are easy to keep.  So instead of resolutions, I would like to share the prayer for the new year I found in A One Year Book of Hymns.  This one is entitled “Another Year is Dawning” by Frances Ridley Havergal.

                                    Another year is dawning:

                                    Dear Father, let it be,

                                    In working or in waiting,

                                    Another year with Thee;

                                    Another year of progress,

                                    Another year of praise,

                                    Another year of proving

                                    Thy presence all the days.

                                    Another year of mercies,

                                    Of faithfulness and grace;

                                    Another year of gladness

                                    In the shining of Thy face;

                                    Another year of leaning

                                    Upon Thy loving breast;

                                    Another year of trusting,

                                    Of quiet, happy rest.

                                    Another year of service,

                                    Of witness for Thy love;

                                    Another year of training

                                    For holier work above.

                                    Another year is dawning:

                                    Dear Father, let it be,

                                    On earth or else in heaven,

                                    Another year for Thee.

            This is my prayer for the coming year and my prayer for you, too.  Happy New Year!

                                                            Faith Himes Lamb