1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:15,120 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Thank you for listening to your daily prayer, 2 00:00:15,360 --> 00:00:17,799 Speaker 1: where we help you find the words you need to 3 00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:20,800 Speaker 1: connect to your Father in Heaven. No matter what's happening 4 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:23,680 Speaker 1: in your life today, you can trust that God wants 5 00:00:23,720 --> 00:00:26,280 Speaker 1: to hear from you. Right after this short word from 6 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 1: our sponsors, we'll pray through today's prayer for newness in 7 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:50,840 Speaker 1: the New Year. A Prayer for Newness in the New Year, 8 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:56,760 Speaker 1: written by Lynette Kittle read by Lea Gerard. Being confident 9 00:00:56,800 --> 00:00:59,200 Speaker 1: of this that He who began a good work in 10 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:02,280 Speaker 1: you will care it on to completion until the day 11 00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:08,200 Speaker 1: of Christ Jesus Philippians won six. How are we beginning 12 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:11,520 Speaker 1: the new year? Are we starting off full of regret? 13 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:16,039 Speaker 1: Feeling disappointed in how the last year unfolded. Do we 14 00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 1: feel like we didn't accomplish all of it or even 15 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:24,600 Speaker 1: anything we'd hope to achieve? Is our list still mostly unchecked? 16 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:29,000 Speaker 1: If so, we don't have to carry all that anxiety 17 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:32,399 Speaker 1: into a new year. We can leave those feelings behind 18 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:36,679 Speaker 1: us and look forward to the coming year, confident that 19 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:40,199 Speaker 1: what God tells us in Philippians one six is true, 20 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 1: and that He will complete the good work He's begun 21 00:01:43,959 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 1: in us. We don't have to worry or be afraid 22 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 1: that the hopes, dreams, and desires God has put in 23 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:55,880 Speaker 1: our hearts will not be fulfilled. God doesn't want us 24 00:01:55,880 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 1: to dwell on our failures, shortcomings, and disappointments. In fact, 25 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:05,559 Speaker 1: he's adamant about it. As Luke nine sixty two explains, 26 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:08,840 Speaker 1: Jesus replied, no one who puts a hand to the 27 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:12,320 Speaker 1: plow and looks back is fit for service in the 28 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:17,560 Speaker 1: Kingdom of God. Likewise, the apostle Paul explains in Philippiums 29 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:22,040 Speaker 1: three thirteen, Brothers and Sisters, I do not consider myself 30 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:25,280 Speaker 1: yet to have taken hold of it, but one thing 31 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 1: I do forgetting what is behind and straining toward what 32 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 1: is ahead. God doesn't want us to keep going over 33 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:36,920 Speaker 1: and over in our minds what we didn't do last year, 34 00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:39,800 Speaker 1: or what we failed to do, or what we didn't 35 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 1: even try to do. Instead, he urges us in Isaiah 36 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:49,120 Speaker 1: forty three eighteen, forget the former things. Do not dwell 37 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:53,320 Speaker 1: on the past. From the very start of our relationship 38 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:57,440 Speaker 1: with God, he makes everything new in us, as Ezekiel 39 00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:00,800 Speaker 1: thirty six twenty six describes, I will give you a 40 00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:03,960 Speaker 1: new heart and put a new spirit in you. I 41 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:07,520 Speaker 1: will remove from you your heart of stone and give 42 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 1: you a heart of flesh, whether it seems like it 43 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:16,200 Speaker 1: or not, or if we even believe he will. God 44 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:19,880 Speaker 1: is going to do new things in our lives in 45 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:22,600 Speaker 1: the new year. The book of Isaiah has a lot 46 00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:25,760 Speaker 1: to say about God's pleasure and purpose in doing new 47 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:29,120 Speaker 1: things in our lives. He tells us in Isaiah forty 48 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:32,680 Speaker 1: two nine, see the former things have taken place, and 49 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:37,640 Speaker 1: new things I declare before they spring into being. I 50 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:42,160 Speaker 1: announce them to you again. In Isaiah forty three nineteen, 51 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:45,800 Speaker 1: God says, see, I am doing a new thing. Now 52 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:48,800 Speaker 1: it springs up. Do you not perceive it? I'm making 53 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:52,560 Speaker 1: a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. 54 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:57,960 Speaker 1: And Paul reminds us in two Corinthians five seventeen. Therefore, 55 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:01,960 Speaker 1: if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come, 56 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:06,280 Speaker 1: the old has gone, the new is here. God doesn't 57 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:09,480 Speaker 1: focus on our past, and he doesn't want us to 58 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 1: focus on them either, even if we try our hardest 59 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 1: to stay in the past. He isn't going to let 60 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:20,279 Speaker 1: that happen in our lives because He purposely plans to 61 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:24,640 Speaker 1: make things new, and we can trust that His newness 62 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:28,480 Speaker 1: in our lives is for our good. Revelation twenty one 63 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:32,200 Speaker 1: to five describes He who is seated on the throne 64 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:37,599 Speaker 1: says I am making everything new. Then he said, write 65 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:42,720 Speaker 1: this down. For these words are trustworthy and true. We 66 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:46,320 Speaker 1: can take God at his word and trust the newness 67 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:50,720 Speaker 1: he will bring to our lives this new year. Let's pray, 68 00:04:52,320 --> 00:04:54,719 Speaker 1: Dear Father, thank you for giving us a new heart 69 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:58,800 Speaker 1: and a new spirit, for removing the hardness hidden in 70 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:02,520 Speaker 1: our hearts, and for replacing it with a softness toward you. 71 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:06,560 Speaker 1: We praise you for a new year, for giving us 72 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:10,720 Speaker 1: another year of life. For the newness you have planned 73 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:13,760 Speaker 1: for us in the coming year. Help us not to 74 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:16,479 Speaker 1: look back at our past, but to look forward with 75 00:05:16,640 --> 00:05:22,080 Speaker 1: hope and anticipation. Strengthen us to trust you in the 76 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:25,359 Speaker 1: coming year and to believe your newness is for our good, 77 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:30,560 Speaker 1: and to follow your will over our own will for 78 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:35,679 Speaker 1: our lives. Create a newness in our hearts this coming 79 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:39,680 Speaker 1: year that leads us to seek after you and glorify 80 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:45,640 Speaker 1: your holy name in all that we do. In Jesus' name, Amen, 81 00:05:57,200 --> 00:06:00,159 Speaker 1: Your daily prayer is a production of life audio and 82 00:06:00,279 --> 00:06:03,760 Speaker 1: Salem media. If you haven't already, be sure to follow 83 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:06,720 Speaker 1: the show in your favorite podcast app so you never 84 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:12,279 Speaker 1: miss an episode. For more faith filled, inspirational podcasts, visit 85 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:20,640 Speaker 1: us at lifeaudio dot com