A Prayer For The New Year

As I read Eileen Adams 2010 Prayer Blessings, it surprised me to read all of their children's ministry blessings. I know that God continually blesses this ministry, but, it's easy to overlook those blessings in the everyday routine of ministry to children. God faithfully has used, and will continue to use, His servants to grow children to love God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength.

Maybe, in a few days, I'll post all the ways He has blessed our ministry this year.

Until then, I ask you to join me in this prayer over our ministry to children and their families.

God, open our eyes to the needs around us. Let us not go through a single day without seeing this world with your eyes, identifying those that are lost and hurting. Give us a desire to share the Good News, not just our church events or meeting times, but your love, grace, forgiveness and redemption. In every activity, every service, and every class, let us never to fail in doing our part of turning the hearts of parents and children towards one another and towards you. But, at the same time God, let us remember that many of your precious children are born to parents who do not know you and may have hardened hearts towards your love. God, for those children, bring them to us, so that we may be a living example of Jesus, who took time to bless the little children in a world in which they would have been forgotten. Forgive us for our own shortsightedness and give us courage to step out on faith when your vision is larger than our own. When you have placed a ministry on our hearts and in our path, you have also divinely provided the volunteers, money, facilities, and resources for this ministry. God, we praise you for how you will use us, corporately and individually, in 2011, and submit fully to your will. In the name of the one who came as a child so that we may be God's children, Amen