Prayer for 2020 and 2021
by Melannie Svoboda SND published on
Sunflower Seeds website
Let us give thanks to our Good God for all the blessings of this past year, 2020.
Wait a second. Blessings? for 2020? The year that will go down in history as the year of the raging COVID-19 pandemic? The year that saw over 80 million cases of the coronavirus worldwide–and over 1.76 million deaths–and still counting? 2020–the year of massive unemployment, potential wholesale evictions, basic food shortages? Blessings–for that year?
Yes, let us thank God for the blessings of 2020. To each blessing, please respond:
We thank you, God.
+ for all those individuals who made life-long-loving commitments to one another this year—or who deepened the loving commitments they had already made… We thank you God.
+ for all the new babies born in 2020… We thank you, God.
+ for all hard-sought, worthwhile goals that were achieved, for discoveries that were made–especially those discoveries (like the COVID vaccine) that will benefit millions of people in need… We thank you God.
+ for families and friends who grew in their appreciation of each other… We thank you, God.
+ for all those individuals who looked out for family members, who checked on their neighbours, who helped total strangers… We thank you, God.
+ for those doctors, nurses, aids, EMT personnel, researchers who worked on the front lines of the pandemic with courage, expertise, and total devotion… We thank you, God.
+ for all those who, because of their work, helped to keep vital lifelines open: farmers, sanitation workers, truck drivers, aviation personnel, food distributors, postal workers, police forces, military personnel, teachers… and the list goes on… We thank you, God.
+ for those who, because of Covid-19, have grown in self-knowledge, patience, self-sacrifice, courage, and thoughtfulness of others… We thank you, God.
+ for those who grew in prayer, who now speak with God with greater honesty, earnestness, frequency, and hope… and who listen to God with greater attentiveness, openness, and trust… We thank you, God.
+ for the greater awareness and appreciation we have for our connectedness to our one global community, and for all the steps taken this past year to care for the health of the beautiful planet we all call home… We thank you God.
+ for the renewed appreciation of our need for human companionship, for in-person conversations, for touch… We thank you, God.
+ for those who, despite the very real pain and hardships of 2020, were still able to smile (albeit behind their masks)… and for those who made us laugh, thus applying humour’s balm to our painful wounds… We thank you, God.
+ for individuals who were honest, who lived a basically moral life, who took new steps to align their priorities more closely with the Gospel… We thank you, God.
+ for all those who died during this past year—especially those who succumbed to COVID-19… We remind ourselves that our intense grieving of them only underscores the deep love and affection we have for them… We thank you, God.
+ for all the other blessings of 2020… many of which we are not yet aware… We thank you, God.
Prayer for 2021: Loving Creator, we ask for your blessings on 2021. For we firmly believe that you have been with us in the Past, you are with us in the Present, and you will be with us in the Future. We face the future with wonder and excitement for the refreshing waters and green pastures that might lie ahead for us. At the same time we also face the future with fear and misgivings for the rough roads and dark valleys that we could encounter along the way. So we entrust 2021 into your loving hands, following the wise words of the writer Corrie ten Boom who said, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” So, Beloved Known One, help us to step into the future, into the year 2021 with faith, love, and hope. Amen.
Wait a second. Blessings? for 2020? The year that will go down in history as the year of the raging COVID-19 pandemic? The year that saw over 80 million cases of the coronavirus worldwide–and over 1.76 million deaths–and still counting? 2020–the year of massive unemployment, potential wholesale evictions, basic food shortages? Blessings–for that year?
Yes, let us thank God for the blessings of 2020. To each blessing, please respond:
We thank you, God.
+ for all those individuals who made life-long-loving commitments to one another this year—or who deepened the loving commitments they had already made… We thank you God.
+ for all the new babies born in 2020… We thank you, God.
+ for all hard-sought, worthwhile goals that were achieved, for discoveries that were made–especially those discoveries (like the COVID vaccine) that will benefit millions of people in need… We thank you God.
+ for families and friends who grew in their appreciation of each other… We thank you, God.
+ for all those individuals who looked out for family members, who checked on their neighbours, who helped total strangers… We thank you, God.
+ for those doctors, nurses, aids, EMT personnel, researchers who worked on the front lines of the pandemic with courage, expertise, and total devotion… We thank you, God.
+ for all those who, because of their work, helped to keep vital lifelines open: farmers, sanitation workers, truck drivers, aviation personnel, food distributors, postal workers, police forces, military personnel, teachers… and the list goes on… We thank you, God.
+ for those who, because of Covid-19, have grown in self-knowledge, patience, self-sacrifice, courage, and thoughtfulness of others… We thank you, God.
+ for those who grew in prayer, who now speak with God with greater honesty, earnestness, frequency, and hope… and who listen to God with greater attentiveness, openness, and trust… We thank you, God.
+ for the greater awareness and appreciation we have for our connectedness to our one global community, and for all the steps taken this past year to care for the health of the beautiful planet we all call home… We thank you God.
+ for the renewed appreciation of our need for human companionship, for in-person conversations, for touch… We thank you, God.
+ for those who, despite the very real pain and hardships of 2020, were still able to smile (albeit behind their masks)… and for those who made us laugh, thus applying humour’s balm to our painful wounds… We thank you, God.
+ for individuals who were honest, who lived a basically moral life, who took new steps to align their priorities more closely with the Gospel… We thank you, God.
+ for all those who died during this past year—especially those who succumbed to COVID-19… We remind ourselves that our intense grieving of them only underscores the deep love and affection we have for them… We thank you, God.
+ for all the other blessings of 2020… many of which we are not yet aware… We thank you, God.
Prayer for 2021: Loving Creator, we ask for your blessings on 2021. For we firmly believe that you have been with us in the Past, you are with us in the Present, and you will be with us in the Future. We face the future with wonder and excitement for the refreshing waters and green pastures that might lie ahead for us. At the same time we also face the future with fear and misgivings for the rough roads and dark valleys that we could encounter along the way. So we entrust 2021 into your loving hands, following the wise words of the writer Corrie ten Boom who said, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” So, Beloved Known One, help us to step into the future, into the year 2021 with faith, love, and hope. Amen.