Oh One, Oh One, Won, Won!!! A New Year Prayer

It's 2011 - time goes faster and faster when there is less sand in the hourglass...

Thank you Lord God for 2010 with all it's joys, pains, trials and sorrows. Every path in life that you send me down, leads me always to the center of your heart - and that is the only place to be. You grow me, teach me, comfort and counsel me, you give me strength in weakness. Praise you Father God! As I get quiet, shutting out the noise of this world that is relentlessly pulling me into it's current -- in the quiet -- I find you there. In the noise and the chaos, you are still there, but in my human weakness, the distractions make it more difficult to hear you.
Thank you Lord for the quiet refuge in the shelter of your wing each day. Thank you for your word - ancient writings -- new each day. You pierce my heart! May your word rise up in me, in my heart and soul, in my mind always, on my lips and in my ears, before me and behind me -- all around me -- your word...your truth.

Thank you for Jesus alive in me - the Passover Lamb covering me, that no fiery arrow can pierce. Thank you Lord that the enemy can have no more of me, because I am yours. Thank you for Jesus, my breastplate of righteousness. He stands before me and says, "She is MINE!"
Thank you that you give me each step I take on this journey, and you give me shoes of faith and peace. It reminds me of those light-up shoes little children wear that spark and glow with each step. Only, instead of being battery operated, mine are Holy Spirit flaming!

Thank you Lord for growing me and showing me not just to pray for comfort and for things to go well, but to pray for your wisdom, your strength, your guidance and direction when things go badly. And, on this planet, things do go badly from time, to time, to time......

Thank you Lord God for your assurance that this is not the forever place, but that YOU are my forever place!

And so Lord God, as I stand with my back to the closed door of 2010 and now have one foot in the land of 2011 - I stand in awe of You. The bright light of your Holy Spirit is overwhelming! I cannot see wheat lies ahead, but feel the deep joy of knowing you illuminate each step along the way.
I know that this next season of my life will hold laughter and tears. Lord, you know how much I love the laughter, and I know you are there to catch each tear... There will be fears and struggles, and if I am not careful, they can be overwhelming. But, you faithfully let me feel your arm around me, holding me close and assuring me that you will never leave me - that you will get me through rough waters, and strong winds - - YOU, my shelter in the storms. You, Lord God, walking on the waters of my heart and calming the storms in me.

I look forward with excited anticipation to the beauty you place before my eyes each day, that lands softly in my heart. I pray for wisdom in 2011, that only you can give. I pray that I stand in the bright light of your Holy Spirit and that there be no dark corners in me. I pray you reveal more of you to me each day, and awaken me to you Lord God.

I pray that in 2011, I live each day passionately for you!

Philippians 3:12 - 14....I press on to make it my own, because Jesus Christ has made me His own.....forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God, in
Christ Jesus.