A Heart in Transition: Letting Go and Pressing On

A prayer for times of transition. As I write, we are passing from one holiday season to the next. We build hopeful anticipation of the coming Savior on the solid foundation of our gratitude.

Father God,

Today we sow our words of thanks. Your provision and loyal love are evident in our lives. Your goodness shines in the brightness of joy and persists through the darkest of nights. Apart from any physical blessing, You alone are worthy of our overwhelming gratitude. You are the sole object of our worship.

Although we feel distracted by the noise, we quiet our souls and fix our focus on the God of Wholeness, the God of Peace. Cause us to love and cherish You so that we wouldn’t consider trading the riches of You here with us today for any moment of the past.

We name our reasons for our gratitude, and then we lay them down, one by one, at your feet. We only offer to you what you have first given to us. Thank you, Lord, that Your goodness always stands. It is never overcome or weighed down by our heavy burdens.

As we come to You today, remind us of your faithfulness. Open our eyes to see how You have been working in, around, and through us this year. Lift up our heads that we may see more of you—Your love, justice, and mercy on a grander scale.

Our hope is built on this—Your enduring record of faithfulness both now and throughout the ages expressed in fullness with blood and agony on the cross. 

We devote our hearts to thankfulness as You lay the foundation of hope and expectation. Today as we transition our attention to the coming Christmas, we see how a fall celebration of gratitude prepares our hearts for the winter celebration of salvation.

We will remember the seeds sown in thankfulness. It is from this place of deep, deep gratitude that we encounter the full joy and hope of a baby in swaddling clothes.

Help our hearts transition from the cares of this world to a posture of reflection, receiving, and reconciling cultural ideas of the holidays to the truth of what they really mean.

We let go of the past and press on to the coming season knowing with confidence that you go before us, behind us, and beside us.

All praise to you, God.

In the name of Jesus,

Amen.

We are transitioning. From #Thanksgiving to #Christmas. From the exhaustion of a challenging year to the hope of a baby in swaddling clothes. This is a #prayer for you as you transition. Click To Tweet

---

If you’re looking for more ways to prepare your heart for the holiday season, check out these posts:

1. Navigating Decision-Making with the Holy Spirit This Holiday Season
2. Choosing the Better Definition of Hope This Christmas
3. Peace on Earth—and in Our Everyday Moments

---