en yan hua fang

O God on High,

God whom we ought to praise forever!  That we are not plunged into the lake of fire is because of Your manifold lovingkindness; it is by Your mercy that we are not destroyed.  Before You, every day is new.  In Your presence, every moment reveals Your righteousness and faithfulness—You are the unchanging God!  May we understand that God is our portion, and may we earnestly look upon You.  We long for Your compassion, and we long for Your gracious hand to rest upon us and our families and upon all those for whom we care.

For a person to bear the yoke in their youth is meant to lead them to seek You, to know You, and to wait for You.  Your promise to humanity is that whoever seeks You, You will show them grace.  One year has passed, and a new year has just begun.  May those who have found God and live in the kingdom of Christ no longer set their minds on earthly things or the pleasures of the flesh, but instead set their minds on things above and on growth in life, so that we may not betray the Lord’s salvation nor neglect the mission entrusted to those who have received grace.

You have told us that without holiness, no one can see the Lord.  Therefore, we ask You to guide and strengthen us, that we may turn away from sin, for turning away from sin is turning away from Your curse.  We also ask that You help us: to no longer be of little faith; to no longer stumble when tempted; and to no longer be bound by evil.  May those who have sin confess it; may those who need to repent, repent; may those who sing and speak of gratitude give thanks; and may we no longer put ourselves first, but put what the Lord has entrusted to us as foremost and greatest.

We also ask God to grant us the ability to discern right from wrong, truth from falsehood, that we may not be deceived by the hypocritical and the falsely righteous, but instead remain watchful and self-examining, walking on the path of truth.  As we ask and act in this way, may God be praised for our good deeds, and may His name be hallowed as holy!

We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!