By Donna Whiteside
As we ring in the New Year singing the familiar words to the traditional song of Auld Lang Syne, kindling feelings of nostalgia and reflection of the past year, we now look forward to 2026 with Hope, Faith and Love.
These three key ingredients in Christian life and are also the prime inspiration for prayer. Communication is necessary in any family setting and prayer is a necessity in our life with Jesus. Initiating prayer into our daily lives with Hope, Faith and Love is a good start to the New Year.
Every wish and dream for the future is based on a hope for better things to come. When we pray, we share our hope by asking God to bless our world with new possibilities for peace and reconciliation in the coming year.
Our faith in Jesus and His ability to bring our prayers to fruition is a major factor. Full trust and confidence that our requests are not only heard but will be fulfilled according to the will of God, is the faith needed for our prayers to be answered.
The last ingredient of prayer is love. Love of God, love of family, love of neighbour, love of creation. A heart filled with love when we pray, will get God’s attention every time. There is no better way to feel the presence of Jesus than to offer prayer with a heart overflowing with love.
Let us pray:
Precious Lord, another year has come and gone, but a New Year has just begun.
We pray for peace where conflict rages, for abundance where food is scarce, for healing where there is sickness and for compassion where there is brokenness.
Bring hope for a better world, faith in Your justice and truth, and love for all of humanity through the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Donna Whiteside is an AFP Executive Member.