Daily Prayer for January 1, 2025: Psalm 1

NOTE: One of my goals this year is to pray through the Psalms, taking up each Psalm in order. There will be days when I use other passages or a portion of a Psalm, but most prayers will follow the order of the Psalms. The prayers will typically follow the A-C-T-S method (adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication)

Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
(Psalm 1:1-6, ESV)

Prayer: Grant us, almighty God and redeemer, a sense of your presence and grace as we enter a new year. We know that you are sovereign, the God who ordains all things, including those that stand before us this year. We know you care for your church and gave us your Word to guide and direct us. We praise you because you are not like us. You are a God who cannot lie and are always faithful to every promise in your Word. Therefore, we can trust you. Yet, our God, we know that there are many times when we allow the cares and concerns of this world to trouble our minds and hearts. We know that we should trust you, but there are times when we worry instead. As we enter a new year, we know that you will bring trials of various kinds into our lives to conform us more and more into the image of your beloved Son. We are thankful that you care more about our character than our comfort. We are thankful that you, as a loving Father, do not treat us as we deserve but work daily to help us walk in holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. Therefore, we pray for you to help us seek first your kingdom and righteousness by investing our lives this year in your Word, meditating and obeying what we read.

We know that blessing will come to those who trust you and rest in your truth. We pray that you will give us an abundance of your Spirit so we can understand the counsel of your Word. Please help us also by drawing comfort and counsel from godly people. Please keep us from the efforts of the Evil One to poison our souls and minds with counsel that is contrary to your Word. We know that as we seek you in these things, you will prosper us by conforming us in he who is the living Word. Please protect us from ourselves this year and guide us for good we ask and pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Scripture Meditation: Psalm 1