bath & wells: services for children and young people
schools & colleges

Seasonal Prayers - New Year

New Year

I will give you a new heart and a new mind. Ezekiel 36:26

Give each member of your group a piece of paper and show them how to fold it in half and then tear it into a heart shape. Encourage each group member to write the following words on their heart:

Lord, in the year that's about to start,
Help me to love you with all my heart.

Read out the following prayer and invite group members to read out the words written on their hearts as a response:

Father God, as we look forward to the coming year, we ask that you will bless us and be close to us.

Lord, in the year that's about to start,
Help me to love you with all my heart.

Father God, please help us all to make the most of all the opportunities that you give us in the next twelve months.

Lord, in the year that's about to start,
Help me to love you with all my heart.

Father God, please give us the strength and courage to bear the difficulties and disappointments of the coming year.

Lord, in the year that's about to start,
Help me to love you with all my heart.

Father God, in everything we do this year, may we turn to you for help and guidance.

Lord, in the year that's about to start,
Help me to love you with all my heart.
Amen.

New Year Resolutions

They went into the house, and when they saw the child with his mother Mary, they knelt down and worshipped him. Matthew 2:11

Remind your group of the wise men who travelled a long way to find Jesus. When they found him they knelt down and worshipped him and offered him special gifts. What could we resolve to do during this New Year to show Jesus how much he means to us?

Discuss the different possibilities and write up all the suggestions on a board or overhead projector acetate. For example:

• we could set aside a regular time to talk to God
• we could try to read our Bible more often
• we could be more willing to share our possessions
• we could resolve to tell someone else the good news about Jesus.

Conclude with a prayer asking God to help the group keep their New Year's resolutions.

New Year Blessing

"Jesus never changes! He is the same yesterday, today and for ever."
Hebrews 13:8

You will need small calendars, copies of prayer, card, glitter, sticky shapes, glue, hole punch, ribbon, sticky tape.

In advance, buy a number of the small calendars that are designed to hang under a photograph or painting. Give the children a copy of the prayer below and encourage them to colour an attractive border or stick glitter and shapes around the edge of the text. Paste the prayer onto a sheet of stiff card and punch two holes in the top so that you can thread a length of ribbon through to make a loop. Fix a calendar under each prayer and encourage the children to give this new year blessing to a special friend or relation.

In this coming year I pray that:
God's love will surround you
God's wisdom will guide you
God's word will teach you
And God's ear will hear you
Amen

Smiles and Prayers

This would work well at the end of a New Year's Eve party.

You will need sheets of smiley stickers, enough for one sheet per person.

Give everyone a small sheet of smiley stickers, and encourage them to go round wishing each other "Happy New Year!" and giving people a sticker as a token of their greeting, or prayers for them in the coming year. If you have a local venue where people gather at new year, for example, the local clock tower, you could get your party to go out and give smiley stickers to people in the gathering, wishing them God's best for the coming year.

More Seasonal Prayers