Lord our God, our years come and go. We ourselves live and die. But you are and remain. Your rule and your faithfulness, your justice and your mercy, have no beginning and no end. You are thus the origin and aim of our lives. You are thus the judge of our thoughts, words and deeds.
We are sorry that today we can only confess that so often, right up to this very hour and continually anew, we have forgotten, denied and offended you. But today your Word – through which you allow us to recognize you are our Father and we are your children, because your dear Son, Jesus Christ, became incarnate for us, died and was raised, and is our brother – enlightens and comforts us.
We thank you that now, on this final Sunday of the year, we may again proclaim and hear this joyful message. Make us free to say the right thing, and to hear it properly, so that this hour may bring you honor and all of us peace and salvation. Amen.
Lord, our Father, you tell us today as you did yesterday, and you will tell us tomorrow as you have today, that you have always loved us and have drawn us to yourself out of pure goodness. We hear you; grant that we hear your correctly! We believe; help our unbelief! We want to obey you; bring an end to everything that is much too weak and much too hard in us, that we may truly and properly obey You! We trust you; cast our all the ghosts from our heads and hearts, that we may wholly and happily trust you! We run to you for shelter; let us earnestly leave behind everything that must be left behind and let us look ahead and move forward in bright confidence!
Help all who are in this house; all those in this city and in the whole wide world who are in error, who are sorrowful, bitter and confused; all prisoners; those who are sick in the hospitals and mental hospitals; those in politics who have positions of leadership; those who call out for bread, justice and freedom; and those nations that wage war, whether with or without reason; the teachers and instructors and the children who are entrusted to them; the churches, regardless of direction or persuasion, that they may guard and spread the pure light of your Word.
We see so much, both near and far, that grieves and discourages us, and that also makes us angry and indifferent. But in you, there is complete order, peace, freedom and joy. You were the hope for us and the whole world in the old year, and you will also be the same in the new year. We lift our hearts – no, you be the one to lift our hearts to you! To you, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be the honor, yesterday, today, tomorrow and forever. Amen.
(Karl Barth, Fifty Prayers, Year’s End)
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