A Prayer to Choose Hope Over Despair in the New Year

January 20, 2026 | by Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner | NCNW National Chaplain and President of Skinner Leadership Institute

Lamentations 3:20-23

Awesome and Almighty God, Author of life and Giver of every good and perfect gift, we bless and praise you for the blessing of a new year.  We confess, Lord, that we long to choose hope for new beginnings and new possibilities for our lives and world. Yet, our hearts are overwhelmed by lingering grief and distress over the past year of bitter cruelty aimed at vulnerable people, emboldened racism against citizens of color, and government-sponsored masked militia violently attacking Black and Brown citizens and noncitizens, and endangering all citizens, in targeted mass deportation raids while publicly welcoming White refugees to America. 

Loving God, as the foundations of law and order in our fragile democracy are swiftly being destroyed by those in power, too often using your holy name, we are uplifted by the sure knowledge that you, Sovereign God, still reign over heaven and earth. In a new year, when government is no longer for the people but turns against them, help us to claim hope over despair, courage over cowardice, and compassion over indifference for all our hurting neighbors. And, when we are tempted to lapse into despair over the dizzying accounts of government-inspired corruption and greed, cause us to remember the words of the prophet Jeremiah, “I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” (Lamentations 3:20-23).

We ask you to shower us daily with your unconditional love for all people, Lord God, lest we become bitter while standing up and speaking out for the vulnerable and defenseless, as your word commands. In your mighty and matchless name, we pray. Amen