Behold,

I send My messenger,

and he will prepare

the way before Me.

          Malachi 3. 1

(By our faithfulness

  in the ordinary

  and in the crisis,

our obedience

  even when we

  don't understand why,

our love for God

      and others,

our words and deeds,

our daily seeking Him

    and marinating

    in His Word,

our selflessness

   when we don't need to,

our forgiveness

   when we do,

our encouraging and

  strengthening others,

loving neighbors,

strangers, sojourners

     and foes,

we prepare

  the way of the LORD

  in the lives of others,

even those we will

             never know,

even those yet unborn.

And God prepares

   our way before Him.)

O LORD,

Help us to realize

that You use us

to point others to You,

even when we

     are most unaware.

We are messengers

   of Your grace and hope

   and love.

That is humbling indeed.

Be fruitful through us,

                O LORD,

even in our bumbling.

Help us to prepare Your way

    in every divine appointment

    and sacred encounter.

May we --

this last day of 2020

and into the years beyond--

pray continually,

live faithfully,

love well,

and practice grace

    over and over again.

We pray beyond

    our daily bread.

We pray for lives

   that bear much fruit,

even that we will

             never yet see.