Introduction
On January 1, many people look for words to begin 2027 with God. Here are fifteen prayers to say alone, as a couple, as a family or at the table: to give thanks for the year that is ending, to entrust the new one, to start again after a bereavement, a failure, an illness or a season of loneliness, and a few short prayers for children. Read them aloud, change a few words if you like, then add your own prayer afterward.
Prayers of Thanksgiving for the Past Year
Look back before you look ahead. Give thanks for something concrete: a person, a day, a help received.
"Lord, as I turn the page, I thank you for the year that is ending. Thank you for the faces that walked with me, for the roof over my head and for every morning you have given me. You carried me more often than I knew."
"Father, we want to thank you together for everything we have lived through as a family: the shared meals, the bursts of laughter, the children's achievements, and even the moments when we learned to bear with one another. Keep us grateful."
"Faithful God, when I think back over these months, I see your hand in details I had forgotten: a meeting at just the right time, a door that opened, a strength that arrived on time. Thank you for watching over me without my noticing."
"Lord, we thank you for our health, for our work, for the bread on our table. We also thank you for the lessons we would not have chosen. They taught us to depend on you."
Prayers for Entrusting the New Year to God
Tell God what worries you: plans, family, work, health. You ask him to lead you; you do not dictate what must happen.
"Father, I entrust to you this year that is opening up. I do not know what it will bring, but I know that you are already there where I am going. Lead my steps, shed light on my choices and give me patience when things do not move as I hope."
"Lord, we place in your hands our family plans: the decisions to make, the children's schooling, the moves that may come. Show us what comes from you, and give us the peace to let go of what does not."
"Good God, I bring my work before you. Give me integrity in my tasks, friendship with my colleagues and discernment for important choices. And for those who are still looking for a job, open a way and protect their courage."
"Lord, I entrust to you my health and the health of those I love. Teach me to take care of my body without making it an idol, and to welcome you in weakness as well as in strength. Stay close to those who will be ill."
Prayers for a Fresh Start After a Difficult Year
If the past year left wounds, you do not have to pretend. These prayers leave room for tears.
"Lord, someone has left us this year, and the emptiness is still here. I am not asking you to erase the grief, but to stay close to me in the middle of it. Comfort me, and help me move forward slowly, without betraying the memory of the one I love."
"Father, I failed where I hoped to succeed, and shame follows me. Remind me that my identity does not depend on my results. Lift me up, teach me from my mistakes and give me the courage to begin again, one step at a time."
"God of compassion, illness has taken up much room in our lives. You know the exhaustion, the appointments, the waiting for results. Sustain those who care for others and those who are being cared for, and give us moments of rest and hope."
"Lord, loneliness has been heavy these past months, and today it still weighs on me. Come and dwell in my silence. Place on my path someone to talk to, a place where I am expected, and a presence I will feel close beside me."
Short Prayers for New Year's Day with the Family
One or two sentences are enough for children, at the table or around breakfast on January 1. Each person can add a thank-you out loud.
"Thank you, Lord, for our family gathered together. Bless this meal and this day, and help us be gentle with one another throughout the months to come."
"God who loves us, we are starting a new year with you. Take care of Mom and Dad, the grandparents and the children. Keep us together and joyful."
"Jesus, thank you for all the days ahead of us. Help us tell the truth, forgive quickly and think of others. You walk with us everywhere: at school, at work, at home."
Verses to Pray at the Beginning of the Year
These verses feed a New Year's prayer. Read one on the morning of January 1 and let it guide your words.
Lamentations 3:22-23
"It is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn’t fail. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness."
These lines were written by a man mourning the ruin of his city, and yet he remembers that God's compassions are "new every morning." At the start of a year, they invite us to rely on a kindness that never runs out. Read all of Lamentations 3.
Proverbs 16:3
"Commit your deeds to Yahweh, and your plans shall succeed."
This proverb invites us to entrust our works to God before carrying them out. It does not promise that everything will succeed as planned, but it shows the right order: entrust first, then act with him. Read all of Proverbs 16.
Isaiah 43:19
"Behold, I will do a new thing. It springs out now. Don’t you know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert."
God speaks here to a people in exile and announces that he is going to do something new, a way in the desert. After a difficult year, this verse reminds you that he knows how to open a road where you saw none. Read all of Isaiah 43.
Jeremiah 29:11-13
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,” says Yahweh, “thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future. You shall call on me, and you shall go and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You shall seek me, and find me, when you search for me with all your heart."
These words are addressed to exiles far from home, to whom God first asks to settle down and pray, before promising a return after many years. It is not a blank check for every plan, but the assurance that God answers the one who seeks him. Read all of Jeremiah 29.
Psalm 143:8
"Cause me to hear your loving kindness in the morning, for I trust in you. Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to you."
A prayer that asks to hear God's kindness from the morning and to know the way to walk. It can become your first prayer of the year, simple and honest. Read all of Psalm 143.
Tips for Writing Your Own New Year Prayer
Start with a specific thank-you. Note three things from the past year you are grateful for, even small ones, and write them out in full. A concrete prayer is worth more than a general one.
Then say what you are entrusting: a project, a relationship, a fear. Phrase it as a request rather than a demand, and keep one sentence to say that you accept God leading you in a different way than you planned.
Keep your prayer short and in your own words: four to six sentences are enough. Speak to God as you would to a father, without looking for fine phrases. Write it by hand, date the paper and slip it into your Bible to reread it later and measure how far you have come.
Say it out loud, alone or with your family, then finish with a moment of silence. As a family, let each person write or say a sentence, even the youngest. You can reread these prayers together after a year.
Further reading
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you pray on January 1?
Start by thanking God for the past year, then entrust to him what lies ahead: plans, family, work, health. End with a simple request for direction and peace. A few sentences are enough, alone, as a couple or at the table with the children. What matters is speaking to God sincerely.
Which verse should you read for the new year?
Lamentations 3:22-23 speaks of loving kindnesses that are new every morning, and Proverbs 16:3 invites us to entrust our plans to God. Isaiah 43:19 announces a new thing, and Jeremiah 29:11 is best read alongside the verses around it. You will find these texts above, with their context.
Can you ask God for a good year?
Yes, you can ask for peace, health, wisdom and protection for yourself and for those you love. The Bible does not promise a year without trials, however: it promises God's presence in every season. Pray with confidence, accepting that his answer does not always look like what you expected.
How do you pray after a difficult year?
Simply tell God the truth: your tiredness, your grief, your anger or your disappointment. The Psalms show that complaint is part of prayer. Then ask for a first step rather than a whole year sorted out in advance, and accept being supported by your church or by someone close to you.