My Birthday Prayer

         Almighty God and Father, I love you and  I give you all the glory and praise forever and ever!  

        Gracious God, source of all goodness, thank you for the gift of life and for Your loving presence in my life for the past fifty-four years.  You have blessed me with another year to live which I am ever so grateful. By your grace, may I be able to continue to grow in your love and to serve You more each day.

       Thank you for Mommy and Daddy, whom You have already called to Your kingdom. This is my first birthday without them Lord. You know how much I really miss them. As I close my eyes, I can see and hear them singing happy birthday to me. They will forever be the pillars of my faith and strength for they have passed on to me the gift of faith that you have blessed them with.

      Thank you for all the blessings, as well as the trials of the past year, most especially, the loss of my Mommy, Daddy, Uncle Cesar, Lola Nieves and Ate Emma.  I will never understand why these deaths had to happen in a span of seven months.  But truly, my Lord, Your ways and thoughts are higher than mine. You allow things to happen for a reason and for the good of everyone.  All of these experiences did not only make me stronger in faith.  It made me hunger more for You and do what is pleasing to You.

       Thank you for my loved ones and for all the people around me whom You have sent as Your instruments to love, teach, guide, strengthen and humble me. They have made my life beautiful. I am what I am now because of them.

      For the times that I failed you, my Lord, please forgive me.  Lead me always to the path of righteousness and never allow anything to come between us.

      I do not know what lies ahead of me now, Lord.  What I know and believe is Your promise to me in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you…plans to prosper you and not to harm you..plans to give you hope and a future.”

      And so dear God, as I go through this year, my prayer is for me to be free from health concerns and financial worries, to always see and love you in every person I meet every day, to rise above my human nature in moments of weakness,  and to never cease to do better each day…all for Your honor and glory.  All of these I pray, in the sweetest name of Your Son, Jesus Christ.  Amen.