Persevere through the end of a long year

A Prayer for You as We Persevere through the End of a Long Year

Posted on by Michele Morin

When the Cambridge Dictionary announced their word of the year for 2021, I did an enthusiastic double take. Their choice of perseverance may have been inspired by the name of the space rover that landed on Mars in February 2021, but it is also a noun form of my own word of the year: PERSEVERE.

The team at the Cambridge Dictionary described perseverance as a “word which perfectly captures the undaunted will of people across the world to never give up, despite the many challenges of 2021.” With more than 243,000 searches on the site, it was clearly a word on the minds of English-speaking people, and its definition explains why: “a continual effort to do or achieve something, even when this is difficult or takes a long time.”

One project that has required a fair amount of perseverance this year is memorizing John 15:1-8, largely because of John’s infuriating habit of repeating himself, making subtle changes in his wording with each repetition. However, John did stick tenaciously with the word abide, repeating it seven times in the first nine verses of John 15. Imagine my surprise when I stumbled across the tiny biblical languages tidbit that abide arises from the Greek root that means to bear up courageously under suffering.

Sure sounds like perseverance to me!

In this, then, I find permission to read John 15 with perseverance in mind:

Persevere in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it perseveres in the vine, neither can you, unless you persevere in me…  Whoever perseveres in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing… If you persevere in me, and my words persevere in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you… Persevere in my love.

John 15:4, 5, 7, 9

Over halfway through Advent season, the end of the year is more visible than I care to acknowledge, but even with the end in sight, I want to continue to persevere, to finish well. I believe that’s your desire as well, so I’m lifting up a prayer for an abiding perseverance for us all based on John 15. I invite you to join me!

A Prayer for You as You Persevere

Lord God,
Creator of all good things,
You are the one who first persevered,
Who loved us all the way to the cross, and so,
We believe that you can create the virtue of perseverance in us,
your impatient people.
Because you have persevered in us, we find grace to persevere in you.
Because you are in the business of producing actual holiness in our lives,
We discover the joyful surprise of fruitfulness.
We long for your Word to persevere in us,
As you change us from the inside out.
Empower us, Lord, for an active showing up,
A participating eagerness to receive all that you long to teach us in this moment–
And the next.
Show us how to persevere in success and rich harvest
And how to persevere in hardship and loss,
And so shall we prove to be your true disciples.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
Amen

Holding you in the Light,

Over halfway through Advent season, the end of the year is more visible than I care to acknowledge. I want to continue to persevere, to finish well. If that’s your desire as well, join me in prayer for an abiding perseverance!

The Countdown Begins! 10… 9… 8…

Make the ten days before Christmas meaningful (and establish a great habit!) by meeting with God, pondering a carol, and paying attention to the arrival of the One True Light. I’ve designed a free guided journal for Advent, and Welcoming the Light is just one example of my commitment to support women in the goal of becoming confident Christ-followers and students of God’s Word.

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Published by Michele Morin

Michele Morin is a Bible teacher, writer, reader, and gardener committed to the truth that women can become confident Christ-followers and students of God's Word. She has been married to an unreasonably patient husband for thirty-plus years, and together they have four sons, four daughters-in-love, and five adorable grandchildren. Michele loves hot tea and well-crafted sentences, poems that stop her in her tracks, and days at the ocean with the whole family. She laments biblical illiteracy and advocates for the prudent use of “little minutes.” She blogs at Living Our Days, and you can connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

49 thoughts on “A Prayer for You as We Persevere through the End of a Long Year”

  2. Michele, the Cambridge Dictionary provided a wonderful definition of “perseverance”! I think it is a word which will continue to have depth of meaning and stick with you. Joining you in praying, “We long for your Word to persevere in us” (in me!).

    Like

  3. Michele, This post and prayer brought such sustenance to my soul!!  Thank you so much for sharing! ❤️~DeMaris

    Sent from the all new Aol app for iOS

    Like

  6. I hadn’t had my second cup of coffee yet, so when I opened this morning to my psalm of the day (Psalm 16), instead of “preserve me, O God”, I read “PERSEVERE me, O God”! Perseverance was definitely in my heart and on my mind! Truly, because He persevered for us, we can persevere for Him, into this day, into our Christmas gatherings, into the new year. “I have set the LOLRD always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved…” (Ps. 16:8).

    Thank you for your encouragement, Michele! May God continue to bless you and your family as you persevere for Christ!

    Like

  10. Perseverance is so important to our growth in faith! Thank you for persevering with your helpful blog and book reviews, Michele. And thank you for your prayer for us all. May you and your family have a blessed Christmas! Will it be white, do you think?

    Like

  11. Merry Christmas, dear Michele. Your depth of love for Christ and His Word has added greatly to my life. I appreciate that iron sharpening iron relationship He’s blessed us with. May this Christmas season be a blessed one for you and yours. Those first holidays without everyone gathered ’round can be bittersweet indeed.

    May God fill your home with joy no matter how many gather ’round.

    Like

  13. Michelle,
    Thanks so much for Stopping by!! Thanks for the prayer in this post…I needed it today…Merry Christmas to you and yours!! Stay safe, healthy and happy!!
    Hugs,
    Debbie

    Like

  14. I’ll hate to see your word of the year leave us, Michele, because I’ve gained much from your practice of it myself. But I know we’ll both persevere anyway, even if not with the word itself. Hope you and yours have a wonderful Christmas!

    Like

  21. Oh Michele. Such an encouraging prayer to read during a time when God seems to be unveiling some areas in my relationships that need some work. And I love what happens when you replace “abide” with “persevere” in John 15. In my mind, it moves from being slightly passive to more active. Which I what I think I need right now. Happy day after Christmas to you, my friend.

    Like

  23. Well…we have persevered until the end of the year. May we do the same spiritually.
    I thank you for your thoughts amid the hustle and bustle of life.

    Thanks for bringing them to the Homestead Blog Hop!

    Laurie
    Ridge Haven Homestead

    Like

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