Prayers For 2026
James 5:16b-18
Many people experience feelings of sadness, moodiness and dread towards the end of the year and around the new year. Many describe it as a feeling of despair and regret over the past year and anxiety toward the new one. Regret over lost opportunities as regards their careers, their families, finances and many areas of life. Anxiety towards the future, unforeseen situations that may be out of their control.
In a bid to feel better, they would create strategies for the new year, like mood boards and to-do lists. Some attend seminars with themes like “How to maximize your potential every day in this new year” or “How to make 24 hours feel like 48 hours”
Some may also speak to therapists, family members and friends who would walk them through their emotions. They would employ all of these methods and would still find themselves in the same cycle.
However, James 5:16b-18 tells us of a greater strategy to use when it comes to “new year blues”
James 5:16b-18
New King James Version
16 …The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
While all these other strategies for preparing for the new year are great, Prayer is the believer’s most powerful resource.
You can see a great example of what Apostle James describes in:
I Kings 18:41-45
New King James Version
41 Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.”
42 So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees,
43 and said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And seven times he said, “Go again.”
44 Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” So he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.’ ”
45 Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel.
An entire sermon can be taught on Elijah’s posture and concentration in prayer but one thing of note is the assurance and persistence he showed in prayer. He told his servant to check back seven times, severally till he saw an answer. He had so much faith that without prayer there would be no rain and he held onto that until he heard the sound of abundance of rain.
Proverbs 18:10
New King James Version
10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.
The previous text explained to us the assurance we have in prayer that we can stay in the place of prayer till we get answers. However, this text shows us how prayer can also serve as a refuge and fortress against the wiles of the devil. It can serve as the foundation for mental fortitude against the new year.
Psalms 55:22 tells us we can cast our burdens and cares on him because He is our sustenance. Such that, when the going gets tough, you have a cover and a well of strength to draw from.
Philippians 4:6-7
New King James Version
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
The new year comes with so many fears and anxiety, but we must come to the place of prayer.
1. To let our request be known to God
2. To lay our fears and worries at the feet of Jesus and receive peace
We have discussed the effectiveness of prayer, how it’s our sustenance, our shield and it can be the foundation for mental fortitude this year.
It is worthy of note that just like Elijah, prayer must be done consistently. However, how do we maintain this kind of prayer life?
Apostle Paul gives us an answer: 1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to pray without ceasing. The one thing you do without stopping is breathing. That is how consistent praying must be.
This would mean praying in the morning when you wake up, praying at night before bed, joining corporate prayers as much as you can, taking prayer retreats and praying long hours, and having a prayer journal. Do everything to make sure that your prayer altar is constantly on fire for all its benefits.
Jeremiah 33:3 lets us know that God will answer us the moment we call on him. This must be our predisposition as we enter this new year.
God isn’t distant or disinterested in your concerns. He’s not too busy managing the cosmos to care about your personal struggles. He’s not waiting for you to get your life together before you approach Him. He’s waiting for you to call. And when you do, He promises to answer with insight, wisdom and provision.
This consistent prayer life isn’t meant to be lived in isolation. God’s work includes our families as well. Throughout Scripture, we see God’s concern for entire households, not just isolated believers.
When God called Abram in Genesis 12:1-3, He said:
1 Now the LORD had said to Abram:
“Get out of your country,
From your family
And from your father’s house,
To a land that I will show you.
2 I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
The family structure is of great importance to God. Whatever God is doing in our lives must flow into our families.
We see this commitment echoed in Joshua 24:15
New King James Version
15 But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
Joshua didn’t just make a personal declaration—he made a household declaration.
As we pray through this new year, we must pray not only for ourselves but for our spouses, children, parents, siblings, and extended family. The prayer covering we establish over our households creates a spiritual atmosphere where God’s presence, peace, and provision can flourish.
Pray for your family’s protection, provision, spiritual growth, and unity. Pray that every member of your household would encounter God in fresh ways this year. Pray that your home would be a place where faith is strengthened, hope is renewed, and love abounds.
As this year draws to a close and a new one begins, you don’t have to be enslaved to regret, anxiety, or fear. You don’t have to depend solely on motivational seminars, self-help strategies, or even well-meaning advice from friends—though these things can have their place.
You have access to something infinitely more powerful: the throne room of God through prayer.
Make prayer your first strategy, not your last resort. Let it be the lens through which you view every challenge, every opportunity, every uncertainty this new year will bring. When Elijah prayed, heaven responded. When you pray, the same God who answered Elijah hears you.
The new year doesn’t have to be marked by blues, despair, or dread. It can be marked by breakthrough, peace, and the manifest presence of God, if you will make the place of prayer your dwelling place.
This is why for the rest of this week, we will be raising prayers for 2026 on this platform. Please give and commit your heart to it and set the trajectory of your new year with bowed hearts and bent knees.
Remember, the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous person avails much. You serve a God who hears, who answers, and who is faithful. Let prayer be the strategy that shapes everything else.
Will you make 2026 a year defined by prayer?
Prayer point
As this year comes to an end, I am not lackadaisical with prayer. I see prayer as a dwelling place, a well to draw strength from in this coming year. I learn to rest in the place of prayer for myself and my family.