You're busy decking the halls, praying through your Advent devotional, finishing shopping, preparing for travel or guests, and focusing your attention on the coming Savior. If I could, I'd like to look to the coming new year—just for a moment. As we look toward the dawn of a fresh 365 days, we would be thrilled if you joined us for the 2022 Prayer Pledge.
The Blessed is She Prayer Pledge
Every January, our Blessed is She community comes together, across the world, to dedicate the first month of the new year to prayer. As many of us formulate goals and articulate dreams for the new year, we link virtual arms and encourage one another to put our relationship with the Lord at the very top of our list.
So for the first 31 days of the new year, we pledge to pray together. We set ourselves on the path of this good practice with the hopes that our daily time spent with Christ this first month of the year will carry over to a daily prayer habit for the rest of the year…and for our entire lives.
They That Hope
This year’s Prayer Pledge theme is They That Hope. Our anchoring Scripture verse is Isaiah 40:31:
They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength,
they will soar on eagles’ wings;They will run and not grow weary,
walk and not grow faint.
Does your strength need to be renewed? Are you feeling weary, growing faint?
You're not alone, as many of us are desperately holding fast to hope. Hope is a theological virtue, which means it relates directly to God. It is not merely a moral virtue but it has "the One and Triune God for their origin, motive, and object" (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1812).
What better way to begin the new year than in a spirit and posture of hope?!
What to Expect Each Day
Every day of the Prayer Pledge, there will be a new post here on the blog. The daily posts will include a short reflection and a prayer that we will all pray together.
Our daily posts will close with questions to discuss with your prayer partner (more on that below).
If you’re like me and could use a daily reminder about the Prayer Pledge, sign up to receive the Prayer Pledge posts straight to your inbox. If you subscribe to our devotions, then you’re familiar with the setup and how much easier this makes it to remain faithful to our pledge!
Prayer Partners
Another great way to enter into the new year with a renewed pledge to deepen your relationship with God is by buddying up. We really encourage each of us to choose a prayer partner for the Prayer Pledge. If you already have a thriving Bible study or prayer group, perhaps you can team up and bring the Prayer Pledge content to your next meeting or text thread!
As prayer partners, you’ll hold one another accountable to read the daily posts. But not in an annoying way, you know, just a regular-person-trying-to-help-you-do-what-you-really-want-to-do way.
Like we mentioned above, each day’s post will contain a couple of questions for you to discuss with your prayer partner. You can do this in whatever way you choose (email, text, phone, Voxer, over coffee, etc.). But these questions go a little deeper than the typical, “What struck you about this reflection?” We’re really striving to be vulnerable here and form a bond with our prayer partners while strengthen our bond with Christ.
Most importantly, as prayers partners, you’ll be dedicated to praying for one another through the month and beyond.
We encourage you to reach out and select your prayer partner before the Prayer Pledge begins if possible! Text them the link to this blog post so they can sign up, share it on social, or email it to a friend.
What to Do Now to Get Ready for the Prayer Pledge
Ready to get ready for the new year? Ready to grow closer to Jesus and live more fully in His love? We are, too, sister.
Here are our next steps:
- Sign up to receive the Prayer Pledge to your inbox in the colorful box above (or right here).
- Ask the Lord if He has someone in mind to be your prayer partner. Then reach out to them!
- Share about the Prayer Pledge by word of mouth and on social media. Use the hashtag #prayerpledge!
- Keep walking through Advent and preparing your hearts for Christmas. We’ll catch you in the new year.
Will you be joining us for this year’s Prayer Pledge? Let us know who your prayer partner is in the comments!
They That Hope // Join Us for the 2022 Prayer Pledge #BISblog #prayerpledge //Click to tweet
Olivia Spears lives in Kentucky, where sweet tea and bourbon flow like milk and honey. She holds degrees in Theology and Catechetics from the Franciscan University of Steubenville and works from home while enjoying her children and husband. She curates relevant and inspiring content for Catholic women as Blog Manager. She is the narrator of Set a Fire, And Hay Became Holy, and All She Had as well as a contributing author for Rise Up. Find out more about her here.
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