Day 20 of 21 days of prayer | New Year’s Day

21 days of prayer | praying in the new year & traveling through loss  

Day 20 of 21 Days of Prayer 

| 1st January 2024 

Wow

Happy New Year friend! 

I can’t believe it’s already here. 2024 has arrived and 2023 has left us. It doesn’t really feel like a new year. Maybe because everything has already felt like it has changed. It hasn’t felt much like the holidays either. It’s…different. 

Time moving fast and at the same time standing still and motionless. A paradox of feelings and emotions.  

We are also in our last days of this challenge. Only tomorrow is left. I felt like I just started this challenge with you all. And at the same time I felt like I began this forever ago. I have changed. Who I was on day one is different than the girl who writes this now on day 20. Still, me. Still, Moriyah. Just new. Just changed. Altered by things and circumstance. New. 

So much has happened. I want to share some more thoughts soon in a new post but until then, I’ll see you soon! 

*Also, random question but who else listens to Taylor Swift’s “New Year’s Day” on New Year’s Day?

Today I did something I’ve been working on for a few days.

I wrote an obituary for my Grandpa. 

Now that’s something I never thought I would do. Write an obituary. How…sad. But I did. I needed to do this. So in bits and pieces I’ve been working on his obituary. It’s not very long. Just a bit to share about him, his life, his faith, and what he means to me and my family. Formal and informal. 

As silly as it sounds, I was watching Gilmore Girls a while back and obituaries were brought up. That was really the first time I knew about it and thought about it. Then with what happened to Grandpa, I wanted to do this. I wanted to use my gift of writing for him. It’s small. Just a few paragraphs and a verse. Just a few words. Still, it was important for me to do this. 

I don’t read the newspaper but I know my grandpa’s generation did. That was a customary thing to announce births, deaths, weddings and more. They still do that in local papers. I thought it would be sweet to have a paper with him in it. His photo. Words about him and our love for him. It’s small but was important for me. 

So, I wrote an obituary for him. Now I’ve submitted it to the paper. I’ve never done this kind of thing before—obituaries, submissions to newspapers, none of it. It was important for me. Important to write about him. Important to have a paper with him in it that I can see and save. Sentimental. 

I don’t know when it will be published but it’s there now. I’ll let you know when it’s published…maybe even share it on my blog or share a photograph of it. Anyways, love you all! Thank you for all who read! Thank you for being a part of my blog and life! 

XOXO

Today’s prayers are for the new year and are about thankfulness! I’m so thankful for all God have given me and all He has provided. I thank Him for keeping me here when I could have gone away. I thank Him for all His blessings and the prayers He has answered. I thank Him for all He has done for my family and in my family. I see Him moving and changing me and my family. I see Him leading us. I see Him showing up. I see Him making leaders. I see Him changing hearts. I see Him giving direction. I see Him bringing peace. I see Him convicting. I see Him in everything. Thank you Father! 

What I read…

• Psalm 65
• Psalm 66
• John 14

5You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds,

O God our savior.

You are the hope of everyone on earth,

even those who sail on distant seas.

6You formed the mountains by your power

and armed yourself with mighty strength.

7You quieted the raging oceans

with their pounding waves

and silenced the shouting of the nations.

8Those who live at the ends of the earth

stand in awe of your wonders.

From where the sun rises to where it sets,

you inspire shouts of joy. 

—Psalm 65:5-8 

5Come and see what our God has done,

what awesome miracles he performs for people! 

—Psalm 66:5

16Come and listen, all you who fear God,

and I will tell you what he did for me.

17For I cried out to him for help,

praising him as I spoke. 

—Psalm 66:16-17

Previous days: 

• 21 Days Of Prayer 
• Day one | praying for specifics and to be a light for God
• Day two | praying for my future husband  
• Day three | processing…
• Day four | check ins and journal entries 
• Day five | seeing God in EVERYTHING + the crashing waves of grief
• Day six | feeling SEEN in the Psalms
• Day seven | Feelings muddled under the surface of my skin
• Day eight | rejoice always 
• Day nine | I feel like a little girl. I feel lost. Surrounded by rubble. 
• Day ten | God connects stories
• Day eleven | talking about what’s been happening…Grandpa passing
• Day twelve | Christmas Eve 
• Day thirteen | Christmas Day
• Day fourteen | day after Christmas & dealing with pain
• Day fifteen | in my darkest days — memories with grandpa
• Day sixteen | 2 weeks without grandpa 
• Day seventeen | praying for truth
• Day eighteen | musings on death
• Day nineteen | New Year’s Eve

God bless us, every one 

If you think to pray for me and my family I will be forever grateful! If you have a prayer request or need please comment and let me know! 

Goodnight! <3 

Love, 

Moriyah