God,
I pray for 2026:
for those living under war,
laws that criminalize love,
oppression that whispers they are less than human.

For voices silenced,
stories ignored,
bodies policed,
and communities erased;
for children taught violence is normal, compassion weak.

For myself,
that I may remember kindness is not soft,
but a courageous, beautiful force.

May I carry it, speak it, live it,
every act of love, mercy, protest, solidarity, care, and witness a prayer.

To do justice.
To love kindness.
To walk humbly.
To see, protect, and celebrate all God’s people.

Amen

-Reed Kirkman, McKinney, TX