The start of a new year is often a time of excitement. You’re exploring all the possibilities this next season holds and planning to make the most of the next 12 months.
But while the prospect of a fresh start often brings anticipation, the busyness and hustle of the holiday season leading up to January 1st can easily overshadow it.
Taking the time to rest and reflect throughout the hectic weeks surrounding Christmas will help you lean on God and start the new year on the right foot.
1. Fast
Fasting is a spiritual discipline that is often ignored in the modern era. With few examples of how to fast and even less instruction on the purpose of it, many don’t see the need to fast in the 21st century.
During a period of abstinence, fasting from food is one of the most common, leading to a reliance on God to sustain.
However, fasting can mean giving up anything that distracts from the Father and His Word.
Whether it’s social media, caffeine, sugar, or food as a whole, taking some time during the busy holidays to fast, meditate, and pray will help you keep your eyes on Jesus and reset before the start of a new year.
2. Reflect on God’s Faithfulness
God’s faithfulness is something that we regularly hear about and sing about in church. But unless you’re intentionally looking for it, it can sometimes be challenging to see the evidence of that faithfulness, especially in a hard season.
Deliberately take time to reflect on how God has cared for and provided for you during the past year. Look at the challenges you’ve faced and the times the Lord has stood beside you.
If you’re having trouble seeing God’s steadfastness, spend time in prayer asking Him to open your eyes to the ways He came through for you this year.
The start of a new year is the perfect time to look back and reflect on how the Lord has carried you through the challenges of the year before and blessed you in ways you may not have recognized at the time.
If you want to begin the next season firmly leaning on the Rock, start by reflecting on how the Provider has been faithful to you in the past.
3. Write Down Your Prayers
Journaling and writing down thoughts and prayers are tools we often use to process our current circumstances and look back later to see how God was present through each situation.
Jot down a specific prayer, looking back over the previous year and asking for blessing and protection moving into the next.
Throughout the writing process, allow yourself to reflect on how God has been present in your life and taken care of you. Make requests for the things you want or need in the coming months, and boldly ask Him to guide you.
4. Take a Spiritual Inventory
A spiritual inventory is an honest examination of your heart and actions over the last year.
As this season comes to a close, take a moment to reflect on your personal discipleship journey.
- Did you long to spend time with the Lord and genuinely trust Him to guide and provide for you?
- Did you speak with love and compassion?
- Did your actions reflect who you claim to be in Jesus?
- Did you grow as a Christ-follower?
- Are there areas of your faith that need work in the coming months?
- Are there things you need to repent and ask forgiveness for, from God or from others?
There are many other questions you can ask yourself during a spiritual inventory of the past 12 months, but the most important thing is that you are honest with yourself.
Don’t sugarcoat the answers. Allow God to bring things to your attention and see where He would have you grow so you can lean wholly on Him in the next season.
5. Choose a Guiding Verse
Many start a new year by making resolutions. One way to participate in this tradition in a way that honors God is to choose a guiding verse to help you lean on Him throughout the year.
Whether you’re struggling with something or have a specific concern that feels like it’s speaking to your heart, selecting a verse to meditate on and let guide your actions can help you continue to turn your eyes to Him.
6. Make Time to Rest
One of the hallmarks of the Christmas season is its busyness. While December may be the most wonderful time of the year, it’s often the one so full of hustle and bustle that it’s easy to forget why we celebrate in the first place.
Despite the chaos of the last few weeks of the year, making time to rest is one of the best ways to connect with the Lord.
Rest is an essential part of our lives, and purposefully making time to rest despite the busyness of the world around us shows a dependence on God to bring peace.
If you truly want to lean on God through the next year, taking time to rest and reflect during the holidays is key.
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