I’ve found something better than making New Year’s resolutions
By Dean Collins
I used to make New Year’s Day resolutions, but in recent years, while I do consider a few things I need to work on, I have shifted my focus. Good ol’ self-discipline will help in doing exercises and monitoring food consumption, but self-discipline can take you only so far. And there are certainly challenges in life that you simply cannot overcome by self-discipline.
With this in mind, a few years ago I began a new practice of picking a few Scriptures to read and pray each day. I have picked as many as seven and as few as two the last few years.
Picking Scripture verses to make a part of my daily prayers helps me focus and aligns me with God’s will. This isn’t to say I don’t wander off and slip into old patterns of relying on self. But by praying these Scripture verses in the morning and in the evening, I am quickly pulled back from the tendency of self-reliance.
The Psalms, of course, offer many examples of texts we might memorize and pray, but the Scriptures are filled with verses appropriate to pray.
One of the verses I prayed all the way through 2023 was Zechariah 4:6:
“…not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts.”
Praying this verse helps me understand that any and everything that is kingdom-of-God oriented will not be accomplished by my thinking, planning, determination, or influence. Yes, God can use the gifts we bring him, but in the end, kingdom-of-God results come not by us but only through the Spirit of God.
On days when the obstacles seem just too great no matter how much effort I exert, it gives me great peace to remember as I pray that if it is of God, then God will accomplish it by the work of his Holy Spirit.,
Two other minor prophets have given me verses I will pray this year:
“But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me” (Micah 7:7).
”The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him“ (Nahum 1:7).
None of us knows what lies ahead in this new year. There will be days when the sun shines brightly, everyone around us is healthy, and there seems not to be an urgent problem. But our experience also tells us that unforeseen challenges will lie ahead. The good news is that no matter what’s in wating for us in 2024, we do not have to face it alone. The God of all creation will walk with us each step of the way. And as he goes with us, he will also fulfill his purpose for us and through us!
So go ahead and make your resolutions. And then, turn to God through Scripture, and in prayer be assured that he will bring you through this year and beyond.
Lord, as we begin a new year of life we surrender our lives and our plans to you. We know that it is not by our might or power that we will get by but rather by your Spirit. We choose to live by your Spirit and ask that you accomplish your purposes in us, through us, and around us. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Your time with God’s Word
Micah 7:7-8, 18-20; Nahum 1:7; Zechariah 4:6; Psalm 138:7-8 ESV
Photo by LanaSweet at istockphotos.com
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