As you may already know, I pray for God to give me a word or phrase for the new year. This word or phrase is more like a “theme” for that year and it helps me focus on a specific area in my life. Every year it changes or modifies and by the end of the year, it makes total sense why God gave me that word/phrase. The start of winter is always the time I start praying for next year’s word. With the year ending it is always a great time to reflect on the previous year and think about the future.
This current year’s word is Promise. I started 2017 thinking this year would be THE year that God’s promises would start happening. I was frustrated at the first half of the year because it wasn’t looking that way. I had to take a step back and reevaluate. I know that God doesn’t change, so clearly I was missing something. The more I prayed, the more my heart started to change. I realized that God’s promises for my life haven’t changed, instead, God wanted to change me. The second half of the year God started to shape and change my heart. My outlook on His promises in my life changed. Before I was more focused on the promises then the one who gives the promises. Now, my heart is focused on Him and His promises are the blessings. Once my heart started to change, things in my life started to shift. Doors started to open and my heart was ready.
I have spent time praying for 2018 and the phrase for the year. For 2018 the phrase is Walking In His Promises. This season of His promises is not over yet. Clearly, there is still more I need to learn 😉 I can see how this phrase fits and I am excited to see what Walking In His Promises will look like.
I want to invite you to do the same:
There is an area in your life that God wants to be a part of. In this area, He will spend the year shaping and molding your heart. Your outlook will change and your dependency on Him will be stronger.
It can be used as a filter. Like it did for me, it will help keep your mind focused on a specific area. With everything going on in your life and all the moving pieces, it is easy to feel like you’re drowning. With a word/phrase in your mind all year, it will help filter life’s craziness so you can learn from every season.
It builds faith and trust. You will start the year thinking one way but you will end the year being changed in other ways. One year my phrase was The Year Of Abundant Blessings. As you can imagine, I thought it would be a year of well, abundant blessings. That year ended up being a year where God took many things we would have considered to be blessings away and showed us what true biblical blessings are. Each year ends differently then I would have guessed, but the endings make perfect sense to why God gave me the word He did. God will use this to build your faith and trust in Him.
Spend the last 2 weeks of this year praying for God to speak a word/phrase to you for 2018. If you don’t know what word/phrase to use, then I invite you to use mine: Walking In His Promises. God has promises for you in your life and you can spend the year learning more about those promises and how to walk them out.
Please share with me what word or phrase God speaks to you for 2018. I would love to hear how God is moving in your life!
My phrase for 2018 is “back to basics.” As I started my Bible Study Tips website and was looking at what I needed to do to grow the site, the Lord showed me I need to get back to the basics of my faith. I can’t help anyone grow if I’m not solid in those areas.
This has already started with my 2018 Bible Reading Challenge that I’m trying to get people to join me in.
I’m looking forward to seeing how my faith grows in 2018!
I Love you phrase! That is so important. Looking forward to seeing all the ways God uses you in 2018!
I do something similar to this too and love it! I pick a new verse for whichever season of life I’m in. A verse that I cling to and quote often. I use it as a filter to see the world and my circumstances through. It’s been a great comfort to me, as your tradition has been to you.
I love that you do a verse! Whatever the word or phrase is that God gives me, I find scripture verses that go along with it and pray those throughout the year!
Thank you for encouraging me to do this. This is a great blog. Last year, although I didn’t have a word, my lessons were all about perseverance. This year He did give me a phrase “do what sets your soul on fire.” I will be praying about a word. Thank you very much for this wisdom.
I am looking forward to hearing what word or phrase he gives you for 2018!
Hi
My word phrase for this year is Go Forth. And I too have learned to wait for His Promises. And that meant to go back to basics and sit at His feet – daily. It’s been a great year. Can’t wait to see where God heads this year.
Blessings
Janis
That is a great phrase for the year! Looking forward to seeing how God uses you this year!
My word for 2018 is “Trust.”
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6
We have been through the most challenging year of our lives and I have been learning how to trust the Lord in deeper ways as we’ve walked through the valley of the shadow of death with my husband’s leukemia and transplant. I feel the Lord wants to continue the lessons about trusting in Him and entrusting not only loved ones, but our future to Him, knowing how much He loves us…enough to come to earth as a tiny baby, live a sinless life and die a horrible death on the cross to save us.
I feel I still have much to learn. He is faithful and will walk with me as He teaches me new lessons in trust.
I LOVE YOUR WORD! My good friend has the same word for her upcoming year.
I am so sorry to hear about the difficult year you had especially about your husband. I am praying for God’s comfort and peace for you and that 2018 is not only a year of learning to trust Him more but also a year of abundant blessings!