As I begin this new year, there are many things that are happening in my life. Our youngest son is getting married, our oldest son is having a baby and our daughter and her husband may be moving due to a job change.
On top of all of that, I am going back to school to earn my degree in Religion/Christian Ministries; I have launched a brand new speaking ministry and all of this is on top of an already busy life of being an Office Manager, Bible Study leader, Director of Women's Ministry at my church and oh yes, I have an incredible husband who needs my attention and a beautiful home that needs to be cleaned!
At the beginning of each new year, I always reflect on the past year and look forward to the new one, as many of us do. I write out prayer requests that are heavy on my heart, go back to update the ones that God has answered ~ I can tell you, He has never failed me, even in the most mind numbing, bring me to my knees situations I have found myself in.
Then I prayerfully consider what things I will pray diligently over in the next year. For the prayers that I haven't heard from God on in previous years, I simply roll them over into the new year and yes, there are a few that I have been praying over for many years and haven't heard from God on. And yet, I trust and continue to pray that He "has it" ~ my tendency is to worry and fear, that is where Satan has his biggest stronghold on me. But when I am diligent in looking to Jesus Christ, satan is defeated and has to flee.
Some of my family watched the movie War Room over the Christmas season ~ this is a movie I HIGHLY recommend! And yes, I will be making a spot to pray boldly ~ that is the only way I can be sure my focus, thoughts, dreams, failure, regrets ~ all of it ~ are in Jesus' capable hands.
In my devotion "My Utmost for His Highest" on January 2nd, it states: "Suppose God is the God you know Him to be when you are nearest to Him" WOW ~ just think about that. How would your life change if you lived for Him and trusted Him in your lowest points in lifelike you do when you are feeling closest to Him?
How would this change your life? How would it change your mindset, the way you conduct yourself on a daily basis, knowing He NEVER CHANGES, only our circumstances, our emotions change. And knowing that as the things in our life changes, God hasn't lost control~ He sees and knows everything and He loves us and still has our best for us NO MATTER WHAT is going on in our lives.
I can tell you that when I focus on Him like that, I live very differently than when I am fretting and drowning in worry and fear.
One of my favorite verses is Psalm 5:3~ "O Lord, in the morning You hearmy voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait in expectation."
As we begin this new year of 2016, I will be laying my requests before Him and waiting in great expectation for His answer to these things that mean so much to me.
Will you join me and lay your own requests before Him to see what amazing things He has in store for you this year?
Happy New Year to all of you and may God bless you abundantly as you wait in expectation of Him!