This week's study is a great year end/beginning of a new year exercise. It is almost a spiritual retreat or Examen of sorts: looking back and looking forward, with God and Scripture as our guide.
Throughout scripture we are told to "remember," so this week we will do some of that together. We will consider both the highs and the lows of the year past, as God was Emmanuel - God with us - in ALL of it. Then we will look forward, with God's help, for direction, wisdom and discernment into the upcoming year.
INVITATION: Sometimes shame and guilt prevent us from doing a year end reflection such as offered in this week's study. However, this is a reminder that there is NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). When God looks at you and I He sees Jesus Christ. You are covered by the blood of Jesus so there is no place for shame as you enter into this week's reflections and prayers, including areas of failure and struggle. May God meet you and may you know, in deep and powerful ways - that you are loved.....just as you are. Come as you are this week, and spend some reflection and prayer time with Jesus as this new year begins.
MONDAY: Phil. 4:4-7: Gratefulness and rejoicing is basically an "on ramp" into time with Christ. It rightly positions our hearts. How can you express gratefulness and thanksgiving as you begin your day, your week and this new year?
TUESDAY: Psalm 139: This is a great Psalm to meditate and pray with as a new calendar year begins....particularly verses 23 and 24. Spend some time today in this Psalm and/or these two verses. Are you willing to invite God into your heart and life to search you? If not, how might you pray about that? Where might your resistance come from? Resistance is nothing to shy away from. In fact, it can grow our spiritual life to examine our areas of resistance and conflict. Remember that we don't have to come before God as perfect people because Jesus is that for us. Feel free to name specifics things, habits, emotions you need to leave under the power of God.
WEDNESDAY: James 4:7-8: Pastor Adam talked about bringing the "yes....even that" into the presence of God with prayer. Are you willing to "humble yourself and come close to God" today bringing your "even that" into His presence?
THURSDAY: Psalm 51:10-12: Sometimes it's easier to pray for our needs than to pray through our fractures, our breaks, our hurts and our trauma. We all have them. How can you pray for renewal today? What brokenness and pain from this past year do you want to bring into the "throne room of grace with confidence" today (Heb. 4:16)?
FRIDAY: I Samuel 3:9-10: Consider taking some time today in simple silence in the presence of God. Maybe no words, no journaling. Just the simple prayer from these scriptures for the Lord to speak. Yes, your mind will wander. That does not mean you are bad at praying. That just means you are human! Simply bring your mind back into the presence of God and don't follow the rabbit trail. Obviously, we don't know exactly how to pray into the new year, but we DO know we need God regardless of what the year holds. Spend some time allowing God to speak into your life and this new year today. Even though you might not be talking, you ARE praying. It is sometimes called the "prayer of the heart." Enjoy and bask in the gaze of being the Beloved.
SATURDAY Proverbs 3:5-6: Pastor Adam talked about how common it is that we stop short of giving full control to God. It's hard for us to take our hands off our life. He used the word YIELD. As you pray about yielding to God this day, this month and this year, what is an "I will...." prayer you might pray? This isn't an attempt to have you white knuckle something into your life with God, but perhaps to see if there may be an invitation from Jesus to some tangible way to put yielding (some other words might be surrender or submit) into practice in your life. How might God be calling you to give full control to Him? Do you believe He is trustworthy? If not, perhaps that can be a focus of prayer today.