We’ve counted down and celebrated the new year. Some of us have set lofty goals and claimed that this is our year to thrive and succeed in our endeavors. Sometimes we focus more on thriving in other areas and forget about our spiritual success. Here are 5 ways to be intentional about growing spiritually this year:
- Commit yourself to a spiritual fast and prayer time.
Fasting is a great way to refocus and set your eyes on the Lord. Whenever I find myself losing my desire for the Word of God, for spending time with God, a fast is a great way to refocus and realign your priorities.
We often think that fasting is for us to get things from God, but one of the main purposes of Biblical fasting is to turn our eyes to the Lord and look to Him for direction and guidance. Amazing things happen in our hearts when we turn over the plate and cleanse our palettes (what we take in). If you are struggling with clarity, decision making, seeking direction, seeking to grow your faith and trust, fasting is a great place to start. Of course, if you have medical concerns, consult your physician.
Feel free to check these out for more information on fasting:
- Isaiah 58 : This chapter tells us what God wants to see when we fast
- Jentzen’s Franklin book, Fasting, gives a good overview of what fasting is and why we should do it.
2. Increase your worship time
Find a few moments in your day and center your heart and through worship. It could be that you are listening to music, praising, singing unto the Lord or that you are serving where there is a need. Worship allows us to soar because it takes the focus off ourselves and off our surroundings and it forces us to look upward. When we look upward, our hearts are more prepared to receive direction from God.
3. Increase your time in the Word of God.
Start where you are and add a little bit more time each day, week, or month. While a two minute devotional is great on days when we don’t have time, we cannot simply rest there. We have to stretch ourselves to grow continually. Think about it this way, in order to get to know someone better, what do we do? We spend time together, hanging out, chatting, learning about the person.
Our Bible Reading Plans are a good way to start building this habit. For the past couple of years, they have helped to take away the age old question “What will I study today” or the old thump through the bible and read the verse that I randomly land on.
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
4. Reflect on your 2018 journey.
If you don’t know where you’ve been, you won’t be able to figure out where you need to go. One thing about reflection is that when we do too much of it, it can be dangerous and it can become a hindrance.
So reflect on 2018: What worked? what didn’t work? Where were you spiritually? What lessons did you learn in the various areas of your life? Taking those few minutes to consider these questions will allow you be better positioned to make changes that will lead you closer to where you want to be. Use those reflections as stepping stones for your next steps.
5. Journal Your Journey
Yes, you read that right. Grab a notebook (composition book will do or you can get fancier) and journal your year. For many years now, I’ve kept journals of my prayers, bible studies, victories, struggles, key scriptures, etc.
Whenever I have a moment to look back over those journals, I can clearly see how God moved in my life in specific area and I can see how I’ve grown. One tip is to write the start date and end date (once you’ve used up the journal) in the front of the journal for easy reference.
Who’s soaring with me in 2019?
What types do you do to plan for a new year?
