Five Faith Practices To Begin The New Year With
Is it just me or does everyone feel happy about 2024. I do not know if it is the new year jitters but I feel that God has so much in store for His children this year and I cannot keep still.
However, in all of this, one message has been echoing the loudest for the year and I think it is helpful that I talk about it today.
Here is the story! Right from the preaching at the crossover service I attended to the churches I follow on instagram, I noticed a recurring message in all of them. What is the message? The message is, to experience all of the good things that God has in store for me this year, my devotion to Him has to be top notch. Simply put, to have this year work for me, before anything else, I should ensure that my spiritual life is my top priority.
And you would ask, “so, what is my business?” Well I do not think that this applies to me alone. If anything, it is for the entire body of Christ. Because as Christians, we are expected to keep growing and getting better at our relationship with God. So, while the new year suggests opportunities to do and be better in diverse areas of our lives, it is also important that we also consider our walk with God and how to make the relationship stronger and more pleasing to God.
The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
Proverbs 4:18 NIV
Hence, our first post for the in the year highlights five things to do in 2024 to make your spiritual life wholesome, thus enjoying all the goodness God has in store for His children:
- Talk to Jesus more: Want to look back in the year and be proud of how your relationship with God has grown? Choose to talk to Jesus more this year. As we all know, the easiest way to know or have a relationship with someone is to be in constant communication with them. Hence, if we want God to take the center stage in our affairs, genuine conversations with Him paves the way.
- Read the word of God every day: I started this particular practice last year and it works. Bear in mind that God is His Word. Therefore, it makes absolute sense that when we continuously interact with Him, there is a tendency for us to become like Him. And becoming like Him suggests that our spiritual life is the kind that pleases Him.
- Love others: Obedience to God and His commandments is one way to show that your spiritual growth is priority to you. This is because God’s commandments are not the easiest to follow. When He says, love others and we do so, regardless of who they are or what they have done, we let go of our sinful ways and relinquish our hold on our hearts over to God and His word.
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
John 13:34 NIV
- Humble yourself: The Bible makes it clear that God will not use or work with the proud. And it is also true that God taking the center stage in your life means that you are His vessel or He is working with you. For this reason, if you desire your spiritual walk to be top-notch this year, humble yourself. It is in humbling ourselves that God can work on us and transform our lives.
- Tell someone about Jesus: This year, make it your duty to talk to someone about Jesus and watch your spiritual walk take a leap. Notice that there is no way that you can talk about what you have not experienced. Thus, for you to talk to another about God’s transformative power, it simply means that you are allowing God to permeate your heart and experiencing His transformative power yourself.
As we begin the new year, let us make a conscious effort to begin the year with God and make room for Him throughout the year. If we do this, I am certain that by the time we are ending the year, it will be with tremendous growth and deep appreciation to God.
Happy New Year!!!
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