How God Wants You To Begin This New Year

CALL TO PRAYER

By: Stephen Osei Kuffour

Date: 08.01.2023

Title: How God Wants You To Begin This New Year

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.  (Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV)

The beginning of each new year is usually characterized by many Plans and New Year Resolutions. Individuals, Families, Churches, and organizations make their Plans for the year. Have you made any Plans for the year? I believe you have. God also has many great Plans for you this year and you will be blessed if you make it your Plan.

The first month of the Jewish ecclesiastical year, corresponding nearly to the Gregorian April is called “Abib”. After the Babylonian captivity this month was changed to “Nisan”. In the Old Testament, the Lord gave the Israelites instructions concerning what they are supposed to do at the beginning of each year, but they didn’t realize it. Although we are not living under the Old Testament Laws, I believe there are so many things we can learn from them.

Firstly, you need to make a decision not to be worldly but to be spiritual. After the Lord through Moses rescued the Israelites from their bondage in Egypt, this is what Moses told them: “On this day you are going out, in the month Abib (Ex 13:4).” The Israelites going out of Egypt represents to us in the New Testament our deliverance from the Kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Light (Col 1:13).

We have been rescued from sin; therefore, let’s get rid of all ungodly and unrighteous acts we did last year (Eph 4:22). Did you live your life based on worldly principles in the previous year? Did you enter a relationship based on emotions? If so, you must decide not to live your life based on worldly principles but on God’s word (Rom 12:2).

Also, you have to make Plans based on God’s promises. Moses gave instructions to the Israelites to celebrate the festival of Unleavened Bread in every first month of the year when they get to the Land that the Lord promised their Ancestors (Ex 13:5). This shows that what they are to do is based on the promises of God. I have personally given up on following my own Plans because I have learned from experience that many of them will not come to pass. Let’s be committed to following God’s Plans this year because He makes provisions for His Plans and He insures them.

Beloved in the Lord, God has blessed us with another year and the beginning of each year is mostly characterized by many Individuals, Family, Church, and Organization Plans and New Year Resolutions. However, the Lord also has Plans for us this year. Some of these Plans are for us to get rid of all ungodly and unrighteous behaviors and follow His Plans, for His Plans are of peace and not of evil, to give us a future and a hope (Jer 29:11).

Prayer Point:

Let’s thank God for blessing us with another year. Let’s ask Him to help all Believers to get rid of our ungodly and unrighteous behaviors and follow His Plans.

God bless you all