A New Year, A New Word: A Listening Prayer Exercise
Photo by Jess Bailey on Unsplash
God is actively involved in our lives (Acts 17:28) and is always speaking (John 10:3-4). He speaks to us primarily through the Bible, the written Word, but also through our thoughts, feelings, circumstances, nature, and through more direct experiences like dreams, visions, or the guidance of others.
Instead of making New Years Resolutions, our family has developed a practice of seeking God for a 'WORD' or a 'THEME' for the upcoming year. This has helped us to plan for the year ahead and to recognize how God has been involved in our lives and ministry during the previous year. We invite you to join us in seeking God for a word for 2025. Here is how…
Step 1: Letting Go
Letting go of the previous year is an important way to enter into the New Year and your next season. Begin by asking yourself reflection questions like…
What was good about last year?What was difficult about last year?What do I need to release and not take with me into the next year?What do I need to continue to keep with me in the next year?What am I grateful for?What are some beautiful moments from last year?
Allow the Holy Spirit to remind you of the milestone moments from the past year. You can write the responses in a journal, discuss them with a friend or simply acknowledge the memories.
Step 2: Listen and Write
Once you feel ready to release the last year, you can shift to looking forward. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you as you think about 2025. Take 5-10 minutes to freely jot down any and all words that come to you - do not judge or evaluate.
Step 3: Discern and Evaluate
After you have brainstormed your list of words, begin to narrow in on the particular word(s) that the Holy Spirit is highlighting to you the most. Sometimes a single word jumps off the page and refuses to go unnoticed (that could be a clue that this is your word). Other times a theme emerges from a group of words. If you find yourself working with a group of words, try to discern a theme or repeating ideas that can lead you to a word that best represents them.
Step 4: Own It
Once you have selected a word, have fun making it your own. Be creative! Here are a few ideas that you may consider…
Write it in your journal.Look up the definition.Create a piece of collage art or a vision board around your word.Make a playlist of songs that reflect the meaning of your word.Write the word on sticky notes and place it in meaningful locations.Tell a friend about your word.
Regularly review your word throughout 2025 and enjoy watching God's faithfulness! Your faith and awareness in God's sovereignty will grow.
If God gives you a word for 2025, please email us what the Holy Spirit has shown you so we can celebrate with you. He has good plans! Jer. 29:13
About the author: Kevin Weigelt and his family have served in Romania as church planting missionaries with All Nations since 2008. He has a passion to train and coach European leaders to reach the neglected, make disciples, and ignite church planting movements.
