BEGINNING THE NEW YEAR
People begin every New Year full of hopes, aspirations and expectations. Many make New Year resolutions and determined to fulfill them. During Cross Over worship services, many make new vows and others renew and reaffirm commitments to God. Prophetic utterances and messages are made personally and corporately by men and women of God. We pray for God mercies, guidance and protection. We attempt to reconcile our differences with God and one another and do away with those things that hurt God and our common peace and unity. New Year affords us another great opportunity to forget the past and renew our minds while we focus on the future. Our choices in life have responsibilities and repercussions; just like every action has a reaction and every sowing produces reaping.
a) Prepare for the new things!!!
*“Failing to plan (prepare) amount to planning to fail.” “A man that is prepared has half won the battle.”
*You are a child of God. God is your Father and has given you every blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3ff). He’s a great and dependable Provider.
*You have been equipped to succeed; you are too great, have so much potentials that you cannot fail.
*You are not permitted to fail. Failure is not your portion or your covenant with God. Your only alternative is to win/succeed.
*Be focus and stays focus; concentrate. Refuse to loose concentration/expectation through depression, self pity, and self comparison.
*Learn to see what you believe God for with your positive imagination.
*Resist distraction from your long awaited expectation. “Know that only winners are celebrated.”
b) Trust God!!! – Faithful, dependable, compassionate and merciful.
- belief that God can do what He promises to do. He is a covenant keeping God.
- Belief that you can be what the word of God says you will be.
- You are a child of a King – whatever belongs to the king belongs to His prince and princess.
- But you have to ask (John 14:14). Prayers show we are depended on God for everything. Study, meditate, sing and speak what the word of God says.
- Before you ask, set your priorities right; so you do not ask amiss (E.g. your New Year resolution, marriage, recommitment and re affirmation vows).
c) Before you pray to begin anew!
i) Learn the spirit of gratitude: being thankful, grateful and appreciative. (Psalms 95:1-6; Phil 4:14, 16)
ii) Stop seeing by sight but by faith – stop judging from appearance; it is a barrier to consciousness of God. “For we walk by faith, not by sight….” (2 Corinthians 5:7). “…. While we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen……..” (2 Corinthians 4: 18a).
iii) You cannot see the greater glory of your walk with God until you begin to see in the invisible. See your expectation coming; see that child pregnancy; see the new job and promotion; see expansion in your business; see the new vision manifesting; see your coast widening; see the Church growing; see your spouse loving you more; see more juicy relationship, etc.
iv) Every action has predictable consequence. For this to work, you have to do your part: work hard, be focus and trust God. E.g. If you plant hard work, you reap success, if you plant faith, you reap miracles, if you plant perseverance, you reap victory; if you plant worries you will reap wrinkles, etc.
v) Stop thinking lack and impossible. DO NOT FOCUS ON WHAT YOU LACK, WHERE YOU FAILED AND YOUR DISAPPOINTMENTS. Have-not mentality/consciousness can produce only three (3 L’s) things: less, loss and lack.
vi) Avoid stress, state of urgency and always keep to time; time is the soul of business. African time is an acceptable failure to keep to right time.
vii) Do away with negative thinking and imaginations: i) Self blaming, ii) blaming of others, iii) hurrying and worrying, iv) stop exaggerating consequences of incidents and problems (what you fear may never happen).
viii) Stop confessing negatively. Begin thinking and talking positively – calling those things which be not as if they were. As a man thinks, so he is…. (Romans 4:17; Psalm 116:10; 1 Corinthians 2:14).
ix) Be focus on your expectation. Say what you need not what you want. If you do not need it, do not say it. God confirms what ever you say. What is yours will get to you in God’s time.
x) Confess, “I have it regardless of appearance.” confess with your mouth …..and believe in your heart…… (Romans 10:9a).
xi) Release (do not hold) bitterness, resentment and unforgiveness. God is love; bitterness squeeze out love. You can get angry or upset but for a time; loose it and let it go so that something positive can come in and occupy right thinking and positive result.
xii) Finally, rejoicing in hope; be patient in tribulation and continuing instant in prayers (Romans 12:12). However boastful rejoicing is evil (James 4:16).
In this season of life, the year moves forward and cannot be reversed. That appears contrary to the way our automobiles are built. By the power of the transmission, we move forward and reverse backward, as need be. So every year gives us opportunities to live it, enjoy it and exploit it; while it last , for once it passes, it’s gone for good. For this and other reasons, Apostle Paul urged us to keep moving on, “Press towards the goal” (Phil 3:14).
In our walk with God, even in the midst of crises, we must trust Him and keep moving; for the reverse leads to death while distractions lead to delay and destruction. “We live life forward and learn from it backward.” Last year is gone, today is all we have to live and enjoy; learn from the events of the past. Let the joy of the Lord fill your heart and be your strength (Neh.8:10). Let’s begin anew by yielding and practice God’s presence daily.
Reach Evangelist Ogbonnaya, Godswill @weefreeministries@yahoo.com or P. O. Box 720035, Houston, Texas, 77272; Web: weefreeministries.org ; Ph. 832-881-3929 ©.