What is the strength in a word? Well, I guess it depends on the word.
What do you think of when I say the word “anxious?”
What do you think of when I say the word “work?”
How about:
“Love?”
“Joy?”
“Peace?”
Words can generate both positive and negative reactions in our psyche. And the truth is they can also provide great motivation.
Several years ago, I was encouraged to prayerfully pick a word for the year. It couldn’t be any word, but it had to:
Be a word which the Holy Spirit was pressing in on me. What do I mean by this? You know, a word which comes up during prayer, in multiple conversations, a word which you hear on the radio, tv or even read in your social media feed.
Be a word which applies to something I am struggling with / working through.
Be a word that I am willing to study and pray over even finding a verse which applies.
Admittedly, this was difficult in the beginning. I wasn’t really listening for God to speak into me and I honestly didn’t want to face my struggles. But over time I found that at the end of the year I could reflect over the past year, write a thank you letter to God for the blessings and pray over the things which I struggled through and interestingly enough the word would make itself known.
For 2016, my word is “FAITH.”
My verse: Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
Every year, as I press in to The Lord, He continues to open my eyes to great and mighty things that I have never known.
It’s like closing your eyes when you bite an apple. All of a sudden, your chewing slows and your focus is on the apple: the way it tastes, the way it smells.
When I press into the Lord and allow Him to “Write His Word on my heart”, not only does Jesus press in and pour His Word into me, but everything around me slows down, Peace enters in.
What is your word for 2016? Your verse?
Jesus, thank You for Your promises. Thank You that we can rest in Your Word knowing that You are creating a great work inside of our heart. I pray for each of us in the coming year, that You will speak Your Word into us, grow us, allow us to draw closer to You as we navigate the beautiful story You have written for each of us.
Happy New Year Jesus Thank You for a wonderful 2015,
AMEN