How to Start a Fruitful New Year
Entering a new year offers the chance for a fresh palate and new opportunities. As a Christian, how can you start a fruitful new year? Five steps to a fruitful new year.
1) Daily Bible Reading Plan
Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." So, as we think about how we shall live into the New Year, may I suggest reading the entire Bible in 2023? There are many great ways to read through the Scriptures. There are one-year Bible reading guides you can access HERE. You can also purchase one-year Bibles on Amazon or at a local bookstore.
2) Prayer
Does your mind wander when you try to pray? Here's a suggestion: Use the Lord's Prayer as an outline to help you focus. Here's an example:
Our Father, Who art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy Name
Spend time hallowing God by worshipping Him with words of praise, adoration, or a song of praise and worship.
Thy Kingdom Come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.
Pray for His Kingdom to come over family members, business problems, your church family, the city of Memphis, an unreached people group, etc.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Thank God for providing your basic needs for food, shelter, and provision.
And forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us/For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Ask God for forgiveness of your sins. Be specific. And pray prayers that express forgiveness toward persons who have sinned against you. Be specific.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Because we live in a fallen world, we face temptation and evil daily. But do remember, Jesus is a deliverer. So pray for the work of Jesus to deliver you from the temptations of evil amid the trials you will face in your day.
3) Fasting
For Western Christians, fasting is one of the most underutilized breakthrough tools in the Kingdom of God. I suggest two excellent books to aid you in understanding the gift of fasting:
The Miracle Results of Fasting by Dave Williams
The Fasting Key by Mark Nysewander
4) Serving
Jesus once said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." When you serve in ministry, generations are impacted. When you serve in ministry, you are impacted. Serving in a ministry postures us to be the "hands and feet" of Jesus. Whether it be in Children's or Student Ministry, leading a Discipleship Group, or serving in an inner-city ministry, we have gifts placed in our lives by Jesus Christ to serve Him in ministry.
5) Commit to Cultivating Deep Community
John Wesley understood the necessity of believers being steeped in a deep, Gospel-saturated community. This is why he once wrote, "The gospel of Christ knows of no religion but social; no holiness but social holiness." This is also why our church family offers discipleship groups that are no larger than 12 people, so a sense of Christ-centered community can develop among people helping one another grow in sanctification and faith.
TL;DR
Five steps for starting a fruitful new year
Daily Bible Reading
Prayer
Fasting
Serving
Community
