Happy New Year! By now, you may be feeling the weight of all those New Year's resolutions you made. Or guilty because you didn't make any or have already broken the ones you made. If so, choosing Word for the Year may be a better path for you. Instead of setting resolutions, you choose one word.
What is a Word for the Year?
It is one word that helps focus your thinking, unify your goals, and keep them in front of you. A theme for the year, a word that you go back to for every decision, and every situation. One word that sums up who you want to be or how you want to live in the upcoming year. If found with prayer, it lights the path where God wants to take you. It is a word He chooses just for you. It gives you a glimpse of what He wants to do in your life next year. It gives you the direction He wants you to focus on and grow in.
If you google Choosing a Word for the Year, you will find lists of words-lots of words. So how do you choose just one? And how do you know it is the right one? Well, take the pressure off yourself, any word you choose God will work with. The first year I did this, I was overwhelmed! So many words and I wanted to do them all. However, I calmed myself down and asked the Lord for my word. I set aside some time to worship and as I did, I got my word and it wasn't on any of those lists!
Now this is one of the easiest things I do. There are some things that I pray and seek God for over and over, but discovering my word for the year has never been one of those. Sometime after Thanksgiving, I start to ask for my word for the upcoming year. Within days, a word comes to me, and just won't leave. Soon after, the Holy Spirit leads me to a scripture that confirms that word. Sometimes he has given me a bible character that exemplifies that word in some way.
Here are 3 steps to discover your One Word for the Year
- Ask: There are many ways to choose your word, but the best way I've found to get my word is to ask the Lord for it.
- Take some time to reflect on where you have been and where you want to go. Is there a direction you feel God is leading you? Start making a list of words that come to your mind.
- Pray, then sit still and quiet your mind. Expect to receive a guiding word and scripture to confirm it. If it doesn't come immediately, just go about your life. Your word will bubble up from your spirit, random thoughts from out of nowhere. It will just hang on like a song you can't get out of your head. Then watch for confirmation of that word; scripture, stories, signs, and wonders around your word.
Once I have my word, I look up its meaning. I study it and look for other scriptures that speak to this word. It becomes an anchor for my faith all year, a guiding light to what He is doing in my life for the year. I have a journal/workbook that I developed to let me keep track of my interactions with my one word.
My Word of the Year — SAVOR
This is a year when the Lord wants me to slow down and make the most of every moment. Savor that conversation with a loved one, even if I've heard that story a hundred times, it could be the last time I hear it. Taste and see that the Lord is good, observe what He is doing in my life. Take time to smell the roses, really taste the flavors of my food, and be awed with wonder over His creation. I'll be posting more on my word as the year progresses.
Do you have your word for the year? Please share it with us in the comments below so we can pray it over you.
Click below to view My One Word Journal!
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