Well, no doubt about it, the clock struck midnight on January 1st and a new year is here to stay. History turned a new page as the former year is now in the rearview and 2023 is just ahead of us. This new year is still a blank slate, teeming with possibilities for those who long to enjoy better relationships, better health and a better financial future. Many begin to write down their new year's resolutions with high hopes of achieving goals and becoming more productive. Oftentimes people see the new year as a way to better themselves, to be the best people they can become, to be the optimal version of themselves. While there is nothing inherently wrong with this notion, it certainly doesn't jive with the mandate of our Lord Jesus Christ who told the crowds that if anyone wanted to follow he or she would need to deny oneself, take up a cross and follow (Matt. 16:24).
How many people make the resolution to deny themselves, take up crosses and follow Jesus in the new year?
I certainly don't know the answer to that, but I know Jesus desires for all of us to resolve ourselves to the fact that life is not about us--in fact, life is about glorifying God and enjoying the blessing of building relationships through compassion, empathy, and self-sacrifice. In other words, Life is about offering the best of ourselves as Christ offered his best for the world. While we all certainly do not live perfect lives, the Holy Spirit sanctifies us as we attempt to walk as Jesus walks. Even on the worst days, because of our faith we rely on the fact that since Jesus died and rose again we can face any difficulty or hardship because the Savior lives! What hope, peace, joy and love emanate from a heart of faith! We are more than overcomers through Jesus who loves us (Rom. 8:37) and since we walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7) we admit that our lives are fully dependent on God for both our present and our future.
Therefore, whatever we do, "...in word or in deed, [let us] do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him" (Col. 3:17). We must remember that this is the day that the Lord has made, and we are called to be glad and rejoice in it (Ps. 118:24). It seems to me, then, that every believer must resolve to follow Jesus in order that our lives might be fully submitted to the Spirit's work of sanctification (making holy). So we pray, we read our Bibles, we learn from Bible teachers and listen to biblical preaching. We hold one another accountable to walk in the light of Christ and we practice forgiveness, mete out justice and promote the joy of the Lord through acts of lovingkindness. It follows that trusting God to help us follow Jesus requires discipline, and as we face a new year, there are several ways and tools that can help us practice habits that enable us to take up our crosses on a daily basis, especially when it comes to renewing our minds (Rom. 12:2).
Godly tools for growing in Christ are available to us both offline and online, and sometimes a pastor's greatest gift is to pass a biblical resource onto his/her parishioners. The following is a resource I recently found that I believe will help us follow Jesus well in the new year; it will allow us to practice obedience to Jesus every day of every month of the upcoming year. Bob Hostetler of Guideposts.org has compiled a list of 31 bible prayers that allow a Christ-follower to pray the Bible each day of each month. He says that for him, this is a "favorite way to pray [by using] prayers from the Bible, repeating God's Word back to Him in praise, petition and thanks" (https://guideposts.org/prayer/bible-resources/31-days-of-bible-prayers/). Allow me to re-post the content from this website listed above, and offer you the blessing of praying Bible prayers (one per each day of the month) in 2023. May this resource be a blessing to you as you pray one prayer a day to God, and seek the Lord through the power and transformation of Jesus in the scriptures:
1. God, have mercy on me, a sinner (Luke 8:13 NIV).
2. Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting (Psalm 139:23-24, NIV).
3. Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise (Jeremiah 17:14, NIV).
4. God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life (Psalm 51:10, The Message).
5. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long (Psalm 21:5, NIV).
6. Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings (Psalm 17:8, NIV).
7. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well (Psalm 139:14, NIV).
8. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (Matthew 6:13, ESV).
9. Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain (1 Chronicles 4:10, NIV).
10. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I (Psalm 61:2, NIV).
11. May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us—so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations (Psalm 67:1-2, NIV).
12. You, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high (Psalm 3:3, NIV).
13. Keep me safe, my God, for in You I take refuge (Psalm 16:1, NIV).
14. Let me know your ways so I may understand you more fully and continue to enjoy your favor (Exodus 33:13, NLT).
15. Not my will, but yours be done (Luke 22:42, NIV).
16. I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds (Psalm 9:1, NIV).
17. You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance (Psalm 32:7, NIV).
18. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me (Psalm 19:13, NIV).
19. May the God of hope fill [me] with all joy and peace as [I] trust in him, so that [I] may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13, NIV).
20. You have helped me, and I sing happy songs in the shadow of your wings (Psalm 63:7, CEV).
21. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you (Psalm 51:12, NLT).
22. Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus (Acts 4:30, NLT).
23. May your blessing be on your people (Psalm 3:8, NIV).
24. I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation (Psalm 118:21, NIV).
25. May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope, Lord, is in you (Psalm 25:21, NIV).
26. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer (Psalm 19:14, NKJV).
27. Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, listen and act! (Daniel 9:19, NLT).
28. Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble (Psalm 119:165, NIV).
29. Lord, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches (Psalm 104:24, KJV).
30. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me (Psalm 23:4, NIV).
31. We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign (Revelation 11:17, NIV).Pray the prayers of the Bible, one for each day of the month, and watch the Holy Spirit shape you more into the image of Christ that you were created to be. Imagine what will happen when each of us prays these Bible prayers: our congregation will grow in holiness and in faith--together! And my, my, my how that puts a smile on Jesus' face!
Whatever biblical resource you use to deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Jesus in 2023 will undoubtedly draw you closer to the God who made you and knows you completely and perfectly. So always make it a new year's resolution to draw closer to God--after all, the Lord resolved to draw close to you before you were ever created (James 4:8)! Amen!
Let us daily approach the throne of Grace with boldness (Heb. 4:16) in 2023,
Pastor Will
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