Category: Fellowship

Lamentations 3:22–23 — “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”

III. Renewing Our Minds and Hearts for the New Year

A new year is not just about new goals, but a renewed inner life.

Scripture:

• Romans 12:2 – Be transformed by the renewing of your mind
• Psalm 51:10 – “Create in me a clean heart, O God”
• 2 Corinthians 5:17 – A new creation in Christ

Just because it is a new year it does not mean that it automatically brings transformation; true renewal begins in the heart and mind. Romans 12:2 teaches that true change will come when our thinking is transformed by God’s truth. If we have not renewed our hearts and minds, we are destined to repeat the same cycles, habits, and struggles year after year no matter how good our intentions.

The prayer David spoke in Psalm 51 shows us where renewal begins: “Create in me a clean heart, O God.” Having a renewed heart leads us to renewed desires, renewed priorities, and renewed obedience. Through Christ, we become new creations, but daily renewal requires intentional daily surrender.

What we allow into our minds shapes our spiritual direction. God’s Word replaces lies with truth, fear with faith, and confusion with clarity. When we pray our hearts align with God’s will, not just our own wishes. When we commit to spiritual disciplines, Scripture, prayer, worship, we open ourselves to the transforming work of the Holy Spirit.

With a new year ahead, God is not merely calling us to do more, but to become more like Christ. When we renew our hearts and minds, our lives will naturally begin to reflect His will.

Thoughts to Ponder:

• Transformation begins internally, not externally
• God’s will becomes clear when our minds are renewed
• Spiritual growth is intentional, not accidental

Application:

• Commit to daily Scripture and prayer
• Evaluate habits, influences, and thought patterns

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, as I enter into this new year, I thank You that Your mercies are new every morning and that great is Your faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22–23). You go before us and You are with me; You will never leave me nor forsake me (Deuteronomy 31:8).

Nothing in the year ahead is hidden from You. Lord, I commit this year to You, I am trusting You with all my heart and leaning not on my own understanding (Proverbs 3:5–6). I acknowledge that all of my plans are subject to Your will, and I say with humility, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that” (James 4:15). Order my steps according to Your Word (Psalm 119:133).

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me (Psalm 51:10). Transform me by the renewing of my mind, so that I may discern what is good, pleasing, and perfect in Your will (Romans 12:2). Let Your Word be a lamp to my feet and a light to my path in every decision I face (Psalm 119:105).

We ask for Your peace to guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7). Heal the brokenhearted and bind up my wounds (Psalm 147:3). Teach me to forgive as I have been forgiven (Colossians 3:13), and to walk in love, just as Christ loved (Ephesians 5:2).

Prepare me for every season this year brings. When trials come, help me to count it joy, knowing You are producing endurance in me (James 1:2–4). When blessings come, keep me humble and thankful, remembering that every good and perfect gift comes from You (James 1:17).

I will seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness, trusting that what I need will be provided (Matthew 6:33). I dedicate this year to You, asking that my life will bring You glory in all that I do (1 Corinthians 10:31).

I pray this with confidence in the name of Jesus, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). In Jesus Name Amen.

Getting to Know Him

Do you want eternal life? Do you want to enter heaven through the only guide that can help you navigate your way there? To enter His home, get to know Him better, and make Him your Lord and Savior CLICK HERE…..

Lamentations 3:22–23 — “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”

II. Releasing the Weight of the Old Year

You’ll never be able to fully embrace what God is doing next while holding tightly to what He is asking you to release.

Scripture:

• Isaiah 43:18–19 – “Forget the former things…”
• Hebrews 12:1 – Lay aside every weight and sin
• Philippians 3:13 – Forgetting what is behind

God did not intended for us to carry the weight of yesterday into tomorrow. We are told in Isaiah 43 not to dwell on former things because God is doing something new. However, even as believers we can enter the new year still bound by regret, bitterness, failure, or unresolved pain. Hebrews 12 calls these things “weights” that slow us down in our spiritual race.

There are things that we carry are things like sin that needs repentance, grief that needs healing, and others could be disappointments that must be surrendered to God. We need to try consider it the way the apostle Paul understood it when he said, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.” When it says “Forgetting” it does not mean pretending the past never happened; it means refusing to let it define who we are or letting it control us.

God cannot fill hands that are already full. To receive new joy, new vision, and new strength, we must first release what no longer belongs to us. Forgiveness, of others and of ourselves, is often the doorway to freedom. As we step into the new year, we lay down the burdens of the old and trust God with what we cannot change.

Thoughts to Ponder:

• Some things from last year were seasons, not assignments
• God often requires surrender before advancement
• Forgiveness frees us to move forward

Application:

• Release regret, bitterness, failure, and fear
• Invite God to heal unresolved wounds

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, as I enter into this new year, I thank You that Your mercies are new every morning and that great is Your faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22–23). You go before us and You are with me; You will never leave me nor forsake me (Deuteronomy 31:8).

Nothing in the year ahead is hidden from You. Lord, I commit this year to You, I am trusting You with all my heart and leaning not on my own understanding (Proverbs 3:5–6). I acknowledge that all of my plans are subject to Your will, and I say with humility, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that” (James 4:15). Order my steps according to Your Word (Psalm 119:133).

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me (Psalm 51:10). Transform me by the renewing of my mind, so that I may discern what is good, pleasing, and perfect in Your will (Romans 12:2). Let Your Word be a lamp to my feet and a light to my path in every decision I face (Psalm 119:105).

We ask for Your peace to guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7). Heal the brokenhearted and bind up my wounds (Psalm 147:3). Teach me to forgive as I have been forgiven (Colossians 3:13), and to walk in love, just as Christ loved (Ephesians 5:2).

Prepare me for every season this year brings. When trials come, help me to count it joy, knowing You are producing endurance in me (James 1:2–4). When blessings come, keep me humble and thankful, remembering that every good and perfect gift comes from You (James 1:17).

I will seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness, trusting that what I need will be provided (Matthew 6:33). I dedicate this year to You, asking that my life will bring You glory in all that I do (1 Corinthians 10:31).

I pray this with confidence in the name of Jesus, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). In Jesus Name Amen.

Getting to Know Him

Do you want eternal life? Do you want to enter heaven through the only guide that can help you navigate your way there? To enter His home, get to know Him better, and make Him your Lord and Savior CLICK HERE…..

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.^{Jeremiah 29:11} “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” ^{Lamentations 3:22–23} Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. ^{2 Corinthians 5:17} 

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. ^{Isaiah 43:18-19} Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. ^{Philippians 3:13-14} 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. ^{Proverbs 3:5-6} Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. ^{Psalm 98:1}

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, as I enter into this new year, I thank You that Your mercies are new every morning and that great is Your faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22–23). You go before us and You are with me; You will never leave me nor forsake me (Deuteronomy 31:8).

Nothing in the year ahead is hidden from You. Lord, I commit this year to You, I am trusting You with all my heart and leaning not on my own understanding (Proverbs 3:5–6). I acknowledge that all of my plans are subject to Your will, and I say with humility, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that” (James 4:15). Order my steps according to Your Word (Psalm 119:133).

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me (Psalm 51:10). Transform me by the renewing of my mind, so that I may discern what is good, pleasing, and perfect in Your will (Romans 12:2). Let Your Word be a lamp to my feet and a light to my path in every decision I face (Psalm 119:105).

We ask for Your peace to guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7). Heal the brokenhearted and bind up my wounds (Psalm 147:3). Teach me to forgive as I have been forgiven (Colossians 3:13), and to walk in love, just as Christ loved (Ephesians 5:2).

Prepare me for every season this year brings. When trials come, help me to count it joy, knowing You are producing endurance in me (James 1:2–4). When blessings come, keep me humble and thankful, remembering that every good and perfect gift comes from You (James 1:17).

I will seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness, trusting that what I need will be provided (Matthew 6:33). I dedicate this year to You, asking that my life will bring You glory in all that I do (1 Corinthians 10:31).

I pray this with confidence in the name of Jesus, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). In Jesus Name Amen.

Getting to Know Him

Do you want eternal life? Do you want to enter heaven through the only guide that can help you navigate your way there? To enter His home, get to know Him better, and make Him your Lord and Savior CLICK HERE…..

Lamentations 3:22–23 “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, as I enter into this new year, I thank You that Your mercies are new every morning and that great is Your faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22–23). You go before us and You are with me; You will never leave me nor forsake me (Deuteronomy 31:8).

Nothing in the year ahead is hidden from You. Lord, I commit this year to You, I am trusting You with all my heart and leaning not on my own understanding (Proverbs 3:5–6). I acknowledge that all of my plans are subject to Your will, and I say with humility, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that” (James 4:15). Order my steps according to Your Word (Psalm 119:133).

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me (Psalm 51:10). Transform me by the renewing of my mind, so that I may discern what is good, pleasing, and perfect in Your will (Romans 12:2). Let Your Word be a lamp to my feet and a light to my path in every decision I face (Psalm 119:105).

We ask for Your peace to guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7). Heal the brokenhearted and bind up my wounds (Psalm 147:3). Teach me to forgive as I have been forgiven (Colossians 3:13), and to walk in love, just as Christ loved (Ephesians 5:2).

Prepare me for every season this year brings. When trials come, help me to count it joy, knowing You are producing endurance in me (James 1:2–4). When blessings come, keep me humble and thankful, remembering that every good and perfect gift comes from You (James 1:17).

I will seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness, trusting that what I need will be provided (Matthew 6:33). I dedicate this year to You, asking that my life will bring You glory in all that I do (1 Corinthians 10:31).

I pray this with confidence in the name of Jesus, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). In Jesus Name Amen.

Getting to Know Him

Do you want eternal life? Do you want to enter heaven through the only guide that can help you navigate your way there? To enter His home, get to know Him better, and make Him your Lord and Savior CLICK HERE…..

Lamentations 3:22–23 — “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”

I. Remembering God’s Faithfulness in the Past Year

Before we rush into a new year, God calls us to pause and remember what He has done.

Scripture:

• Psalm 103:1–5 – “Forget not all His benefits…”
• Deuteronomy 8:2 – Remember how the Lord led you

As we are getting ready to enter a new year, if we consider what Scripture says we are invited to look back before we move forward. Psalm 103 reminds us, “Forget not all His benefits.” Remembering is not nostalgia it is however an act of faith. We read that when Israel forgot what God had done, they lost perspective and drifted into fear and disobedience. There is no difference for us, forgetting God’s faithfulness causes us to underestimate His power for what lies ahead.

Over the past year there may have been joy, loss, growth, or disappointment. Yet if we look into every season, we can see God was present. He sustained you when you were tired, guided you when you were unsure, and protected you in ways you may never fully realize. We can see that even our unanswered prayers and closed doors can later be seen as evidence of God’s loving guidance.

When we remember God’s faithfulness we fuel gratitude and build confidence. By doing this we are reminded that the same God who carried us through everything we have been through will walk with us into the next. Before we rush ahead with resolutions and plans, we should pause to say, “Lord, Thank You.” Gratitude anchors our hearts and prepares us to trust God again.

Thoughts to Ponder:

• God has been faithful even in difficult seasons
• Gratitude builds faith for what’s ahead
• Forgetting God’s works leads to fear and pride

Application:

• Reflect on victories, lessons, and deliverances
• Thank God not only for what went right, but for what grew you

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, as I enter into this new year, I thank You that Your mercies are new every morning and that great is Your faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22–23). You go before us and You are with me; You will never leave me nor forsake me (Deuteronomy 31:8).

Nothing in the year ahead is hidden from You. Lord, I commit this year to You, I am trusting You with all my heart and leaning not on my own understanding (Proverbs 3:5–6). I acknowledge that all of my plans are subject to Your will, and I say with humility, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that” (James 4:15). Order my steps according to Your Word (Psalm 119:133).

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me (Psalm 51:10). Transform me by the renewing of my mind, so that I may discern what is good, pleasing, and perfect in Your will (Romans 12:2). Let Your Word be a lamp to my feet and a light to my path in every decision I face (Psalm 119:105).

We ask for Your peace to guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7). Heal the brokenhearted and bind up my wounds (Psalm 147:3). Teach me to forgive as I have been forgiven (Colossians 3:13), and to walk in love, just as Christ loved (Ephesians 5:2).

Prepare me for every season this year brings. When trials come, help me to count it joy, knowing You are producing endurance in me (James 1:2–4). When blessings come, keep me humble and thankful, remembering that every good and perfect gift comes from You (James 1:17).

I will seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness, trusting that what I need will be provided (Matthew 6:33). I dedicate this year to You, asking that my life will bring You glory in all that I do (1 Corinthians 10:31).

I pray this with confidence in the name of Jesus, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). In Jesus Name Amen.

Getting to Know Him

Do you want eternal life? Do you want to enter heaven through the only guide that can help you navigate your way there? To enter His home, get to know Him better, and make Him your Lord and Savior CLICK HERE…..