We are only a few weeks into the year 2024 and many of us are excited by the opportunities that the New Year offers. The best thing about New Years it can be a great time to start fresh with engaging God. I would suggest that this is the best time to reengage with your spiritual practices.
The first practice we should want to refocus on is prayer. Prayer is the simple act of talk to God. We should approach God with simplicity and honesty. We do not have to approach God with fancy words, but with a sincere heart. I would suggest starting your day with prayer. When you get up spend time talk to God. Talk to God about your fears and concerns, your joys and triumphs. He wants to hear them all, but make sure that it is a conversation, take time in your prayer process to hear from God. Prayer is a powerful tool when engaged with our whole heart
The second practice is that of Bible reading and study. Bible reading and studying are similar, but different activities. When we read the Bible we are getting familiar with the stories and parts of the Bible. When you do Bible Study, this is where you look deeply at verses and try to gain the original meaning of the text. There are so many tools online free that will aide you in your study.
The next spiritual practice is fasting. Fasting is one spiritual practice that many of us don’t like. Many of us don’t want to deny ourselves. In the world of you can have anything you want any time you want denying yourself sounds absurd. When we deny ourselves we see what is truly importing. Fasting allows us to turn down the distractions in life to put our focus on God.
Lastly, worship. In this busyness of life we often think that worship is something that should be skipped. We have had a long week and think the best way to refuel is to skip church. The problem is the church is a filling station. It is a place where we come to get a greater understanding of God, uplift ourselves and others. A recommitment to worship in the new year is a great way to ground ourselves.
The New Year is so full of promise, and I pray that you grow deeper with Christ in this new year.
Leave a Reply