Choose your Word of the Year through prayer and reflection!

January 01, 2023 3 min read

Choose your Word of the Year through prayer and reflection!
Happy New Year friend! As we transition into 2023, it’s important we that we take a little time to Reflect on the past year. The good, the great, the hardships and struggles. There are lessons to be found in our difficult seasons, they are worth their weight in gold if we take the time to extract them, look at them and use the newfound wisdom to move forward in growth and grace. Have you taken the time to reflect back on 2022??  The process below can also help you choose or solidify your word for 2023!

 

The Bible says, “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” Romans 5:3-5

. . .

Here are a few ideas to help you REFLECT on the past year so you can RISE to the fullness of all God has ahead for you in 2023. As you go through the process below, key words and themes will emerge. Pray and allow God to lead you through it, He will highlight and bring up important areas to focus on in the new year.
 
What are some of the greatest lessons from the past year that, if you allow them, will change and transform how you do things going forward in the new year?? Here is my process I go through at the end of each year, I pray you find it helpful and transformative as well:
 
1. Make a list of all the great and amazing things that happened in 2022. What are some of the wonderful experiences you had? Let’s be sure to not forget about all the positive things that happened and your wonderful achievements!
 
2. Be sure to celebrate them all, give thanks to God for all He has done. Journal a praise of gratitude that you can look back on to remember His goodness and provision.
 
3. Now make a list of the “not so great” things, the mistakes, challenges and trials. This can be difficult, but if we don’t acknowledge them, we can’t change them.
 
4. With enough time passing, we can often look back at our trials more easily and extract the valuable lessons…..the gold left behind in the ashes if you will. 
 
5. On a separate paper or notebook, make a list of the lessons from each trial. Keep them simple, in statement form to carry forward in the new year. If we don’t learn from our challenges and mistakes, they are sure to repeat. (For example: "I will focus more on God's Word daily and not the distractions in the world." My word for 2023 is FOCUS.) 
 
6. You can use these challenges and lessons to pull your WORD OF THE YEAR from. Is there a repeating theme or pattern that you need to work on? Fill out your Word of the Year page if you haven’t already.
 
7. Next fill out your REFLECTION page in the back of your Prayerful Planner with your newfound knowledge and wisdom. You can even remove the page and place it in the front of your new 2023 Prayerful Planner. You can print out a practice Reflection page copy HERE!
 
Be sure to share your nuggets of wisdom and insight with our private Facebook group, we can surely all learn from each other and make 2023 the best year yet! And don't forget to grab your copy of our "12 verses for 2023" below!

 

Here's to a happy and hopeful new year Jennifer!!! I'm so excited to see what God has instore for 2023!!!

Jennifer
xoxo

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