I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. - Jesus Christ
Dear friend, By now we have seen many new years. The New Year is always surprising and known for new goals, fresh plans, and decisions. Some resolutions we made previously remained on paper, and others were long forgotten. Let's prepare our hearts for this new year. Can we make it different this time? How to make the best use of this new year?
Doing deep cleaning in our life
I used to carry a laptop bag to the office for many years. I like it so much because it allowed me to keep many documents segregated in a different compartment. I carried the same bag for over seven years. At one point, I start getting back pain. I decided to check what is in the bag. I and my wife checked each partition in the bag. We found old bills, office documents, which are many years old, and personal documents that were no longer required. We had to trash around 3kgs worth of paperwork. I was carrying all these for many years without realizing they are simply trash.
As we enter the new year, let us allow the Holy Spirit to search the hearts. Let him reveal and show us the motives and thoughts we need to correct. The Holy Spirit can show secret habits, obsessions, and unnecessary pieces of heavy baggage we carry in our hearts. He can also help us purify our hearts and lighten our hearts. May the power of God discard all the unwanted thoughts, activities, worries, guilt, and everything that are obstacles to our walk with Jesus.
We can never achieve the deep cleaning of our hearts without the help of the Holy Spirit. He alone can help us realize the remove deep-rooted, hidden, long-term behavior, and attitudes that ought to be removed.
Letting go of the past
At the end of world war II, Germany was reduced to rubbles. They had to start from scratch. Keeping the economic recovery aside, burying the past and coming out of the guilt was one of the important challenges the first German chancellor Konrad Adenauer had to go through. As soon as Adenauer came to power, he took serious attempts to reconcile with Israel. Adenauer, himself a devoted and religious man, took intentional steps to lift the nation of Germany out of guilt. He announced in the German Parliament that Germany has a debt to pay to Israel. Over the years Germany and Israel became close allies. Though the past damages and the lives lost during the 2nd world war can not be reversed, both the nations agreed to move on. This is a great example of how two nations worked at the highest level and buried their past and reconciled with each other.
Are we holding on to our past while we try to move into a new year? Let's bring our past guilt, a painful broken relationship, things we want to forget and forgive to God. The Holy Spirit can help mend our hearts. He can help us forgive our own past mistakes and the mistakes others have done to us.
Plan the New Year’s resolutions differently this time
We forget most of the resolutions on the very next day. Let’s do the resolution differently this time. Let’s ask Jesus to plan our new Year’s plan. Ask Him to tell us what we need to in our personal, professional, and spiritual life. Jesus is our heavenly father. He loves and cares for us. He knows the past, present, and future. Jesus said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end, I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One”. Through the foreknowledge of the future, He knows what is good for us.
Dear friend, sit in the presence of Jesus and ask Him to lead. We may not be getting a blueprint of what we have to do each day. He will lead us away from the wrong choices, Help us to make the right decisions, and will give us grace before man and God in all that we do.
Apostle Paul cried out to Jesus, Surrender the plans about your family, children’s future, and personal health in the presence of Jesus. Ask Him to take control of all parts of life. Keep the new year resolution very simple. Resolve to follow Christ and listen to His voice every day. He will teach us the ways which are good for us and the path that will lead to peace and joy.
There is an open door
Dear friend, Jesus has kept an open door for you. No one can close the door Jesus has opened especially for you. The Bible says, "I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me." Are you worried about debt, sickness, relationship problems, or obsessions? Jesus wants to open a new way for you. Do not be discouraged. You might be having little strength to fight the enemy. But when God is with us who can be against us?
Dear friend, join with us and pray the below prayer in your own words. Jesus is going to open ways for you in 2021.
Dear Jesus, I have seen many new years. I have made many plans and many resolutions. But this new year, I Am going to keep my plan very simple. I want to listen to your voice and follow you. Please teach me the ways I should walk in the days to come. You grip my hands so I would not wander away in life. Let my eyes not be distracted by the glory of the money and position can offer.
I am so glad and satisfied to be your child. Jesus, let nothing take away from this relationship between you and me. Holy Spirit helps me to leave all the baggage of hurt and hatred from my heart. Show me the negative attitudes I need to remove from my life. Help me to come out of it.
Your word says you have opened new doors for me. I have very little strength. I am not rich. I have poor health. I am struggling in sins. But my God is powerful. I am His child. I am not going to be discouraged. Satan has no part in me. I will win all my battles through Jesus Christ. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Dear friend, we are praying for you. May God bless you and make you a blessing for many. May God lead you by holding your hands. May He show you the opened doors ahead of you.
