As the old year passes and a new year begins I find myself doing something similar to what we do in a 3 part disciple makers meeting. Taking time to reflect, pray, and listen is one of my important rituals each New Year’s Eve and Day. This year I’ll be sitting on my porch, Bible open, worship music on, and will pause to take time to look back, look up and look forward.
Here are some questions I’ll ask myself. Perhaps you’d like to use them too.
Important questions for LOOKING BACK:
– What has God done that I can thank Him for?
– What have I learned about who He is this year?
– What have I grown in as far as being a more effective and obedient disciple maker and minister?
Important questions for LOOKING UP:
– How does God feel about me at the close of this year?
– Is there a scripture passage that has been particularly meaningful to me in this past year?
– What prophetic words or messages did I receive in the past year? Which have come to pass and which are yet to be fulfilled?
Important questions for LOOKING FORWARD:
– What does God want to say as I start a New Year?
– Is there a particular Word or Promise He has for me?
– What ONE THING would God have me do in the coming year that could have a great impact on seeing His Kingdom grow?
My One Thing Tradition and Its Impact on My Life & Ministry
On Jan 1st, and throughout the first week of the year, I’ll be setting aside time to pray, listen, and journal about these things. I know as I seek Him, He will reveal His God-assignment for the coming year. Once I’ve heard from Him, it’s just a matter of learning to focus and obey.
I may spend a whole day just sitting with that third looking forward question. What ONE THING would God have me do in the coming year that could have the greatest impact? What is His one, most important, big rock for me in the coming year?
This is a question I’ve been asking God at the start of every year for many, many years. I’m not even sure when it started. I remember for sure it was before I wrote my first book Faith to Move Mountains: Stirring Our Faith to Believe For Movements Among the Unreached because that was my one thing that year. So it’s been at least 15 years or so.
If I had to identify one habit that has caused me to become more fruitful in my entire lifetime, I believe it would be this one…asking this key question of the Lord at the beginning of each year. As I have listened to His guidance, He has given me key things to do that have had far greater impact than any of my own projects or ideas!
Here are a few of the things He spoke to me about in the past:
- Write the devotional for church planters- Faith to Move Mountains together with my colleague Kevin Sutter.
- Start this blog you are reading right here…Dmms Frontier Missions was born. My one thing that year!
- Create an online course called Getting Started in Disciple Making Movements– my one thing in 2019!
- Write my second book The Multiplier’s Mindset: Thinking Differently About Discipleship my one thing in 2023!
- Go to Nigeria and run an onsite training for those who had taken our course online.
- And so many more…
Hearing God’s voice and receiving His direction is vital in our lives all the time and even more so at the beginning of a new year. I pray God will speak to all of us as we wait on Him, seeking His face and receiving His assignments for the coming year. As we hear and simply obey, we will see the release of the impossible.
Have a blessed, fruitful, and joy-filled New Year to come!
If you know it already, what is your one thing for the new year? Share it in the comments below.
