Do you pray for a word from God each year? Since I committed my life to Christ in 2005, I have heard many sisters in Christ say that they have prayed for a word of the year from God. I was always interested but I had never put this practice into place. I was surprised when in January 2021 the Holy Spirit impressed a word on my heart during my daily prayer time with God without any prompting or specific prayers for it.

The word was FEEL and it was permission to grieve some incredibly hard losses I had experienced in recent years. I realized I had not allowed myself to fully grieve. It was a gentle reminder that I needed to do the hard and painful work of processing the grief and that He was there to go through it all with me. His desire was to move me into a different season. I am reminded of John 16 when Jesus is about to ascend and He is addressing His disciples. Verse 22 is a promise to them that they will have sorrows but that He will return to them and they will have Joy that no one can take from them. I needed to go through a wet winter season of sorrow because He was preparing a Spring season of blessing the very next year. In 2022 and every year since I have prayed for His word and He has been faithful in placing those on my heart.

In 2022, it was RESTORATION. I had deep hopes for this word, especially when it came to some broken relationships that I was mourning. I often returned to Joel 2:25 where God promises to restore the years the locusts had eaten and to Isaiah 6:13 where He promises to replace ashes with beauty and despair with praise. I went back and forth between standing on His promises and daring not to hope for fear of being disappointed. Thankfully His goodness and sovereignty do not depend on my doubts. It was, in every way a year of restoration, including powerful healing in those relationships. I can’t help but cry each time I think about His faithfulness.

In 2023 He gave me the word was VICTORY. After my experience the year before, I was prepared for fan fare when I got this word. I pictured myself holding up a trophy with confetti flying around me. I wanted to throw a victory party and celebrate loudly. I looked for victory in everything. As the end of the year was drawing near, I found it in the quiet divine knowledge of the victory I have in Jesus. If I belong to Him, I live in victory. 1 John 5:4 says that anyone who is born of God, has overcome the world. This is our victory. I was once again in awe of who He is and that His ways are so much higher than my own.

This year He gave me PROMISES. I have pondered this word in my heart all year and asked for eyes to see and believe the promises I have in Him. He has also brought to fruition some dreams He laid on my heart in 2010 in profound ways. This morning I felt prompted to take a deeper dive into the promises of God in Scripture. I am still in bed drinking my coffee and I am completely overwhelmed by the promises we have in Him. Did you know that the Word tells us that He is for us, that we cannot be separated from His love, that we are a new creation in Him, that He has a plan for our lives, and He protects us? Reading through these makes me humbly aware of how small my faith is. This relationship I have been called into with Jesus is full of promises and I live life in a way that does not truly reflect the freedom those promises give me. Once again, He has been faithful to unveil truths and facets of who He is through these words.

We have one month left in 2024 so I encourage you to begin praying for God to reveal Himself to you whether through a song, a scripture or a word in the upcoming year. In the meantime, I will do the same. I look forward to what God has in store for all of us next year because no matter what, it will be good.

Ardently His,

Jenifer

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