The start of a new year is an opportunity to reassess our lives and make resolutions that will help us become more focused on various aspects of our lives. The new year feels like a clean slate to begin with. The typical areas that we tend to assess are our health, habits, and finances. However, it should be important to consider our faith when evaluating ourselves going into the new year. Whether you’re just starting your Christian journey or looking for ways to strengthen your existing faith, here are some New Year resolutions that can help you make 2023 your best year.
Engage With the Bible
The Bible is full of wisdom, insight, and direction. Reading it helps us better understand how God wants us to live and strengthens our relationships. But it is important to note that while you could spend time reading the Scriptures daily with a structured reading plan, these are not guarantees of spiritual success. Instead, we should practice engaging with the Bible daily instead of seeking only to read it daily.
Many people set out new year’s resolutions to read the Bible more consistently. However, this goal can lead to checking a daily box instead of growing spiritually. Setting aside time each day to engage with Scripture—even if it’s just 10 minutes—will help keep us focused on our faith.
How can I engage with Scripture beyond reading it? You could meditate on a passage of Scripture, you could study a single passage for multiple days, or could even seek to memorize a verse or two. When we focus only on reading the Bible every day, we can potentially miss out on going deeper with our faith which is usually the heart of our new year resolution to begin with. If you truly have no idea where to begin and reading the Bible isn’t something you’re used to doing, try setting a goal to read one chapter each week, taking one day to read, one day to re-read and study, another day to meditate on the passage, and a final day to memorize a verse from the passage.
Check out our free Bible Briefs to begin studying the Scriptures:
Engage With A Church
Physically attending church regularly is important for many reasons. First, attending a local church helps keep us connected with other like-minded believers who share our same spiritual goals and values. Additionally, attending service allows us to access sermons and teachings from pastors and ministers that can provide guidance and direction as we go through life’s ups and downs. And lastly, going to church gives us a chance to participate in meaningful acts of worship that can strengthen our faith and deepen our connection with God.
However, beyond attending is engaging with a local church regularly is even more important. By attending, we meet people, but engaging with the local church means we can begin serving others. By attending church, we have access to sermons and teachings, but engaging with the church allows for us to ask questions and grow in such a way that we own our spiritual growth. Many Christians attend church seeking to find what they can get out of the service, but engaging with the church allows for you to see how you can serve others through your local church.
Take Time For Prayer
Prayer is one of the most effective tools we have as Christians for connecting with God and communicating with Him directly. Making prayer part of your daily routine—before bedtime or first thing in the morning—can help bring clarity and peace into your life during difficult times. Praying regularly also allows you to express gratitude for God’s blessings, big or small.
However, prayer does not need to be formal or overly structured to be effective. Simply talking to God can be the foundation for an effective prayer life. But if you do not know where to begin, you can follow this pattern for prayer:
P – Praise God for the good things He has been doing and providing for you.
R – Release the parts of your life that you cannot control but may worry about.
A – Ask for the things that only God can accomplish in your life to be done.
Y – Yield to what God might be asking you to do or what He has already made known to you.
As Christians, we are called upon by God to seek growth in all aspects of life continually, spiritually included! By taking these resolutions seriously this year, we can make sure we are striving towards strengthening our relationship with him each day by making time for him in prayer, engaging his Word every day, connecting with fellow believers at church services along with many other wonderful ways! May 2023 be the best year yet! Let’s strive together toward His glory!