Many people gather to celebrate the New Year. They hug and kiss celebrating time with friends, having survived the previous year, and hoping for good things to come in the coming year. Some even take time to reflect upon habits, realizing that our actions are what brought each of us to where we currently are, and deciding to make new habits that will help us have a better outcome the next year. In the United States, we call this making a New Year’s resolution.
Many of us make New Year's resolutions, but studies show that most of us do not keep them. Many New Year's resolutions are idealistic and too generalized, such as losing weight or saving money. While many of us need to lose weight and save money, making a more specific resolution would be more helpful, such as walking 5 minutes a day or saving $10 a week. While these are achievable for most people, I feel that the ultimate goal for most people would be to have a more blessed life. I wanted to share with you possible resolutions that would help you have a more blessed life.
- Pray.
The Holy Bible says to take everything to God in prayer. It happens that not every day is a good day. Sometimes something happens that is unexpected or unplanned or even unwanted and we consider it to a be a problem. When God reviews your life, who is he going to see that you called on in your time of trouble? No one ever said to not consult a family member or a friend, but who do you call on first? I think you should call on Lord God first and then be very careful to not call on anything spiritual that is not Lord God or Christ Jesus of Nazareth.
Philippians 4:6-7
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
- Read your Bible.
I heard somewhere that time spent with God is more time God spends with you. One of the most blessed times in my life was when I spent one hour reading my Bible and one hour in prayer every night. This much time is not required but I was more blessed because of it. This is difficult because everyone has competing priorities, but I promise Lord God wants time with you.
Reading the Holy Bible is important to your relationship with Lord God but also important for your knowledge of God’s expectations, learning from the actions of others, and knowing what Lord God considers to be sin. Knowing what Lord God considers to be sin is important in order to avoid committing that sin.
In addition, I always find comfort in the scriptures. If I let the Holy Bible just open and begin to read, I usually find a verse or passage that speaks to my heart or speaks to a circumstance or situation that I am dealing with. These are important moments and I pray to Lord God and Christ Jesus concerning these moments. I also find it necessary to read the Holy Bible in sequence. If I only read my favorite parts or just read certain passages, I might miss an important message from Lord God. I also find that even though, I have already read a part of the Bible, if I go back later and read it again, I usually find new meaning, or something see something new. Therefore, even if you have already read the Holy Bible, it is still important to read it again and again, renewing your heart and your mind and your relationship with Lord God.
- Keep God’s commandments.
Lord God gave us 10 commandments and Christ Jesus gave us one more. Deuteronomy 28 is a very long chapter in the Holy Bible but one important one to read. Deuteronomy 28 states that those that keep God statutes are blessed and those who do not are cursed. Lord God’s statutes include the commandments but also include other avoidances of sin that are identified in the Holy Bible. This is another reason to read the Holy Bible so you know what they are.
Deuteronomy 28:1-14
“And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. 3 Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. 4 Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. 5 Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. 6 Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.
7 “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. 8 The Lord will command the blessing on you in your barns and in all that you undertake. And he will bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. 9 The Lord will establish you as a people holy to himself, as he has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in his ways. 10 And all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you. 11 And the Lord will make you abound in prosperity, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your livestock and in the fruit of your ground, within the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. 12 The Lord will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands. And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. 13 And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only go up and not down, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, being careful to do them, 14 and if you do not turn aside from any of the words that I command you today, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
- Tithe.
Since the days of Moses, we were supposed to tithe 10% of our income. The Lord God considers it to be his and believes that you are robber of the church when you do not give it. Give your tithe to your church or ministry that you believe serves God. The tithe is intended to provide for the church and its ministers. From experience I know I am more blessed the more I give. My tithe is the basic requirement, but I am more blessed when I give an offering beyond my tithe.
Malachi 3:10
10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
- Praise and Worship.
Praise and worship is not only important to Lord God and Christ Jesus, but is also important to your spiritual well-being. Praise and worship can be quiet or can be loud, with song, or with dance. I know of people who go home after work, put on worship music, dance, and sing to the Lord God. All the bad spirits that were bothering them at work just fall off.
Luke 4:8
And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’”
John 4:24
God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Our life can be blessed or not blessed. If we want to be blessed, we have to have relationship with Lord God and Christ Jesus. God is God and does not give in or compromise. Life is about the journey, not just the final outcome. At the end of our life and our journey, Lord God will review everything, not just how we present ourselves in the end.
We will be more of what Lord God wants if we walk with him daily, pray to him without ceasing, spend time with him daily, and worship him. Importantly, if we do these things daily and even near or close to the same time daily, not only will we have a closer relationship to Lord God, but he will know to meet us there.
In the name of Christ Jesus, I pray to Lord God and Christ Jesus of Nazareth requesting that Lord God and Christ Jesus be with me in the new year. Protect me from temptation. Help me be what you created me to be. I am grateful for my relationship with Lord God and Christ Jesus and I request that Lord God and Christ Jesus help my relationship with Lord God and Christ Jesus grow to be greater than it has ever been before. Lord God and Christ Jesus please give me strength to be what you want me to be. I pray this request in the name of Christ Jesus. Amen.
