Your Year to Thrive
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline.”
2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT)
As we turn the calendar to a New Year, have you wondered what God’s plan is for you in 2024? How can we make this a year to thrive, not just survive? I believe this is the year God wants you to flourish. To flourish means to thrive with growth. God wants you to thrive with growth in every area of your life. But, how? Whatever you nourish is going to flourish. If you nourish your soul with the dynamic of God’s Word, I promise you that it will change your life! Here’s how: I challenge you to meditate on a verse or passage for the entire week. Think of it as nutrition for the soul. Meditation is not emptying your mind but filling it with the nutrition of God’s Word that will make your life flourish. Here’s an effective way I’ve used to meditate on Scripture that has helped me.
1. Read it. – Think about the verse as you read it.
2. Recite it. – Read it out loud a number of times, giving emphasis to different words in the passage.
3. Remember it. – Commit the passage to memory so that you don’t even have to look at it.
4. Reflect it. – Let the passage sink from your head to your heart and begin to find expression in your life with everything that you do, say, and think. Mull it over throughout your day at work and at home. Look for the practical ways this verse applies to your circumstances.
Start with the passage today. As you read it, recite it, remember it, and reflect it, you’ll begin to starve your fears and feed your faith. You’ll begin to flourish as you nourish your life with food for the soul!
Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.
Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.