Each New Year I prayerfully consider a word to reflect on throughout the next year, and often it becomes a prophetic fore-telling of the theme of my next season, so I try to pick something positive and dynamic.
In 2015, my word was “release,” and the Lord led and guided me in releasing my expectations for how I should be experiencing life, as well as taking me through some of the hidden hurts of my past and allowing me to receive His grace and healing insight within those memories. Transition is not always comfortable; and I definitely experienced a “shaking” of some areas of my life as I released old things and stepped into the new both emotionally and physically.
As I was praying about a word for the 2016, it was my natural desire to want a word along the lines of “abundance.” It is the year of Jubilee (having started last September), so I think we can expect good things; and of course I want this to be a year of excellence in my own life.
What I perceived the Lord saying was that this is a year of holiness.
Holiness has so many connotations: being dedicated and consecrated for a divine purpose, being set apart, separate, sacred, and hallowed. But I was also remembering something I read some time ago from Jack Hayford (Rebuilding the New You–a great book by the way!) about holiness being connected to wholeness since the Spirit desires to perfect us in His holiness by bringing us into the wholeness of Jesus.
In other words, in Jesus we are not just set apart unto ourselves, but set apart from the kingdom of the world and into the Kingdom of God. Heaven is at hand for those who believe, and in heaven–in Jesus–there is wholeness, including of our bodies, souls, and spirits (1 Thess. 5:23, Heb. 4:12). God’s people are also to be consecrated together into a community and holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:4-5).
The Lord wants us to be holy as He is holy (Lev. 11:4-35, 1 Peter 1:14-16, Mat. 5:44-48). This is part command, but also a prophetic desire from God for His people to choose Him. On our own we cannot make ourselves holy–and good luck for those taking a manpower approach to New Year’s resolutions! ;-). Is there any better gift than being so connected with God that His thoughts become our thoughts, and His desires our desires?! Thank God, He wants to help us to connect to Him thoroughly!!
I am praying this year for:
- deeper intimacy with God
- increased passion in worship and intercession
- unexpected new friends
- abundant life for my communities (church, family, friends, school, work, etc.)
- wholeness in my entire being, and
- an overflowing presence of His Spirit.
Happy 2016!
