Two years before my husband died suddenly, the Spirit of God said to me, “All I want you doing is practicing peace.” He was telling me what to emphasize in my daily life to help prepare me for what was ahead. I didn’t know what was ahead, but HE did! God was preparing me for that day so that day wouldn’t take me off course.

     I obeyed Him. I practiced peace. How did I do that? Every thought that didn’t add to my peace, any thought that tried to trouble my mind, I answered it with the Word of God, then I cast it down, refusing to touch it in my thought life. I paid attention to my thought life.

     I saw that one of the primary ways that the Spirit comforts us is He prepares us for what’s ahead. No, God had nothing to do with the tragedy of that event, but He had everything to do with preparing me for that tragedy. John 10:10 tell us that the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Anything that steals, kills, and destroys in from the enemy – not from God! In that same verse, Jesus went on to state, “I’ve come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.” That which is life-giving comes from God. Only that which is good comes from God.

     Just as God prepared me for the future by telling me what to emphasize, God prepares us all individually, He prepares local congregations, and He also prepares the whole Body of Christ. He prepares us for the future by telling us what to emphasize in the different seasons of life, but He will also tell us what to emphasize as we come into every new year. As we obey Him in how He is leading us now, then we will be prepared and ready to move with Him, even in the coming years.

     One thing that God said to me recently was, “In the next 10 years, there will be explosive growth and development in this ministry.” So we are taking steps now to prepare and be ready to move with that.

     Always remember that anything God has planned for us personally, as a congregation, and as the Body of Christ, won’t come to pass AUTOMATICALLY – but ON PURPOSE! We must add our part to it – our obedience and our faith.

     What God has also directed me about this new year of 2023 is that it will be “A Year of Flourishing Faith!”

     This is not simply a confession to make, but an action to take; He is instructing us what to emphasize and do in 2023. As we obey Him, we will be prepared and be able to keep pace with His plan for this year and upcoming years.

     The definition of “flourishing” means growing vigorously. In 2023, we are to see to it that our faith is growing vigorously!

     We are to pay particular attention to our “faith life.” To do that, we are to:

1. – Feed our faith on the Word – faith comes by hearing the Word of God

2. – Meditate on the Word – that’s how we build the Word in our spirits

3. – Release our faith – through words and actions

4. – Receive from God – faith is a receiver

5. – Hold fast to what we receive – through our confessions of faith and through a lifestyle of praise and thanksgiving to God.

     Every new year should bring advancement, promotion, and increase, and 2023 should be no different. As we actively obey God in how He is leading us, we will be prepared and positioned to move with Him as He takes us further into His plan.