Preparation For The New Year

As I've walked through some really great advent devotional plans to place my heart in God's hands for the Christmas season, I've felt a tugging from the Holy Spirit. The tugging is reminding me that we are on a constant adventure with God as He molds us to His design. Through the tugs, one word, one attribute of God is clear to me: peace. God calls Jesus the Prince of Peace in Isaiah. When the angels announce Jesus' birth, they declare peace on all men. In Jesus' ministry on Earth, He teaches that if we come to Him and walk in His rhythms of Grace, we will have Peace. Even the apostle Paul teaches that when turn our worries over to God through prayer we will have a peace that passes all understanding. 

I started my advent journey with the focus I was preparing my heart for the true meaning of Christmas. Instead, I feel God is preparing me for what I need to focus on for 2014: Peace.

The senior pastor of the church I attend has had his staff participate in a fast and also a word from God for the past few years. He invites the congregation to participate as well. In 2012, I followed a Daniel Fast and spent the year focusing on the word Restoration and the Dry Bones passage in Ezekiel. God was faithful and restored to me dreams about my career and myself. He took me from dry bones to green pastures in 2012.  If you have read my blog this past year, 2013 was filled with the word Eucharisteo .  In learning to be thankful to God for all things, seeing both the good and bad as a gift from God, I've grown to trust and depend on God in a new, stronger way. I also started the year with a social media fast to stop some of the "noise" and refocus on God. 

Back to Peace. I know this is my word for 2014. God reminds me over and over of this word. I definitely am going to spend time in The Word discovering more about Peace. I know I need to be still in front of God to discover what that looks like in my life. I'm definitely thankful that peace is my word. You see, while restoration and Eucharisteo have propelled me to greater growth in God, it has been hard. I feel like there was so much growth, that I feel like a new, different woman. But to reach this point, I had to do all the things God called me to do- like surrender dreams and plans, change my heart, confess my sin, experience freedom. The list could go on. I'm thankful that after all this hard work to be transformed by God, He is now promising peace. I know that 2014 won't be free of change, but I have a feeling it will be peaceful change. I know that I will still be growing, but I think the way it will happen will be in a peaceful manner. I'm excited for the possibilities up ahead!! As for the fast, I know for sure that I'm going to take a break from Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. I may possibly still blog, but I haven't fully decided. What else to fast? I'm still not sure and will be praying what will lead to peace. 

Advent is a time of preparation to remind us of Christ's first coming. It is also a time where we can prepare our hearts to make room for Christ. For me, it is allowing a deeper relationship to grow. But for you, perhaps this is the first time you may have realized there is no room for Christ in your life. I pray that you would surrender to Him now. Open your heart and accept Him as your Savior, your Prince of Peace.