Dedicating a significant amount of time alone in a quiet place at the start of the year to engage in an intimate conversation with Lord is a rewarding exercise of faith. It’s the perfect time to reflect on the year that has just passed with thankfulness, and open yourself up to the Lord’s purposes with prayerful expectation for the year ahead. It builds on our relationship with the Lord who is our good Shepherd, and who is sovereign in our lives.
If you haven’t done so yet, and if you want to be more purposeful in how you will spend that time with the Lord, here’s a day-of-prayer guide which I prepared that might help you. This guide leads you through six sets of personal reflection. Each reflection set has suggested topics to reflect on and pray about. Within each set, there are also short inspirational readings from scripture and commentaries; these have mostly been taken from the Touchpoint devotionals published by Tecarta Bible.
These six sets of reflections are as follows:
| 1. The Past | Reflections about the year 2022 that just passed. |
| 2. Beginnings | How do you feel about this coming 2023? |
| 3. Planning | Things that God expects of everyone (including you) to make specific plans for. |
| 4. Focus on Character | Specific characters among the 9 fruit of the Spirit that God wants you to focus on. |
| 5. Specific Calling & Purpose | Being sensitive to opportunities for you to respond to God’s specific calling. |
| 6. The Big Ask | Praying for your deepest longings. |
It is best to do this with a journal or notebook where you can jot down your thoughts, prayers, and plans. While these guides will already have biblical verses to inspire you, feel free to go through your own bible to explore God’s will even further. Go through each stage slowly and in the order it is presented, and do not rush this process. You may take a short break in between stages, but avoid doing anything that will distract you or that will break your momentum.
You can download the 2023 DAY OF PRAYER GUIDE here.
May this conversation with the Lord be blessed with an abundance of joy and intimate peace.
The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying:
JER 31:3
“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”
Thank you po for this guide, Tito Eddie! God bless!
This is so helpful even to do as a business team. Perfect timing for me to read this! I’ll use this guide for a more God-led annual planning for MLI.