A New Way to Pray Through Your New Year Goals

 ^“I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.”

Philippians 4:13

Dear Friends,

Happy New Year—just a day early!

A New Way to Think About New Year Goals

As we wrap up 2025, you may be thinking about the New Year goals you’d like to put in place for the coming year. Perhaps you’re also wondering how long your resolve will last this time. If that sounds familiar, I’ve created a resource I think will truly encourage you.

When Resolutions Become Prayer Requests

Several years ago, I decided to approach my New Year’s resolutions a little differently. I made my usual list, but then I turned each goal into a prayer request. I typed the list, glued it into my prayer journal, and committed to praying over it every day. To my surprise, many of those things came to pass during the year, and I’ve continued this practice ever since.

Three Areas God Often Grows Us

As I updated and reorganized my list over time, I noticed my goals and prayer requests consistently fell into three categories:

• Internal / Spiritual Growth — knowing God more deeply and better understanding His Word
• Relationships — stronger communication with my family and meaningful ministry opportunities
• Personal Growth — learning new skills, including a new language

Why Prayer Makes the Difference

In our busy world, it’s not always easy to follow through on the things we hope to accomplish—especially when those New Year goals are internal, emotional, or spiritual. But God reminds us in Philippians that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. He hears our prayers and delights in giving us the grace, strength, and perseverance we need. Often, He surprises us by placing opportunities, and people, directly in our path to help us grow in the very areas we’re praying about.

How God Uses People and Opportunities to Answer Prayer

That happened for me. The first year I tried this practice, I began meeting regularly with a friend who—unbeknownst to me at the time—had expertise in two areas I was praying about. She spoke Spanish fluently and was also a photographer. Over the years, she has become both a treasured friend and an incredible resource. God even opened the door for us to travel together to Spanish-speaking countries, where she encouraged me to use my Spanish – while, of course, taking plenty of photos along the way!

A Simple Practice You Can Start This Year

If you have New Year goals and dreams for the year ahead, I’d love to help you approach them prayerfully. I’ve created a simple resource to guide you through the process. You’ll write out your goals, connect each one with a Bible verse, and then rewrite the goal as a prayer. After that, the rest is up to you. Place the list near your Bible and commit to praying over it daily. God is faithful, and you truly can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.

An Invitation to Begin the Year Prayerfully

Happy New Year, friends. Begin the year by placing your goals in God’s hands. I can’t wait to see what God has in store for you as you seek Him each day through His Word and prayer.

 Check out my resource page where you can download your free Prayerful Heart Journal and start praying over what matters most.

Love,

Mama

I’d love to hear from you. If this resource has encouraged your heart or sparked something new in your prayer life, please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected]. And if you know someone who is setting goals, seeking direction, or longing to grow closer to God this year, I invite you to share this post with them. You never know how God might use it to bless someone else.