1 Chronicles22v5: “Now David said, Solomon my son is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the Lord must be exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all countries. I will now make preparation for it. So David made abundant preparations before his death.”

You are welcome back to our discourse on Planning for the New Year! If things will be different in the New Year, then you need to give adequate attention and planning to it. This is why this series of lessons are coming your way and I trust it will be of great help to you in Jesus’ name, amen. As you can see from our text scripture, King David realized the power of planning and used it to his advantage. You, too, need to do the same about the incoming year! So how do you go about Planning for a New Year? What are the things to take into consideration? These are things I will be sharing with you today, so without much ado, let’s examine some of these principles right away!

HOW TO PLAN FOR THE NEW YEAR?

1. Review the outgoing year. What do I mean by this? It simply means to evaluate the outgoing year! Your evaluation should cover every area of your life such as spiritually, emotionally, mentally, physically, career-wise or professionally, relationally, financially, etc. So how do you do this kind of exercise? You do this by asking yourself some pertinent questions (2Cor.13v5). It’s important to note that the kind of questions you ask yourself will determine the kind of answers you will get. So what kind of questions do you need to ask yourself? My dear reader, you need to ask yourself the following kind of questions if you will be ready for the New Year:

– Did you accomplish your goals and aspirations for this year? If yes, how much did you accomplish? And if the answer is No, why didn’t you accomplish your goals? The answers you get from this question will help you greatly in Planning for the New Year.

– How would you rate yourself on the New Year? I.e. 50%, 30%, or less.

My dear brothers and sisters, it’s good to ask yourself this kind of question if you want to move forward in the New Year. So make sure you take out time to review the outgoing year thoroughly. Have time to review with yourself, your spouse, and God! The purpose of reviewing is to refresh, reflect, and refire yourself for the New Year. So when are you going to start reviewing the outgoing year? Make sure you start today because it might be late if you procrastinate.

1. Ask God to help you in making your plans for the New Year. We all need God’s help in preparing for the New Year. One of the greatest obstacles in preparing for the New Year is ourselves, so this is why you need to conquer yourself! What are the things that are getting in your way of getting ready for the New Year? Is it Procrastination, Excuses, Indecision, Slothfulness, Stubbornness, Pride, or Blaming other people? Not willing to accept your faults, not ready to change, Prayerlessness, etc. Whatever it is, you need to get it out of your way. You need to deal with it urgently! Begin to give Time to seek God’s help for the New Year. My dear reader, nothing compares to His help. The horse can be prepared for the day of battle, but Victory comes from the Lord! So begin to ask the Holy Spirit to help you in getting ready for the New Year. Doing this is one of the most profitable things you can do in getting set for the New Year! So get on the matter right away! You will not be put to shame in Jesus’ name, amen (Pro.21v31).

Other Scriptural References: (SOS.2v15; Pro.25v4; Rom.8v26; Matt.26v41; Ps.121v1-2: 124v8; Mk.16v15; Lk.14v28; 1Cor.11v31; 1Thes.5v21).

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, help me in evaluating and preparing for the New Year.

CONFESSION: I receive God’s wisdom and help in getting ready for the New Year! I start my preparation early and on time! I give it my full attention! As I evaluate the outgoing Year, I receive wisdom and courage to make better decisions for the New Year! As I depend on God’s help, I know what to do, where to go, and how to deal with the issues of life. The Holy Spirit is my guide and leader; therefore I make the best decisions for the New Year in Jesus’ name, amen.