One Thing

 

As another year comes to a close and talks of resolutions swirl around, my mind and heart considers what this upcoming year will hold.

I don’t typically make resolutions but do set some goals to work towards or try to spend time really enjoying the beauty that the ordinary day brings.

This year is no different.  Instead of setting myself up for failure with a list of resolutions that would likely be long forgotten about mid February, I've decided that one thing is needed.

Just one.

Becoming a woman of prayer.

While I pray daily and often, I want to be closer to the Lord more than ever.  I want to boldly speak for Him and of Him.  I want to know that everything I do, any direction I take and each path I explore is exactly where HE wants me to be.

E.M. Bounds said “Prayer that costs nothing gets nothing.” And that is not the kind of Christian I want to be.  I want to schooch in close to the Lord so that before one tear lands on my cheek, my heart is already whispering in prayer; before one thank you can be uttered, my heart is already praising HIM for His mercy and grace.

Speaking of Paul and Silas E.M. Bounds said “Their joy in Jesus was so profound that it expressed itself happily and sweetly in praise and prayer under extremely painful and depressing conditions.”

We’ve faced some hard times and will continue to do so I’m sure but in the end, I want MY JOY in Jesus to be expressed sweetly in praise and prayer.  I want my faith to be built on the foundation of prayer, I want my praise to be continual, no matter what.

One thing is all that I’m focusing on this year.  Just one. 

What are your goals for the New Year?  Do you have a list or will you focus on one or two things?

If you’ve written an article on your goals for the New Year, please feel free to share it below.  If you haven’t but would like to list out some of your goals, please do so and encourage all those who stop by and read this.

E.M. Bounds has several books about prayer; I encourage you to get them.  Here are a few of my favorite quotes from him:

Our ability to stay with God in our closet measures our ability to stay with God out of the closet. 

Hurried devotions make weak faith, feeble convictions and questionable piety.  To be little with God is to be little for God.  To cut short our praying makes our whole Christian character short, small, improvised and careless.

Persevering prayer always wins.

Prayer can do anything that God can do. Pity is that we do not believe this as we ought, and we do not put it to the test.

Prayer moves the hand that moves the world.