January 1, 2026

Are you like me—excited that it is a new year, a fresh start filled with new possibilities? It feels like opening a new calendar, ready to record the events and moments that await in the coming year.

Every January 1 since 2019, I have asked the Lord to give me a word to focus on in prayer for the year.

Here is my list:

• 2019—Change

• 2020—Renew

• 2021—Transition

• 2022—Faithful

• 2023—Dream

• 2024—Pray the Word

• 2025—New Beginnings

• 2026 – ?

Little did I know that a public health emergency due to COVID-19 would begin in China in December 2019, with the first case reported in the U.S. in January 2020, followed by the World Health Organization’s declaration of a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. Although COVID-19 remains present, the WHO declared the pandemic phase to have ended in May 2023.

Looking back at my list, I can see how God was speaking—revealing what was to come.

For 2019: A change is coming—He did not give us a spirit of fear. 2 Timothy 1:7

For 2020: Time to renew our minds—with His word and remember His promises. Romans 12:2

For 2021: Time of transition—in the way we do things. Revelation 2:4-5

For 2022: Remain faithful—even in uncertain times. Psalm 46:1-2

For 2023: Follow the dream—pursue God-given dreams. Proverbs 16:3

For 2024: Go deeper, pray the Word—pray Heaven down. James 5:16

For 2025: A year of new beginnings—not only in my life but also for the church. Isaiah 43:18-19

It is easy to see what God was revealing in hindsight. But at the time, was I able to put two and two together? Not quite. There was only a sense—an unction, if you will—that each year hinted at change on the horizon, something building, encouraging me to do my part and take action.

Before I reveal what the Lord has placed on my heart for the new year, I will say this: I currently have no clear indication of what it will fully entail. Still, I sense new things coming and agree with the phrase “2026: The Big Fix,” which I heard at last year’s Believers’ Convention.

For 2026, I received these words: New Season, New Vision. My focus is shifting to align with what God has said: “Step up—in faith, in prayer, and in what God has called me to do.” (See my August 17, 2025, blog post, Stepping Up to the Plate, for additional insight.)

My prayer for you is that the Lord grants you insight for your new year and spiritual season, and that the vision He gives you will be clear—just don’t forget to write it down. Habakkuk 2:2