The following reflection activities all have the same purpose: to look back and process with God what has been, and to look forward and entrust the desires of our hearts to Him. He is with us every step, past and future. Our looking ahead is not with anxiety or goals we plan to conquer. Our Father knows all that will come and He plans to work in every event for good. Let the looking forward be filled with dependent prayer.
Father, please bring to mind the events and our responses to them that would be helpful to reflect on. Give us Your perspective on the last year and eyes to see how You were at work. As we reflect, we will encounter our weakness, our mistakes, our sin — Lord, speak into these and please also remind us of Your mercy, steadfast love, and faithfulness. And as we reflect on events that may still be painful, help us to cry out to You like the psalmist — You are our rock, our refuge, and our hope.
Father, the coming year is dark, we cannot see what will be. But we know that You are already there and Your light dispels the dark night, filling this year with hope. Lord, what are Your desires for this year? Mold our hearts that they would reflect Yours and help us to walk into the coming weeks in faith, hope, and love, with eyes fixed on Jesus, who goes before us, the author and perfecter of our faith.
Alternate format
You do not have to reflect on a whole year! Any of these activities can be used to process and pray through a significant period in your life, whether a few weeks or a few years. Decide the period of time you want to reflect on, then choose one activity that looks like it would work well for you.
Practical tips
- All of the following activities have the same function, but step through the process of reflection in slightly different ways. Choose one activity that suits your personality and needs. Doing more than one of these activities will probably not be very helpful.
- Enter the activity prayerfully — look to God to guide your time, that you would know what to focus on and how to understand what He has been doing. If you feel, at any time, that God might have you pause for prayer, praise, or to dwell on a particular passage of Scripture, feel free to stop and engage with God in that way.
- Take your time — don’t rush, but take as much time as you need to sufficiently process and pray through the events, thoughts, feelings, etc. from this last year. If you don’t finish in one sitting, try to come back in the next day or two to pick up where you left off.
- Share with others — we do not walk this journey alone, but with brothers and sisters. After you have done your reflection activity, connect with a brother or sister in Christ that you trust to share some of your reflections, insights, and prayers with them. Try to connect with someone fairly soon (perhaps within a week or two). If you’re processing on a crisis or deep griefs/losses, we strongly recommend you to find a safe and mature brother or sister in Christ to share with, perhaps a pastor, mentor, Christian counselor, etc. God gives us one another as a body to build each other up, to rejoice together, and to mourn together.