Word of the Year Ideas with Monthly Reflection Sheets

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Happy New Year to you, my beautiful Sister in Christ!

I would love to hear the guiding word and Bible Verse(s) you selected (or are leaning towards) for this brand new year so I can write them down and pray over you in the upcoming months. I wish we could sit across from each other as we share our hearts and our stories about how God grew us with our words in 2024!

Perhaps, you’re curious what a guiding word even means?
Either way, welcome sweet sister! BIG hugs to you …

Unlike traditional resolutions which tend to focus on external achievements or behavior management, choosing a guiding word is a grace-filled practice to set our hearts and intentions for the new year. It invites us into a deeper, personal journey of focused spiritual growth while we live, move and breathe in Christ.

To help you along, I have created two resources. A list of “Word of the Year Ideas” and “Monthly Reflection Sheets” to help you to prayerfully establish a rhythm of reflection with Jesus throughout the year. They are at the bottom of this post.

My word in 2024 was Joy and Jesus taught me to hold onto His joy and find the hidden blessings during a year filled with loss, uncertainty and grief for our family. I still need to grow in this area and will always keep this word tucked in my heart.

As I look forward to 2025, my spirit is hungry to go so much deeper in Christ. At the same time, I long for His creativity to flow through me to touch other hearts in a way only He can. Words like Rooted, Creative or Imagine kept coming to mind. But just this week, God dropped the word Dream into my spirit, which beautifully emcompasses what He has deposited into my heart for this year!

The verse He gave me for 2025 is …

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” Ephesians 3:20 (NIV).

Helpful tips to guide you towards your personal word of the year:

1. PRAY – Always begin in prayer with everything you set out to do. Ask God to give you discernment for the direction He is leading you in this new year while keeping in mind that His thoughts and His ways are always higher and better than ours.

2. REFLECT – Take time to pause and reflect for greater self awareness to help you set your intentions for this new year. Think about the lessons, struggles, victories and joys of this past year. Did you see a recurring theme in your life? Which Bible Verse(s) kept leaping out at you? Was there something God kept calling your attention to?

3. CONTEMPLATE – Once you’ve reflected, allow yourself to dream with God about the year ahead. Is there a characteristic of God you want to focus on? A fruit of the Spirit you want to cultivate? Do you need to grow in your identity in Christ? Which direction is God leading you in this season? What areas of your life need growth, renewal or healing?

I have a friend whose word will be ISRAEL in 2025. Her heart is to pray for and learn more about God’s beloved, covenant people. How beautiful is this? 🙌🙌

4. ALIGN – Strive to align the word you are considering with Scripture as God’s Word is our ultimate guide. When I was searching for a word a few years back, I came across “Kick-Ass” on a list of word ideas. Lol, while I get where she was coming from, I highly doubt the Holy Spirit would inspire this word idea for our spiritual growth. Also, look for verses that resonate with the direction you feel God is leading you. Scriptures will often confirm the word you’re leaning toward.

5. CHOOSE YOUR WORD – Finally, choose your word(s). By now, a word and a Bible verse will likely stand out to you. Write it down, pray over it, and trust God will use it to guide you through the year. Some years, you may be in a season of growth and prefer a more active word like Determined, Vigilant or Fearless. Other years call for gentler, soul-caring words such as Rest, Quiet or Stillness.

Here are some examples of Words and Scriptures …

JOY: “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” Ps 16:11.

STILLNESS: “He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed” Ps 107:29.

FEARLESS: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” Isa 41:10.

CREATE: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” Eph 2:10.

FOCUS: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” Matt 6:33.

PEACE: “He will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are stayed on Him” Isa 26:3.

QUIET: “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing” Zeph 3:17.

HOPE: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” Rom 15:13.

Your focus word and Bible verse is personal between you and God. What works for one person isn’t necessarily going to work for someone else. Pray earnestly and let His Spirit guide you toward the word that will shape, challenge, carry, renew, focus or grow you in this upcoming season.

May this be the year we trust in God’s timing, surrender our plans and allow Him to write/rewrite our stories in deeper, more beautiful ways than we can imagine.

Live Loved in Christ,