As I’ve been praying about this year, the Lord led me to the word “abide.” I do not hear this word outside of church much, nor do I use it in my everyday life. I was not crazy about it, so I kept listening. The word continued to come to mind as I prayed.

In John 15, Jesus tells his disciples to “abide in me.” He tells them he is the vine and they are the branches. We must abide in him in order to bear fruit. Some translations use the word “remain” instead of “abide,” which is more familiar of course.

As I prayed, I got a picture of hands folded together, like one might do in prayer. The idea of clinging came to mind. Seeking after Jesus.

As I look out at this year, I hear God wanting me to abide in him, remain in him. He wants me to focus on my relationship with him and continue to draw closer. He wants me to know him more and keep our relationship first. There is a sense of this being a growing year, although maybe not an easy one.

This may be a new idea for you. Listening to God can be hard. There are doubts. There are distractions. Give it a try though.

Ask God for a word for your year. Please share in the comments section what you hear. Looking forward to hearing what God is telling you.