Whenever the end of the year approaches, there’s a mix of excitement and nervousness in my heart. Each time I feel this way, I know that it’s about time to set a new vision for the coming year.

Having a theme or vision for the year helps me to be consistently aware of the direction that God is leading me in, and to realign myself whenever I struggle to make sense of what’s going on in my life.

And the best part of having a vision for the year? When you look back on what God has brought you through, you will be amazed at how God has brought things to fruition.

There was a year which was especially vivid for me because God had really moved in that direction so closely and tangibly. 

The theme I had received from Him for that year was “light in the darkness”. That meant two things to me: to walk in the light, and to then be light to others.

In the first half of that year, God helped me to come out of the darkness and walk in the light. I put an end to an unhealthy relationship, and confessed and exposed hidden areas in my life to my leaders.

Everything that happened brought me to a place where there was no longer hiddenness or corruption. Finally, I felt as if I could walk with God without hindrance and in agreement with His will.

The second half of the year was even more memorable. One after another, I began encountering people who had left the community or the faith – but were still open to sharing their thoughts with me.

I also experienced God as my light in the darkness later that year. At my lowest point, when I confided in a friend that I felt like I was in an unending dark tunnel, I encountered God at a prayer meeting – and He filled me with hope again!

That special year convinced me of the power and significance of setting a theme or vision for the year. How do we do so? Here are some practical tips which will help.

1. Take a look at your life and season

Start by paying more attention to recurring situations in your life, patterns that keep coming back, or the season that you’re in. Ask God what He is doing through these reoccurrences or events.

Take my current season as an example: I’m struggling with my tendency to attach my worth to “being good” or “getting things right”. God’s grace is something that I still cannot make full sense of, and I find it difficult to embrace the truth that I don’t have to be perfect to be loved.

So, in this season of mine, God has been teaching me that Christianity is not just about fulfilling religious laws. Faith is ultimately about a relationship with God, and it is intimacy with Him that matters most.

Faith is ultimately about a relationship with God, and it is intimacy with Him that matters most.

That allowed me to identify that, as I move into next year, self-worth is an area that I need to work on and allow God to move in. Evaluating your season helps you to be more aware of how God wants to refine you and it helps to set a focus for your coming year in your walk with God.

Here are some additional questions you can ponder over:

• What are you going through?
• Are there certain common struggles or situations you have been encountering lately?
• What has God been speaking to you or showing you recently, through life and the Word of God?

2. Ask the Lord for confirmation

There is no specific number when it comes to how many confirmations you need for you to be sure about what God is saying.

Personally, when I know that God has said something to me – I always feel peace and assurance in my heart to be confident that this is the direction God is leading me in.

My theme for 2024 was established when I came across a verse that God placed in my heart on one random night last year.

It stood out to me, so I prayed and asked God to speak to me about it. For the next few weeks, that verse showed up in different ways like sermons or conversations with people.

It was finally “confirmed” to me, when a worship song that was based on that verse was sung in a church gathering.

Trust that God will speak.

Ask Him to keep your eyes open to what He is doing, and for discernment to know what is of Him and what isn’t.

Be careful not to let your anticipation mislead you to take everything as confirmations from God as well. Be careful, too, with the people you tell about this. 

We also need godly counsel, so we don’t fall into self-deception with self-orchestrated confirmations – we need trusted friends who can pray with us!

3. Find a theme verse

The Word of God has to be the foundation of whatever we do.

When we believe that a general direction for the year has been given to us from God, it is important to ensure that this directive is aligned with the Bible.

Don’t find a verse out of convenience though, let the verse capture your direction with precision.

When “light in the darkness” was my theme for the year, I almost took it for granted and hastily picked Matthew 5:16 or John 1:5 as my theme verse without a second thought or seeking the Lord again (just because both verses talked about light!).

Thank God, I felt no peace with settling upon either of those two verses, and so I continued to look for a verse.

I waited till one morning devotion, when I came across the Verse of the Day: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned” (Isaiah 9:2).

Right at that moment, that verse really struck me. I was convicted by it because not only did “the people walking in darkness” refer to people I was trying to reach out to – I felt that it also referred to me.

And so, I highlighted it and did some more research for a deeper understanding of the verse. After really studying the verse, I realised that it truly encapsulated the direction for me that year – to walk in the light and be the light.

Having an anchor verse can serve as a focal point for you in the coming year.

It can also be a great reminder to run back to, whenever you face challenges or confusion. The Word of God is the compass that keeps us on track in our walk with God.

As we enter the new year, take heart! I pray that as you seek God for your direction, He will speak to you with such clarity that it will leave no room for doubts.

Place your confidence in Him, for He is surely a God who goes before us!