“Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.” – Deuteronomy 4:9
Looking back with gratitude so you can move forward with grace.
Have you ever wondered why most New Year’s resolutions fail? According to Baylor College of Medicine, 88% collapse within the first two weeks. Another study suggests that only about 9% make it to year’s end.
Still, something deep stirs in us every time the calendar flips. We long for renewal, for a fresh start—something that feels like resurrection in miniature.
Many years ago, I discovered a better way to honor that instinct. Instead of drafting resolutions and to-do lists, I began taking a spiritual inventory—a brief look back at the year behind me and a fresh set of prayers for the year ahead.
It’s a sacred pause: a time to remember how God moved, to record His faithfulness, and to anchor our stories in gratitude. In ancient Israel, people built altars to mark where God had revealed Himself. My “altars” are journal pages and prayer notes that bear witness to His steady goodness.
Can you recall the three most important things on your mind on December 31, 2010? The two best things that happened in 2012? Or what you were lifting up to God in prayer?
I can. While writing this, I opened those old pages—and immediately, I was transported back. Faces, moments, prayers, even tears. And through it all, one refrain: God was faithful.
“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us.” — Romans 15:4
Taking inventory cultivates a grateful heart. Gratitude reframes the past and reshapes our future.
So on this New Year’s Eve, skip the resolutions. Instead, grab a pen—or your iPad, or that half-used notebook—and take time to review 2025. Scroll through your photos. Jot down the highlights, the answered prayers, the surprises. Then, dream with Jesus about 2026. He loves to meet you there.
Run the play.
Replay and capture 2025’s greatest hits.
Sketch the 2026 prayer playbook.
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