Proverbs 19:21 ESV

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

Here we are! We made it to 2026 by God’s amazing mercy and grace. Praise Be! I thank God for the blessing of my children and I seeing another year!

So now what?

Many are the prophecies for a new year. Many are the expectations and plans. Many are the resolutions we tend to make in a new year. The Bible says many are the plans of a man… This is so true, especially at the beginning of a year. Body of Christ, we have to understand that God has been calling us to abide. His purpose will prevail, so why plan without Him? At the beginning of this year, the most important plan we should make is to abide in Jesus. When Jesus was speaking to the disciples, he said abide more than once.

John 14:15-18 NKJV

¹⁵ “If you love Me, keep My commandments. ¹⁶ And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. ¹⁸ I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”

Abide means to remain, stay, to dwell

I asked the Lord why some resolutions and commitments I’d made in the past at the beginning of a year didn’t happen. The answer was because I didn’t abide. I didn’t plan with God, I planned with God in mind. There’s a difference. At times, I didn’t include God at all. I just said- this is my commitment. When I did this, I moved in my own way and knowledge even though the plans included church and prayer. For years I struggled at times because I did not abide in His love. I committed to things, worked, ministered in one way or another, raised kids… all while not abiding in His love.

John 15:9-10 NKJV

⁹ “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.¹⁰ If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.”

Abide in His Love AND keep His Commandments

Being in fellowship with God, we should automatically stop and ask Holy Spirit for guidance and direction. This can be challenging to do when we are led by the flesh and not the spirit. When we abide, this is easily done because we don’t make plans or decisions without talking to Him first. The amount of time we sit seeking God and reading the Word affects our ability to live the life we are purposed to live in Him. It also gives us the ability to love first. There is much happening in this world, and more is to come (See Matthew 25). But as the believers of God, we have these promises when we abide. If we keep His commandments:

• We will receive Holy Spirit
• Holy Spirit will abide with us forever
• We will abide in His love

Now Saints, we cannot live in 2026 without the Helper. He is the Spirit of Truth and He will lead us and guide us in all things- if we seek Him and we abide. With what is coming, we cannot make it if we don’t abide in Jesus. There is protection when we abide (Psalm 91:1-2), wisdom is given through Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:13) and joy is received (John 15:11). There’s another promise attached to abiding:

John 15:7-8 NKJV

⁷ “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. ⁸ By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”

Abide and Ask

Abide, ask, then it is done. We can make all the plans, but His plans are higher than ours. There is none more important than abiding in Jesus and committing your life, time, and plans to the Him. We can make all the resolutions and the commitments we want, but many will be unfruitful if we don’t abide. In this new season of time and where this world is headed, we must abide and remain in His love now more than ever.

As I was praying last night I heard the Lord say- Quiet your spirit. Quiet your mind.

I want to encourage us today to seek first the Kingdom of God. This is the stance we need to have in 2026. Abide and seek first the Kingdom. The Lord has a plan and purpose for us all. Abide in His love and do His will. Don’t go and do without abiding. We can miss what He desires for us. We have access to Holy Spirit. Allow Holy Spirit access to you. Take the steps needed to grow in faith and grow in God. His purpose will prevail, so why plan without Him?

Seek first the Kingdom of God.

Shut off social media.

Pray without ceasing.

Put the phone down.

Read the Word of God daily.

Close the laptop.

Stand on His promises.

Consecrate your time to Him.

Starve doubt.

Reject fear.

Believe in Him!!

As the world grows darker, I pray we grow stronger in faith and in spirit with eyes on Jesus. I pray we resolve and commit to wholeheartedly abiding in Him and worshipping the Lord our God alone in 2026. I pray we realize the promises and joy we receive when we abide. We are triumphant in Christ Jesus, so let’s start this year with eyes fully on Jesus. Let us ready ourselves and our families by abiding in Him.

**My church (First Love Fellowship) has started a Bible Reading plan today called 66 in 88. Every year we begin the year by reading the entire Bible (66 books) in 88 days. If you’d like to join us, reach out to me and I’ll send you the PDF by email. I’d love for you to abide in the Word of God with us!

Promises for the Journey

John 15:11 NKJV

¹¹ “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”

Psalm 91:1-2 NKJV

¹ He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. ² I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”

2 Corinthians 2:14 NKJV

¹⁴ Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 

Psalm 34:15-19 NKJV

¹⁵ The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. ¹⁶ The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. ¹⁷ The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. ¹⁸ The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit. ¹⁹ Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.