PROPHECIES, PRAYERS,

AND DECLARATIONS FOR THE NEW YEAR

ALSO INCLUDED:
A special scriptural guide for looking at your new year with Biblical devotion

BY SHAWN BOLZ
 I am the New Year
I am the new year. I am an unspoiled page in your book of time.

I am your next chance at the art of living. I am your opportunity to practice what you have learned
about life during the last twelve months.

All that you sought and didn’t find is hidden in me, waiting for you to search it, but with more
determination.

All the good that you tried for and didn’t achieve is mine to grant when you have fewer conflicting
desires.

All that you dreamed but didn’t dare to do, all that you hoped but did not will, all the faith that you
claimed but did not have—these slumber lightly, waiting to be awakened by the touch of a strong
purpose.

I am your opportunity to renew your allegiance to Him who said, “Behold, I make all things new.”

— Joesph Exell, The Biblical Illustrator

Quotes for your New Year

“Resolution One: I will live for God.

Resolution Two: If no one else does, I still will.”
Jonathan Edwards

“Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every

situation you believe to be the will of God.”
Jim Elliot

“Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned.”

Peter Marshall

“New year, I am expecting a lot out of you.”

Anonymous
 Quotes for your New Year

“Of all persons, the Christian should be best prepared

for whatever the New Year brings. He has dealt with life
at its source. In Christ he has disposed of a thousand
enemies that other men must face alone and unprepared.
He can face his tomorrow cheerful and unafraid because
yesterday he turned his feet into the ways of peace and
today he lives in God. The man who has made God his
dwelling place will always have a safe habitation.”
Aiden W. Tozer

“A setback is a setup for a comeback.”

T.D. Jakes
 SCRIPTURAL GUIDE
FOR YOUR NEW YEAR

This is the day that the Lord has made.

I will rejoice and be glad in it.

Look Back on His Blessings

God is always faithful, and if we look at the past year, we’ll

find that he has been with us and has been working in our
lives—even when we don’t realize it!

“Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his
face always. Remember the wonders he has
done, his miracles, and the judgments he
pronounced.”
– 1 Chronicles 16:11–12
“Every good and perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of the
heavenly lights, who does not change like
shifting shadows.”
– James 1:17
“A blessing for you, because the Lord your
God loves you.”
– Deuteronomy 23:5
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are
not consumed, for his compassions never
fail.  They are new every morning; great is
your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is
my portion; therefore I will wait for him.’”
– Lamentations 3:22–24

“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;

make known among the nations what he has
done.”
– 1 Chronicles 16:8
 Focus on the Future and
God’s Plans for You
God is walking with you, planning for you, and He will
give you insight and perspective for the new year.

““Forget the former things; do not dwell “In their hearts humans plan their course,
on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! but the Lord establishes their steps.”
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? – Proverbs 16:9
I am making a way in the wilderness and
streams in the wasteland.” “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has
– Isaiah 43:18–19 come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
– 2 Corinthians 5:17
“’I know the plans I have for you,’ declares
the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not
to harm you, plans to give you hope and a
future. ‘”
– Jeremiah 29:11

We spend January first walking through our lives, room by

room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched.
Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through
the rooms of our lives. .. not looking for flaws, but for potential.”

Ellen Goodman
 Focus on the Future and
God’s Plans for You
God is with you in your new year and wants to fill
you with faith. He is your strength; he is with you and
wants this year to be a year full of hope, rest, comfort,
friendship, and intimacy with family.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in “Cast all your anxiety on him because he
every situation, by prayer and petition, with cares for you.”
thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” – 1 Peter 5:7
– Philippians 4:6
“So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere
lean not on your own understanding; in all mortals do to me?’”
your ways submit to him, and he will make – Hebrews 13:6
straight your paths.”
– Proverbs 3:5–6

“The object of a new year is not that we should have a new year,
but rather that we should have a new soul.”

Gilbert K. Chesterton
 Plan Ahead for the
Coming Year
While we’re reflecting on the year that has gone and the
year about to come, it’s important to plan ahead. People
who set goals and write them down are 75 percent more
likely to attain them! The Bible is filled with directives for
helping you hear the goals and plans God has for you.

“A wise man thinks ahead; a fool doesn’t and “Be sure you know the condition of your
even brags about it!” flocks, give careful attention to your herds.”
– Proverbs 13:16 TLB – Proverbs 27:23

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower.

 
“May he give you the desire of your heart
Won’t you first sit down and estimate the and make all your plans succeed.”
cost to see if you have enough money to – Psalm 20:4
complete it? For if you lay the foundation
and are not able to finish it, everyone who
sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person
began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’”
– Luke 14:28–30

“So never lose an opportunity of urging a practical beginning,

however small, for it is wonderful how often in such matters
the mustard seed germinates and roots itself.”

Florence Nightingale
GOD IS ENOUGH THIS YEAR
C o m m i t to g o i nto t h e y e ar w i t h g rat i t u d e ,
c o n s ta ntly l o o k i n g f o r G o d at w o rk .

As we come into the new year, it’s important to remember that God has set the
container of our new year to be a space where we can find fullness. It is a container
of his grace and purpose in our lives. We also need to give thanks for all that he has
done for us in the past year, and for what he will do in the year to come.

“Not that I speak from want, for I have “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and
learned to be content in whatever his courts with praise; give thanks to him
circumstances I am. I know how to get and praise his name.”
along with humble means, and I also – Psalm 100:4
know how to live in prosperity; in any “Thanks be to God! He gives us the
and every circumstance I have learned victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
the secret of being filled and going – 1 Corinthians 15:57
hungry, both of having abundance
“Whatever you do, whether in word or
and suffering need. I can do all things
deed, do it all in the name of the Lord
through Him who strengthens me.”
Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father
– Philippians 4:11–13 NASB
through him.”
“A heart at peace gives life to the body, – Colossians 3:17
but envy rots the bones.”
– Proverbs 14:30
“He has said to me, ‘My grace is
sufficient for you, for power is
perfected in weakness.’. .. Therefore
I am well content with weaknesses,
with insults, with distresses, with
persecutions, with difficulties, for
Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then
I am strong.”
– 2 Corinthians 12:9–10 NASB
 Some More Scriptures to
Bring You into the New Year
“Sing to the Lord a new song; sing
to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to
the Lord, praise his name; proclaim
his salvation day after day. Declare his
glory among the nations, his marvelous
deeds among all peoples.”
– Psalm 96: 1–3
“You crown the year with Your
goodness, and Your paths drip with
abundance.”
– Psalm 65:11
“A new song for a new day rises up in
me every time I think about how he
breaks through for me! Ecstatic praise
pours out of my mouth until everyone
hears how God has set me free. Many
will see his miracles; they’ll stand in
awe of God and fall in love with him!”
– Psalm 40:3 TPT
“If anyone is enfolded into Christ, he
has become an entirely new creation.
All that is related to the old order has
vanished. Behold, everything is fresh
and new. And God has made all things
new.”
– 1 Corinthians 5:17–18 TPT
“The one sitting on the throne said,
‘See, I am making all things new!’ And
then he said to me, ‘Write this down,
for what I tell you is trustworthy and
true.’”
– Revelation 21:5
“There is surely a future hope for you,
and your hope will not be cut off.”
– Proverbs 23:18
“You will still be eating last year’s
harvest when you will have to move it
out to make room for the new.”
– Leviticus 26:10
“The land you are crossing the Jordan
to take possession of is a land of
mountains and valleys that drinks rain
from heaven. It is a land the Lord your
God cares for; the eyes of the Lord
your God are continually on it from the
beginning of the year to its end.”
– Deuteronomy 11:11–12
 Prophecy for the
New Year
I created time to serve you; it is a
resource for you. In it I can reveal my
love day upon day, moment upon moment.
Before I ever created you, I dreamed of you
for an eternity. There are so many things I
put inside you that will find more expression
and placement this year. I have talents,
skills, relationships, resources, ministries,
projects, and purposes all to be revealed
in this coming year that will show you the
depth of my love for you. They’ll create so
much faith in you that you will also be able
to call out what you see I have put in others.
You are called to live a life that is overflowing.
John 10:10 was a prophecy to you—I have
called you to live a life that is not half empty
or half full, but overflowing. You are going to
walk in this flow and it will be the year of my
favor for you. Favor looks like something—
it’s an unfair advantage over people and
systems that don’t operate with me. It’s unfair
resources that you have no ability to earn
through normal means. It’s unfair favor with
people who would normally not be accessible
to you. It’s unfair victories for problems that
others will maybe never see a resolution to,
but I have already won them for you.
The enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy,
but I can recreate the fullness of opportunity
for every battle that felt lost last year and for
every hope that has been wounded. I have
seen every relationship issue, health issue,
financial issue, and justice issue in your life,
and I will use all things the enemy meant for
evil to serve your good. I will use what has
been used against you to be building blocks for
you (Romans 8:28).
I am going to give you back time you felt
was stolen, or that you felt you wasted, as
you surrender your time and heart to me. I
will accelerate your time now, making what
would normally take years take months,
what would take weeks take days.
I love process because we find each other
deeper in the process, but I am not trying
to make you learn through the hard things
or make lessons out of the crises. I can
teach you more through my goodness than
I can by allowing hardship. Suffering in this
world will happen, but I will use goodness
as your mentor of love to write my manual
“God specializes in giving people a fresh start.”
Rick Warren
of life on your heart. I will use suffering to
serve you, but I will not allow it to overtake
you. I can teach you a hundred times as
fast through my goodness than through
painful circumstances; they were never my
intended vehicle for you, but because I love
you, I make the enemy who steals pay back
seven times what he stole.
You are going to have a good year. Focus on
seeing the good. Don’t let cyclical thoughts
lead you to see the bad or the negative, but
focus on what is good, right, and noble. The
good already outweighs any hardship by
a landslide. Train yourself to see it and you
will wake up with new excitement and more
dedication to your days.
I love you and give you this container of time
to spend as a gift. Use it to love. Use it to
grow. Use it to thrive.
 Prayer for The New Year
G od, I give you my time, which is
my most precious commodity
you have given me this side of
eternity. I give you space to create
more of yourself in me. I commit to
daily time with you to develop our
deep connection. I open my heart
to you and listen with hungry ears. I
will look for you in my days. I will pay
attention to your signposts and to the
people you put in front of me.
God, help me to be intentional about
my time with you in the Word and
also in prayer and worship. I pray that
you would help me to be a community
builder in my relationships and family,
and also in a local church. I ask that I
would be a great source of strength
to my friends and family, with a
listening heart and wise counsel. I
also pray that you would give my
community even more understanding
of me and that you would give us lots
of teachable moments together as
we grow in love. I also ask you to help
me to live out and be the love written
about in 1 Corinthians 13—to my
community and in relationships. Help
me to be quick to forgive, slow to
anger, and rich in love, and help me to
receive this honor back through these
relationships.
Holy Spirit, I pray that this year I
would be brave to do new things,
accomplish new goals, and meet new
people. Take me out of my comfort
zone; give me missions I wouldn’t
normally take that will bear fruit I
wouldn’t normally eat. I pray that you
would keep expanding my capacity to
walk in all you have for me.
Father, I pray for the resources to
accomplish everything you have for
me this year. Pour out all I will need to
do all you are calling me to. I ask, also,
that I would be a resource center for
others, and that through my talents,
skills, time, and energy, I would be
able to be a great giver this year.
Thank you for the opportunity to love
the unloved and help strangers this
year. I pray that I won’t look past who
you put in front of me, and I commit
to obey the love I feel inside me. Help
me to be kind, generous, sensitive,
concerned, empathetic, and have
great boundaries.
Help me define my yes this year, and
help me to keep my yes so I can stay
focused. Help it to be easy to say no to
everything I am not supposed to do,
even the good things, so I can maintain
my yes to what I am supposed to do.
I pray for an abundance of spiritual and
natural fruitfulness. I ask that I would
hear you and that you would activate
me even more in your spiritual gifts,
and in your presence, so I would feel
the contentment in my relationship
with you that only you can bring.
Thank you already for this year, and I
ask for the grace to live it really well. In
the name of your Son, Jesus, AMEN!

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are
going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called
Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.”

Edith Lovejoy Pierce

 DECLARATION
FOR THIS YEAR

This year I am believing God:

• That my relationship with God will deepen and that I will hear him more and
understand what to do with what he says to me.

• That the Bible will be more approachable and useful, being a full tool that will bear
fruit with each reading. That I will have time to read it daily and that the Holy Spirit
will lead my journey through devotionals, books, podcasts, church services, events,
friendship, family, and mentoring.

• For inspiration to set goals, and to partner with God’s will with more clarity and
strategy than I have ever experienced before. That as God does new things in my
life, they would inspire me to build more and more in the world around me through my
faith.

• That I would have a deeper connection to my family and friends than ever before.
I declare that my family promises will be fulfilled and that heaven will invest tangible
fruit into the promises and prayers I have made for my spouse, children, grandchildren,
friends, and community.
 • That I would celebrate the moments that God, those close to me, and I have
had— accomplishments, breakthroughs, and birthdays. Also that I would honor
the Sabbath and rest weekly, and rest through the ritual of holidays I actively
participate in.

• For time redeemed: I declare that the enemy can’t have any of my weeks, days,
or hours this year. I declare that I am covered by the love and blood of Jesus and that
no weapon, even if formed against me, will prosper. I declare that no sickness, conflict,
or case against me will wound me, but that I am more than a conqueror this year
through Christ Jesus who loves me.

• For new projects to be authored in my spirit for my talents and gifts. That projects
that have already been authored will be worked on to completion. That Jesus will
come as the finisher of my faith and help me finish everything I have started.

• For more creativity, ingenuity, and transformation. That I will get to know God as
the Creator and that I will co-create with him in my life—in new ways for me, but also
in new ways the world has never seen before.

I declare that my year will be a well-constructed space for God’s love to be revealed to me, in me,
and through me every day. I declare that I will be obedient to love whenever I feel prompted or
nudged by the Holy Spirit, and that this will be a year of great spiritual and natural fruitfulness.
AMEN!