A Helpful Resource as You Begin 2015....

Happy New Year!  I posted the "Questions for a New Year" by Don Whitney last year and thought I would re-post.  The looking back and looking ahead questions is an exercise that I did in my NYC community group a few times (I have no idea who actually wrote these questions) I had forgotten about them but my friend Katherine emailed them out again this year and I was reminded how good they are.  I worked through the Don Whitney questions last January and it was so helpful to pray through and challenge myself with throughout the year.  It was also encouraging to see specific prayers the Lord answered and areas I grew in.  

I pray these questions would be helpful for you as you begin a New Year

Here's to 2015.....

Questions for a New Year - by Don Whitney

The beginning of a new year is an ideal time to stop, look up, and get our bearings. To that end, here are some questions to ask prayerfully in the presence of God.

1. What’s one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?
2. What’s the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year?
3. What’s the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your family life this year?
4. In which spiritual discipline (prayer, worship, Scripture meditation, evangelism, serving, stewardship of time and money, Scripture application, fasting, silence and solitude, journaling, learning, etc.) do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it?
5. What is the single biggest time-waster in your life, and what will you do about it this year?
6. What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church?
7. For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year?
8. What’s the most important way you will, by God’s grace, try to make this year different from last year?
9. What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year?
10. What single thing that you plan to do this year will matter most in ten years? In eternity?

Looking BACK at 2014

James 1:23-25: Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

Review what you have learned in the past year. Brainstorm a list of the most meaningful moments, events, memories, accomplishments, and mistakes. Try to extract lessons from those things that you can use.

Questions to consider:

• What have I done well this year?
• What have I done poorly this year?
• Who have I gotten to know?
• What verse has had an impact on me?
• Who has been most influential in my life this year?
• Who have I influenced?
• What am I proud of?
• What would I have done differently?
• Is there someone I need to have a conversation with?
• What am I thankful for?
• What has God done in & through me?
• What have been my priorities?

Looking AHEAD to 2015

James 1:25: But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-- he will be blessed in what he does.

Think for 2015 and a few lifetime goals

Questions to consider:

• What are your passions?
• What are your values? 
• What is your purpose?
Who would I like a deeper relationship with? How can I make this happen?
• Is there something I would like to learn?
• Is there someone who has been in my situation that I can learn from?
• How is my health?
• What brings me joy? Am I doing this?
• Where do I serve?
• Am I using my gifts for Christ?
• What are my priorities for 2015?
• What do you want to achieve?