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*Day 1* Near to the Heart of God Scripture Reading: Proverbs 2:1-11 nlt ¹My child, listen to me and treasure my instructions. ²Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. ³Cry out for insight and understanding. ⁴Search for them as you would for lost money or hidden treasure. ⁵Then you will understand what it means to fear the LORD, and you will gain knowledge of God. ⁶For the LORD grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. ⁷He grants a treasure of good sense to the godly. He is their shield, protecting those who walk with integrity. ⁸He guards the paths of justice and protects those who are faithful to him. ⁹Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will know how to find the right course of action every time. ¹⁰For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy. ¹¹Wise planning will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe. *Practicing the Spiritual Life* How do we gain godly wisdom, and what do we learn from wisdom? What is your heart's desire in regard to God's wisdom? *Prayer* Throughout this year, I will draw near to Your heart, O God, with a true heart in full assurance of faith. Teach me to number my days that I may apply my heart to wisdom. Yes, Lord, I will get wisdom and understanding; I will not forget nor turn away from Your words. I will trust in You with all my heart rather than lean on my own understanding. In all my ways I will acknowledge You and trust You to direct my paths. Now may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. Heb. 10:22a; Ps. 90:12; Prov. 4:5; 3:5-6; Ps. 19:14, all KJV paraphrased *Prayer Requests, Praises, and Personal Notes* TOP



*Day 2* *Crown this Year with Goodness* *Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 31:12-13esv* ¹²They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the LORD, over the grain, the wine, and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the herd; their life shall be like a watered garden, and they shall languish no more. ¹³Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow. *Practicing the Spiritual Life* This passage speaks of a future day when the people of God will express their gratitude to God for His goodness. How and for what will they be thankful? Recount the ways you have seen the goodness of the Lord in your life this past year. *Prayer* Crown this year with Your goodness, Lord. Be mindful of us, O Lord, bless us; bless our house. Bless those who fear You, both small and great. All Your works shall praise You, Lord, and Your saints shall bless You. Every day I will bless You; and I will praise Your name forever and ever. Seven times a day I will praise You because of Your righteous judgments. I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart. At all times throughout this year, I will continually praise You. I praise You, Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul. Ps. 65:11a; 115:12a, 13; 145:10, 2; 119:164; 9:1a; 34:1; 146:1, all KJV paraphrased *Prayer Requests, Praises, and Personal Notes* TOP *Day 3* A Thousand Years in God's Sight Scripture Reading: Psalm 27:13-14esv ¹³I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living! ¹⁴Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD! How are we to wait for the Lord? What are you waiting for the Lord to do in your life or a loved one's? Practicing the Spiritual Life Prayer Everlasting Father, a thousand years in Your sight are but as yesterday when they are past and as a few hours in the night. Behold, God, You are great and beyond understanding; Your years cannot be numbered or searched out. You appointed the moon for seasons; the sun knows its going down. And You change the times and the seasons; You remove and set up kings; You give wisdom to the wise and knowledge to them that have understanding. Therefore, in these times and in this new year, I commit my spirit, my heart, and my life into Your hand; for You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth. I commit my way to You, Lord; I also trust in You. . 90:4; Job 36:26; Ps. 104:19; Dan. 2:21; Ps. 31:5; Ps. 37:5a, all KJV paraphrased TOP



*Day 4* Teach Me to Revere You Scripture Reading: Psalm 66:16-19 niv ¹⁶Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. ¹⁷I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. ¹⁸ If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; ¹⁹but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer. ²⁰Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me! *Practicing the Spiritual Life* What did the Lord do for the writer of this Psalm? In what areas of your life do you feel the need for God to hear you? *Prayer* Father God, I come ready to listen to You; for You will teach me to revere and worshipfully fear You. I desire life and long for many days that I may see good. Therefore, I will keep my tongue from evil and my lips from speaking deceit. I will keep my heart from idols. I will be careful so that my heart will not be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. I will submit to You, O Lord, and be at peace; thereby good will come to me. I will receive the law from Your mouth and lay up Your words in my heart. For then I will delight in You, Almighty One, and will lift up my face to You, O God. Ps. 34:11-13 amp; 1 John 5:21; Deut. 11:16; Job 22:21-22, 26, all paraphrased *Prayer Requests, Praises, and Personal Notes* TOP



*Day 5* God's Good Work Scripture Reading: James 5:16-17 The Message ¹⁵Believing-prayer will heal you, and Jesus will put you on your feet. And if you've sinned, you'll be forgivenhealed inside and out. ¹⁶Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. *Practicing the Spiritual Life* What should our common practice be and what hope do we have in regards to prayer? Who do you feel the Lord wants you to pray for and about what? *Prayer* Author and Perfecter of our faith, Your way is perfect; Your Word is flawless. You are a shield for ________________________ (write in names of those for whom you are praying), and I pray they will take refuge in You throughout this year. For who is God besides You, Lord? Who is their rock except You? Arm them with strength and make their ways perfect. Encourage them to be confident of this, that You who began a good work in them will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. And I pray, O God, that they will stand perfect and complete in all Your will. 2 Sam. 22:31-33; Phil. 1:6; Col. 4:12b, all KJV paraphrased *Prayer Requests, Praises, and Personal Notes* TOP *Day 6* Wholehearted Devotion Scripture Reading: Psalm 33:1-5 Let the godly sing with joy to the LORD, for it is fitting to praise him. ²Praise the LORD with melodies on the lyre; make music for him on the ten-stringed harp. ³Sing new songs of praise to him; play skillfully on the harp and sing with joy. ⁴For the word of the LORD holds true, and everything he does is worthy of our trust. ⁵He loves whatever is just and good, and his unfailing love fills the earth. *Practicing the Spiritual Life* In what ways are we to express our wholehearted devotion to God? Write your own Psalm, expressing your love for the Lord. *Prayer* Kind and loving Lord, satisfy me in the morning with Your unfailing love, that I may sing for joy and be glad throughout this year. "Remember, O Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old." "I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds." I acknowledge You, O God, and will serve You with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for You search my heart and understand every motive behind my thoughts. Ps. 90:14 paraphrased; Ps. 25:6; 77:11-12 not paraphrased; 1 Chron. 28:9a paraphrased *Prayer Requests, Praises, and Personal Notes* TOP