I love fresh starts.
The start of a new day, new week, new month, and my favorite of all, a new year. Even though time in the form of clocks and calendars is a man-made concept, God himself purposely created time as a way for all of humanity to cycle through life and its experiences.
Genesis tells us about this entire process.
In Genesis 1:1, we read “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” He then went on to establish days, nights, seasons, and years- with the sun, moon, and stars as a guide.
After working for six days, the bible tells us that on day seven, God rested.
I love thinking about the purpose and power of time and beginnings, in particular. I believe God was very intentional about this. He knew how much we would need fresh opportunities each day for grace, growth, and renewal.
Lamentations 3:22-23 says God’s mercies are new every morning. No matter what the situation is when you go to bed, when you arise, you start from a clean slate. Everything is wiped clean.
You have another chance to repent and try again. To do better, let it go, be renewed in your spirit.
To take it a step further, Psalms 118:24 tells us to rejoice in each day for this is the day God has made. And this is where it gets exciting.
Since God is only good- He only intends good for each of us every single day.
From this perspective, we can have joyful expectation as we enter every new beginning- a new day, a new season, and a new year.
As we prepare to enter 2026, I want to help you create a gameplan for embracing all things new with a God-can-do-it-inspired mindset.
If you’ve ever given birth, you’re probably familiar with the nesting stage. This is when you start cleaning, shopping, and preparing like a mad-woman and everybody better get out of your way.
And while it’s not quite as extreme as preparing for a baby, for me, the new year always brings a sense of nesting energy. I go into high-prep mode thinking about all the things I want to do and have and I start to visualize my goals and various pursuits- it’s a very exciting time.
To add to my excitement, I see this as a fresh opportunity to partner with God and pursue Him more than anything else as He leads me into His wonderful plans and purpose for the new year.
I want to share 4 things I am doing as I enter the new year that I believe will change everything
1. Pray for a word or theme
I always have so much fun thinking about what my word for the year will be. Last year, I knew right away that my word was “stripped”. Strangely, I was excited about that word because I knew I needed to be in a place of next-level dependance and trust in God and I was excited to pass the test.
Now, one year later, I’m seeing the fruit of my faith and endurance and I am so grateful.
This year, my word, or more of a theme, came to me as I was creating a new design. As I thought about a theme for the front of a journal, I heard very clearly: All things new. Immediately, I knew it was for me.
Already, I’m seeing evidence of things unfolding this new year before it even begins.
I think it helps that I ask God every day in prayer to guide me- to lead me and show me what He wants me to see and do. To give me wisdom and discernment and always for his will and desires to be my own. If it’s not from him, I don’t want it.
If you’re not sure what your word or theme is yet, pray and ask God to reveal it to you. Don’t try to force it. Let it come naturally and if it doesn’t come right away, wait for it. Be patient and give it time.
The important thing is that you keep asking, keep seeking, and keep listening for the whispers.
2. Reflection + Journaling = Clarity
I think people underestimate the power of journaling. Writing things out is a massive action step towards realizing your visions.
The new year, especially, is the perfect time to reflect about all the progress and growth you’ve had over the last year. It’s an opportunity to reset and plan out your approach to the different areas of your life in this next season.
I’ve always loved keeping a journal because it’s a way to flush out all my thoughts and questions, goals and desires. It’s been a huge catalyst in so many ways.
If you’re not sure where to start, check out this fun resource and get started today. Here are a few questions you can begin to think about:
- What are you ready to release from last year?
- What areas do you want to make new? Spiritually, emotionally, physically, etc.
- What is your prayer or declaration for this year?
Once you start writing, you’ll get into a flow and you’ll realize just how powerful and productive this exercise is to starting the new year off right.
3. Prayer + Fasting = More Clarity
I’ll be honest- I’ve been thinking about fasting for a while now but I haven’t taken the time to pray about how that will look.
There are many ways to fast but regardless of the type of fast you decide to do, it needs to be done with purpose and intention. For example, what are you most seeking? Guidance, clarity, breakthrough…? Go in with a clear intention and focus your prayer on this area.
If we’re not specific about what we’re desiring to hear from God, we won’t receive it.
Here is a partial list of some fasts you may consider.
Absolute Fast (Dry Fast): Complete abstinence from all food and water, seen in biblical figures like Moses and Paul.
Normal Fast (Water Fast): Abstaining from food but consuming water, often associated with Jesus’ 40-day fast.
Partial Fast (Daniel Fast): Eliminating certain “pleasant” foods (meats, sweets, wine) for a period, focusing on fruits, vegetables, and water.
Liquid Fast: Consuming only liquids, like juices or broth.
Activity/Media Fast: Giving up digital media, social media, or other time-consuming distractions to focus on God.
Corporate Fast: A group fasting together for a shared purpose.
Esther Fast: A three-day fast from food/water for divine favor.
4. Honesty + Accountability = Results
I believe that one of the hardest things for us to do is to be brutally honest with ourselves about our current condition. Are you happy? Truly happy? Are you healthy (in all areas)? Are you at peace? Are you financially fit? What is the quality of your relationships? Are you living each day in the fullness of who you were created to be?
What is the evidence for each of these areas?
For example, if I think about my physical health, I would say I’m healthy because I exercise daily, sleep 7 hours, eat whole foods, drink lots of water, I feel strong and healthy, and I see my doctor regularly and they say I’m healthy.
Yet, there are still small changes I’d like to make to be even healthier. For example, I could eat less sugar and raise the intensity of my workouts.
There are so many questions we should be asking ourselves so that we can have a clear starting point as we plot out and create our roadmap for 2026.
It all begins with an honest assessment.
You also need accountability.
Whether this means you share your goals with someone else, make it public by posting it, join a community, or write it out and put it someplace you can see it everyday- accountability is key.
2026 is here, friends. A new year, a new start.
What is possible?
May you have an abundantly glorious next chapter.
xo,
Barbara
Pursu Agency