Every December, while relaxing with the family at our holiday home, I have time to pray about the year ahead. Every new year seems to have more and more demands and knowing what the Lord wants me to do becomes more and more difficult as the challenges grow…. and (hopefully) also the lessons I have learnt and still have to learn.

Every year, at our very first meeting, I ask our Thursday morning prayer group what each one’s spiritual aims are for the year ahead… because if you aim at nothing, you are sure to hit it. This year my aim is to try and not let my heart be troubled … and not to fear. (John 14:1 + 27(b))

Last week we opened the next 7 classrooms of our high school … something I would have thought impossible 3 years ago unless we had a massive inflow of funds. And yet, God did not give me money, He gave me a new way of thinking. He showed me that I needed to give back to Him what He has already given to me, so that He can make it a blessing to others. That I need to stop hoarding and forget about retirement … which is unbiblical anyway … and that I need to stop troubling my heart through worry and fear … fear about the future, fear about not having enough to provide for myself and becoming a burden on my children or society.

This year I need to pray like never before. I need to push into the Lord and ask His will in everything I plan and do …. especially also for the completion of the next 9 classrooms / student centre and admin block of the High School. I need to guard against my own strengths not becoming double weaknesses and I need to guard against not wanting to change … God wanting to give me a new way of thinking, “great and unsearchable things you do not know” (Jer. 33:3) I need to focus on Him and His will not only in my daily quiet time but also throughout the day… and then I need to obey, no matter what the cost.

And then, then God will start encouraging me as He has done last month … after giving my all, little by little the money started flowing in. The Executive Mayor of Pretoria bringing a cheque for US$ 40,000 to sponsor 10 deaf bursary children (his third visit to the school in 6 months); a Trust wrote and said they would also like to get involved with our school and sponsor Afrikaans speaking children with US$ 25,000; Jens Blatter Foundation in Switzerland promised US$ 30,000 per year for the next 5 years and another Swiss Friend promised more than $500,000! As these ‘good tidings’ come rolling in I stand humbled as the Holy Spirit reminds me of God’s promise that He will open doors, that He will go before me and that He will level the mountains, break down the city gates and give me the treasures, riches stored in secret places…. so that I may know that He is Lord, as He promised on April 5th, 2010 in Isaiah 45:1-3 and reconfirmed on April 4th, 2011.

So that you may know …

Let us Focus on Jesus this coming year—not on what we can get, but on who He is. Let us seek His face and pray like never before and let’s do what He lays on our heart to do so that God can bless others through us and He alone receive the honour and glory.

Come, join me, in praying, trusting and blessing others like never before …