For many years my wife and I have used the last day of the year for a spiritual exercise that has been a guiding light for our lives, and each year we like to repeat this as sort of a ritual, whether we are alone or with friends on New Year’s Eve!

As the New Year approaches, it’s a great time to take stock of the past year and set goals for the next. So, on December 31, we take some time to reflect on the past year, taking into consideration three areas of our life: our work, our relationships with family and friends, and our personal life, including our physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing. We ask ourselves what, in each of those areas, are we most thankful for in the past year, and we thank God for them. As we do this, we usually jot them down in our journals for future reference.

Then we take some time to reflect on the coming year, and we ask ourselves what, in terms of those three areas of our life, are our prayers or aspirations for the coming year? We also write these in our journal, either as a prayer or in point form, so that we will have them to refer to as the year progresses and be reminded to thank God for His answers.

We then ask the Lord to speak to our hearts regarding these prayers for the coming year, and to give us some living Words From Jesus (WFJ) that will enlighten our path ahead and be as “a sure word of prophecy to take heed unto, as to a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawn and the day star arise in our hearts” (1 Pet. 1:19).

Along with these WFJ’s, we also ask the Lord for some promises from the Holy Scriptures that will be a guiding “light  to our path and a lamp to our feet” (Psalms 119:105) during the New Year that is coming, and we claim these in our prayers.

Then, in the evening, whether we are alone or with friends and relatives, after dinner we like to wait for the New Year with the following ceremony held around a large Candle, which for us it represents Jesus. (This can also be done with family or friends, but a small candle is needed for each participant).

New Year’s Eve Candlelight Ceremony

We begin by lighting the large candle, which represents Jesus, the light of the world.

“I [Jesus] am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

Then we pray and share scriptures on how the Lord has brought light into our lives.

“You will light my candle; the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.” (Psalms 18:28)

Going around a circle, each one of us will then take turns to light our own little candle (representing our life) from the large candle (representing Jesus) and will read or explain to the other participants what we are most thankful for in this past year and what our prayer is for the new one. We also share the Scripture or Word From Jesus that we had written down as a promise that we are claiming for the coming New Year.

(Come to read my New Year WFJ that I will post tomorrow!)

We usually time ourselves so that we’re finished going around the circle at about midnight, in order to end the ceremony with shouts of praise and thanksgiving, and give our welcome to the New Year and everything good that it will bring into our lives!

Prayer for the New Year

Father, I may not fully know what the future holds for me, but I put my life in Your hands. Thank You for the many promises You have given that encourage me to trust You. As I’m about to begin this new year, help me to have faith that “what You have promised, You are able also to perform” (Romans 4:21). No matter what life might have in store for me, help me to stay close to You and draw comfort from the knowledge that “nothing can separate me from Your love” (Romans 8:38). Help me to walk in truth, in love, in wisdom, and most of all with You, in Jesus’ Name, amen.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010!

Renato and Patrizia

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