How to Pray Through the Entire Year – One Month at a Time

As a new year begins in January, you can reset your focus and seek God’s direction for the months ahead. Instead of just making your own New Year’s resolutions, you can ask God to show you his plans for you this year. Pray for God’s wisdom for you about your schedule, relationships, and goals. Even if the year in front of you isn’t very clear, God knows your future and wants the best for you, so choose to trust him. Lean on Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Reflect on the past year, confessing the mistakes that led you farther away from God and asking God to help you make changes in every part of your life so you can develop a closer relationship with him. Ask God to give you an open heart and mind, and the courage to say “yes” when he brings new opportunities for service into your life. Let your prayers in January be hopeful and trusting. Show God that you expect the best from him as he leads you through the year to come. 

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February is an ideal time to pray about the quality of your relationships – starting with God, and then with the people around you. Take time this month to pray for a deeper understanding of God’s unconditional love for you, and for the people in your life. Ask God to help you understand that his love has no limits. You can personalize the prayer in Ephesians 3:17-19: “...I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

When you understand more about God’s love, you’ll be inspired to open your heart and let God’s love flow through your life into other people’s lives. One important way you can love other people is by praying for their needs. Pray specifically for your spouse, children, family, friends, coworkers, and your church community. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you develop all the fruit of the Spirit – “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23) – so you can have healthy relationships that point people to God. Pray for any broken or difficult relationships in your life, seeking God’s healing. Praying for loving relationships helps you live out what Jesus says are the most important commandments: “Love the Lord your God” and “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:30-31). 

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During March, when spring begins, it’s a wonderful time to focus on praying for the renewal and revival you need from God. Part of that is praying for the help you need to strengthen your devotional times with God. If you’ve struggled with reading the Bible or praying regularly, ask the Holy Spirit for the power to establish new devotional habits that you’ll be able to stick with well. Ask God to show you how to rekindle your love for him.

Pray for a fresh hunger for God’s messages to you in the Bible. Ask God to help you build prayer and meditation habits you enjoy. Get excited about spending time with God and how God will renew you as a result. Isaiah 40:31 points out: “...those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” The more you pray for renewal and revival, the more God will give you.

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April, which is often when Easter happens, is a wonderful month to center your prayers on hope. In this fallen world, hope is possible because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and resurrection. Pray to be inspired with awe in fresh ways by what Jesus has done as the world’s Savior. The same power that resurrected Jesus can be active in your own life when you trust Jesus and rely on him for hope. So, pray something like the prayer in Romans 15:13: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Pray for a hope that anchors your soul, so your faith won’t be shaken during any circumstances, no matter what (Hebrews 6:19). Ask God to reveal specific situations in your life (like a broken relationship or a health concern), where you need to apply the hope of the resurrection and trust God to bring something new to life. Praying for hope will help you experience God’s best for you in every way.

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As nature bursts into full bloom during May, you can be inspired to pray for joy and gratitude. Pray for the ability to notice and appreciate God’s blessings in every part of your life. Ask God to help you avoid comparing your life with other people’s lives or getting preoccupied with what you don’t have right now. Pray that you can experience joy in all circumstances, and thank God in all circumstances, as well. Philippians 4:4 encourages you: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Ask God to help you find joy through your relationship with him, regardless of what’s happening in your life.

Pray for a greater appreciation for all the blessings that God constantly pours into your life. As James 1:17 says, God is a generous Heavenly Father: “Every good gift, every perfect gift, comes from above. These gifts come down from the Father, the creator of the heavenly lights, in whose character there is no change at all.”

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June marks the beginning of summer, which is often a busy time with fun activities like travel. This month is an important time to pray for help from the Holy Spirit to rest during all the excitement, so you can be as healthy as possible spiritually, mentally, and physically. Pray for protection while you travel, and also for protection from becoming so busy that you neglect your relationship with God. Do your best to follow the example Jesus set of how to rest well in order to focus well on what matters most.

Make it a priority to get enough sleep every night, and be encouraged by Psalm 4:8: “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Ask God to help you set healthy boundaries for work and leisure, so you can have enough time every day to rest well and recharge your energy to live every day God gives you to the fullest.

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July is often filled with gatherings with family and friends. This is a wonderful month to focus your prayers on hospitality. Pray that God would lead you to opportunities to use your resources (like your time, your money, and your home) to bless others. Romans 12:13 encourages you to: “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” Don’t worry about how big your home is or how clean and organized it is. If you’re not able to host people well at home, you can host them somewhere else, like at a park or at a restaurant. What’s most important with hospitality is just having an open heart to welcome and serve people. Ask for the spiritual gift of generosity and a heart that’s eager to serve.

Pray for the wisdom to discern where God wants you to invest your hospitality efforts. You can volunteer regularly for a community organization, invite people from your church to go out to lunch with you after a worship service, or reach out to someone who is lonely and invite that person to meet you somewhere to talk and get to know each other better. Praying for hospitality in July can help you develop a closer relationship with God by letting God’s love flow through your life and into other people’s lives.

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As summer winds down and the harvest season starts, August is a great time to focus your prayers on God’s generous provision for you, and to strengthen your trust in God for the future. You can’t stop worries from entering your mind, but you can choose what to do with those anxious thoughts. Whenever you notice that you’re worrying about something – like your family, health, or job – turn your worries into prayers and choose to trust God to handle each of those situations. Pray for a strong faith to really believe that God will meet every single one of your needs, in the best ways, and at the best times. Jesus advises you in Matthew 6:33 to focus on your relationship with God and trust that God will give you everything you need as you do so: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Pray for the peace and confidence of knowing that you have a perfectly trustworthy Heavenly Father who loves you completely and unconditionally. Ask God to help you recognize the ways he has already provided for you in the past, and let that gratitude build your faith for the present and future. Pray for contentment with what you have, and the discernment to manage those resources faithfully. Focusing on God’s provision during August will help you strengthen your ability to trust him throughout the year. 

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September, with its transition back to routine and learning, is an important time for you to focus on praying for the wisdom to discern the truth. In this fallen world, where you often hear conflicting messages, you need God’s help to distinguish between what’s true and what’s false, as well as what messages are coming from God and what is not. Pray for a strong commitment to God's word, the Bible, which reveals God’s truth. Psalm 119:105 says: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” Ask the Holy Spirit to be your constant teacher and guide as you try to figure out what’s worth paying attention to, and how to make wise decisions day by day.

Pray specifically for the discernment you need to make the best choices in every part of your life. Also, pray for courage to stand up for the truth, even when doing that is unpopular or challenging for you. Praying for wisdom to discern the truth during September will help you keep learning and growing in your relationship with God. 

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As leaves on the trees around you turn bright colors in October, it’s a beautiful time to pray to become more aware of your Creator’s wonder in creation. Romans 1:19-20 points out that every part of nature reveals the wonder of God’s character: “For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” So ask God to help you learn more about him every time you’re outside.

Pray for the ability to see all the details in nature that can teach you valuable truths about God and inspire you with awe! Whenever you can this month, pray outside, such as while taking a wonder walk. Worship God as the wonderful Creator he is while you’re right there in creation, such as while you’re watching a colorful sunset. You can also meditate on Bible verses about God’s wonder in creation, such as Psalm 19:1: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Ask God to help you find and connect with him every time you’re in creation, and look forward to appreciating his creative genius.

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Leading into the end of the year, November is a wonderful time to focus your prayers on holiness. Living a holy life doesn’t involve trying to be perfect; it involves just doing your best to reflect God’s character. Pray for the Holy Spirit to sanctify you by removing anything in your life that leads you to sin and distances you from God, and by helping you to make choices that lead you closer to God every day. The Bible urges you in 1 Peter 1:15-16: “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’”

Ask God to help you confess sin quickly and to live a life that honors him as your loving and holy Heavenly Father. Pray for the courage to say “no” to temptation and the passion to say “yes” to God’s will. The more you pray for holiness, the more you’ll grow into the person God wants you to become, and the more you’ll experience blessings as a result of that.  

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December, with its focus on Advent and Christmas, directs your attention to the wonder of the Incarnation. This month, pray for a deeper appreciation of the fact that Jesus chose to enter this fallen world to save you and all of creation. Focus on the message the angels proclaimed on the first Christmas, as Luke 2:14 records: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Pray for the courage to share the Gospel with the people in your life this Christmas season. Ask God to work through your life to bring peace and love to your community this month, and beyond. December’s prayer focus can help you stay mindful of the real reason for Christmas and inspire you to be more aware of God’s constant presence with you from day to day. 

In conclusion, by lining up your prayer life with the months of the year, you can keep your prayers fresh and keep growing spiritually while discovering God’s wonder through the year. The months of the year may change, but your faithful God remains the same!

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