In many parts of the world, there is festivity in the air. There is a natural tendency to focus on the food, the celebration, and everything physical that defines the festive season. But for the man in Christ, one thing must never be lost in the noise of celebration — A heart of gratitude.

As we stand at the threshold of a new year, you must learn to pause, look back on the year, and find the reasons for which you are grateful.
This year may have held moments of laughter, pain, confusion, loss, and long seasons of waiting. You may have found yourself moving in and out of seasons more rapidly than you understood. Some prayers may have been answered quickly, while others may have remained unanswered. You experienced failures; some doors opened without resistance, while others closed. Some doors were opened unto you, and some opportunities felt unreachable, regardless of what you did. Regardless of all these, this is the perspective of Scripture:

Philippians 4:4
New King James Version
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

The Apostle Paul wrote these words from prison. A man in chains writing to free men, commanding them to rejoice. This alone reveals that Paul understood something about his identity in Christ that you must also remember about yourself. His joy was not rooted in circumstances, but it was anchored in the Person of Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:16
New King James Version
16 Rejoice always.

This shows us that rejoicing is not something you do in response to circumstances. It is the strength to decide that joy will lead you in all situations. And the interesting thing about the things of the Spirit is that the same things that are proof of maturity are the same things you must most intentionally do to grow into that maturity. So even if you look at yourself and feel like you have complained too much, grumbled too often, or reacted wrongly in difficult moments, rejoicing intentionally is what you must do for your heart to catch up with the truth.

Scripture gives us a discipline that aligns the heart properly:
Psalm 103:2
New King James Version
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.

You must be able to count your blessings and count the goodness of God based on what you know about His nature. As you look toward the end of this year, this is one thing you must be able to do: to command your heart to remember the goodness of God.

As human beings, we tend to forget so easily. We tend to feel satisfaction when our needs are met. But for you, a man in Christ, even when your heart attempts to forget by choosing to complain and choosing to be anxious, you must be able to bring your soul back into consciousness again, that God has been good. The response to the benefits He has bestowed on you is to bless the name of the Lord.

Prayer Point 1
Father, thank you for your faithfulness and your loving kindness. Regardless of the loss that surrounds me as the year comes to an end, I choose to count my blessings. I choose to say that You are faithful, and I choose rejoicing. Thank you for 2025 because it has been you all through.

Now, one of the reasons many believers struggle to express this joy, even though they know their reality in Christ, is that they have not stayed long enough with the Word of God. The Word must be built into you, digested, and taken into prayer.
Replete through scripture is God’s admonition to us not to worry or fret about the future because it is all in His control. He assures a future in Him.

The Bible specifically tells us in:
Proverbs‬ ‭23‬:‭18‬ ‭
New King James Version‬‬
18 For surely there is a hereafter, And your hope will not be cut off.
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The expectation of the righteous cannot be cut short! Because of this knowledge and assurance in God, we can rejoice in the future things that we are yet to see because we know that God has done it.
As you move toward 2026, let rejoicing become your testimony.

Psalm 5:11
New King James Version
11But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You.

So, we would begin thanking God for 2026 even from now because it is already a great year for those who put their trust in God.

Prayer Point 2
Father, thank you for 2026. Thank you for all you are set to do in and through me. Thank you for the miracles that you have wrought, and I would begin to see. Thank you for the breakthrough and direction I would constantly walk in. And in this new year, gratitude guards my heart even as I trust in You.