Maybe you’re in a season of abundance. You have favor and delight and more opportunities than you know what to do.
Maybe you’re in a season of grace. You’re learning your limitations, discovering weaknesses, and awakening to God’s provision in the midst.
Maybe you’re in a season of adversity. Your marriage or finances or health or job is relationships are crumbling.
No matter what season you find yourself in, your Heavenly Father wants to speak to you.
The beginning of a new year provides an opportunity for reflection and vision cast. This season is an opportunity to look back and press forward in our relationship with God.
Over the past few years, I’ve asked God to give #oneword for the upcoming year.
One word that I can study.
One word that will perk my ears every time it appears.
One word that can be used to know the depths of God’s heart.
One word that will lead me closer to Christ.
Previous years’ words include—listen, wonder, joy, and love. Each word has drawn me deeper into the Scripture, closer to others, and helped me grow in my faith.
I recently asked for your advice and many of you shared the one word God is speaking to you. Your words took my breath away and made me ache for Jesus more. Abide. Reset. Discipline. Balance. Renewal. Perseverance. Flourish. Intentional. Joy. Trust.
This year I’m inviting you to ask God for your one word.
The word He wants to use to transform you and make you radiant like Christ.
Last year, my word was FLOURISH. What came from that was a 52-week devotional with bonus coloring pages to help you flourish even when life seems dry and desolate. We put together this FLOURISH box for you to use yourself, or gift to someone you love. Inside, you’ll find a custom Flourish Mug, Flourish Colored Pencils, the Flourish Devotional, and a Flourish Printable.
Grab the Free download by filling out the form at the top of this post.
Recommended Resources to start the year:
- The Flourish Devotional Box: Basic
- Want to lead a small group? Check out Scouting the Divine: My Search for God in Wine, Wool, and Honey for your 2017 group.
My One Word for this year is gratitude. I have chosen a One Word for several years now and find that it gives me a better focus for each year.
Gratitude is my word too!
I agree! Thanks for sharing. Hugs!
I’m deciding between two words, “Steadfast” or Available. I’m sure either one will be utilized in the year ahead. Last year I had the word, “Focus” and put it by my place at the dinner table. It kept me on track and found I could turn my eyes on Jesus whenever I felt overwhelmed.
How about both?! Hugs!
I have been doing One Word for New Year’s for several years. I find it very helpful to get on track as each new year begins. This year my word is –> Re-Focus. Thanks, Margaret for encouraging us all to choose one word to focus on, instead of less meaningful New Year resolutions.
So good, Janet! Hugs!
My one word is TRUST. There are so many things I need to begin trusting Jesus with. I have loved Him for a long time but He is nudging me to begin to trust His heart for me?
Love this, Lucy! Hugs!
Hi there. I’m getting an error on the link to the download.
I’m getting the error on the email AND on the blog. Every time I go to the PDF link I’m asked to sign up for the RSS feed. When I sign up it says that I’m the already signed up and won’t let me pass the page. 🙁
Oh now I see. You’d think I knew nothing about technology. 🙂 Now I’ve got it.
Nevermind the above. It was a problem with the link in the email. It works perfect from the blog! Thank you!
Oh, good! Thanks for letting me know!
God revealed to me that my word for 2016 is “awestruck,” as I Step nearer to Him. I actually focus on one word as a theme for my blog every year since u started writing it! So far, God has willed A Grateful 2013, A Presence Filled 2014 and A Freedom Filled 2015!
Dear Hannah, have you read “Awe” by Paul David Tripp? If not, this would be an awesome read for your theme this year. God bless you! https://www.amazon.com/Awe-Why-Matters-Everything-Think/dp/1433547074/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483369940&sr=8-1&keywords=paul+tripp+awe
Lalalove this! Thank you for sharing!
My one word for this new year is Hope. This word just kept coming up and back to me all through December and I decided that I would hold on to it this year. My husband had some health issues that kept me in fear all through December. I held onto the word Hope and to Jesus as we spent time in doctor’s offices, hospitals and going through testing of all sorts. We’ve come out on the other side knowing more about his physical health and knowing more about how much our God loves us and cares about the things that frighten us. I look forward to learning more about Hope this year.
May this year be full of HOPE for you and your husband, sweet Dana! Huge hug!
The Word I am receiving from the Lord is “beginnings”. The Lord has the Church transitioning from brothers and sisters who have forgotten their first love to brothers and sisters who remember their first love. God has provided the opportunity in transitioning the Church with beginnings that will reflect Him and Him only. God gets the victory in all our being obedient, faithful and hopeful. To God be all the glory.
Prayers for a wonderful “beginning”!
My one word for this year is Renewal. There are many things I need to renew. Mostly spiritual things but there are friendships I’d like to renew!!!
So here’s to my year of renewal!!
Xoxo Margaret! Love you!!!
Love that one! May He renew all things!
My word is “space”.
My one word is focus. With all the distractions coming our way from Internet, Email, texts, faxes, television, radio, news, not to mention family, jobs, health, etc., it becomes difficult even with the best of intentions to focus on the Lord. I pray that I will be better at focusing on the most important part of life, our spiritual well-being.
My 2017 One Word is rhythms. I am seeking to establish unforced rhythms to guide me to the place where life is found this year: http://www.nicoletwalters.com/2017/establishing-unforced-rhythms/
This is my second year to have a “weird” word: Metabolize. http://meetyouinthemorning.blogspot.com/2017/01/my-weird-one-word-for-2017-metabolize.html
My word last year was Grace. God taught me a lot. This year my word is Focus. I want to focus more on my prayer life and walk with God. I want to be able to focus more on listening to people better. To have less distraction. To focus more on my family, my marriage and my friends. God is going to use this word a lot!
My word for the year is “GRACE.” I want to turn to the grace of Jesus when I am tempted to find my value in my own performance. I want to run to his free grace when I am tempted to think I don’t deserve it. I want to bask in his grace so that I can extend it to others. I want to know new depths of Jesus’ grace for me, and to know it dearly every hour…
DARE. For most of my life I have doubted that I could truly hear God’s voice or if I did that heard Him correctly. I believe I have the gift of writing. In the past I wrote/taught Bible lessons to a women’s class. In recent years I have moved, joined a new church, entered a new season of life, been blessed with more grandchildren and had some physical changes. I wonder how to use my gift. Where? When? So I dare to believe God wants me to know and I can hear Him. I dare to believe He will equip and guide me with the specifics in His time. Then I will dare to step out in HIS strength. I do not want to go to my grave having missed my calling. DARE.
My word is REST. Rest in the Lord, wait patiently for Him. Abide, remain in Him and stop striving.
My one word for this year 2017 is consistency I’m a great starter I get really encouraged real motivated and then I get distracted but things keep me from finishing This year my plan is to be consistent, walk in consistency and finish the things I start! #Consistency2017
My one word is NOURISH, my mind, body, soul, my spirit in God’s word.
Everyday I will be diligently reading the bible and my devotional to be nourish
through out each day.
My word is freedom! I am letting go of things which no longer serve me. The awesome part is that I have been able to pass on things which meet the need of another and what I need is showing up!
Maranatha is my word. Probably it was two words in the original but the KJV combined them and most translations followed suit. More important is the meaning which is also debated but the idea is ‘Come, Lord Jesus’ or ‘Come quickly’ or some variation. Believers of course anticipate Him to come to us literally as He will but also in the waiting we need Him to come fill every nook and cranny for we are naked and poor without His presence.
2017 rhema: RELEASE. There is context for this One Word; it is KOININIA, our living and active relationships in the BODY of Christ.
My word for 2017 is PEACE.
My one word for 2017 is perspective. I hope to remember to put all things in perspective as my days come.
Abide is my one word; John 15, abide in the word, abide in Christ, abide in joy and abide in thanks gratitude.
Hi Margaret. Happy New Year! My One Word is Watchful. I want to be present and awake for each moment. I want to be paying attention to what I buy and what I consume, what I keep and what I pass on or purge. I want to have space for Him, in my day, in my home, in my life.
In this year, I want to understand and dig deep into “chosen”. This word overwhelms me in regard to God CHOOSING me. I know me, not like God knows me, but I live with me and know more, now than ever, that I am unworthy of being His chosen one, but He did that.
Amazed and transformed, and being transformed all the more day by day.
God bless you in 2017.
My word is Wholeness. I feel like this word is Christ. He is who makes me whole. I compartmentalized so much this year…neglecting one area completely because another was difficult (not out of need but out of feeling unable to make it look the way I wanted) and I ended up feeling more cornered than freed. I want to really nail down some habits that promote wholeness in my life mentally, spiritually, and physically. I know the thread of Christ runs through all of those but I need to fight to see that.
My word is CHOICES. Continuing on my weight loss journey I need to make better food choices, different choices in changing some negative attitudes, better choices in using my time…
The word “Rising” is what I received, and although I will seek him in the many ways I feel Him guiding this word. I believe the scripture standing out is Isaiah 60: 1,2
My word is open…I have been meditating on the cross… the cruciformed life…I see my body shaped like a cross… arms stretched out wide… when I am afraid, insecure…etc… arms go in… fold inward… when I start feeling these feelings… I can visualize my body … cross shaped… reminding me to remain open… open to receive … open to give!!!
My one word for last year was…tada…Flourish. That is how I found you when I was studying and researching. I chsoe this word as the theme to focus on for our ladies meetings this year, with an emphasis on being a bold and extravagant witness for the Lord. I am so excited.
Now my word for 2017 is RETURN. Due to some devastating events that started in 2011, I have been struggling with depression and anxiety that compounded the PTSD I was being treated for. I hung on to Jesus for dear life but was barely keeping my head above water. The situation that caused this is still ongoing but the Lord has been there through it all. My health, my attitude, my perspective, my service took a hit, now the Lord is calling me to return each to Him and let Him do a new work in me. I can already feel it happening. I thank the Lord for leading me to you and your website. My sister lives with me and we are sharing the devotional. She colors and I journal for us.
Intentional
Grace. Accept it. Live it. Give it.
Delightful
My word is Cultivate. This is a season of transition for me as my youngest is graduating and planning to go off to college. In My One Word the author says that waiting is active. For me the active part of waiting to see what God has next is cultivating–my walk with Him, my relationships, my gifts, talents and abilities.
My word this year is STAND. Stand against the Devils schemes, stand my ground, stand firm with breastplate of righteous, etc.
Sanctuary. I want to rest in the sanctuary of Christ. I want to be a sanctuary, a safe place, a haven to those who are broken and hurt. I want to find sanctuary in unsuspecting moments throughout my day…a quiet car, an incense-accompanied coffee break, the mesmerizing mandala of non-thinking tasks like folding clothes or washing dishes.
I have 2 words this year. They are related. Pray. Pretty self-explanatory. The second is (be) present. In the moment with God. In the moment with my family. In the moment with friends. In the moment at work. In whatever I do. I guess the idea is to not be lost in my head all the time. To pray about it, then just be present.
Also, I finished Fight Back with Joy. Loved it. Now onto Flourish with a bunch of girlfriends. Thanks for your words.
# seek.
Thanks my word is change ive got to change my whole thinking and take action to make better choices please pray for my wife christy and i to get our life back on track and return to our fellowship with our saviour Jesus Christ please forgive me and thanks for your love and grace
Ive done this for 2 years now.. abide was my word for 2016 & 2017 was service..let me tell u they borh played out greatly each year!! We r ending 2017 & I have been called to work in Womens minisry at my church!! Cant wait to “hear” what God has instore for me in 2018!!!
My 2018 word is listen. Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger.
My word is warrior, I have a 19 year old son studying ministry in college . I am praying for his future, for his relationships for wisdom. My husband and I are celebrating 25 years of marriage , my folks 68 and we have a family reunion this summer! I am praying and believing God will bless strengthen lead and bring victory ! I am a warrior for Him!