by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D.

Here are some ideas to help process the past year and step into the new year fully free and focused to run after Jesus with everything inside of you. Hope you are blessed!

Journal Reflection Exercise

Go through your journal for the year (or if you don’t have one, go through a timeline of your year) and note any highlights, challenges, key relationships, prophetic words, significant dreams, breakthroughs, revelations, and encounters. Notice any patterns you see. In your journal for the new year, write out any significant prophetic words, promises, or other things from this year that you think would be helpful for you to remember as you step into the new year.

Questions for Reflection

• What did I learn this year?

• What were key markers from this year?

• What activities carried the presence and purpose of God in my life this year?

• What activities depleted me?

• What relationships brought life to me? Which drained me?

• What experiences propelled me closer to my destiny?

Thank God for all He has done in your life this year and even for the things you have learn and grown in through the harder times. Grieve and let go of anything He shows you. Reconcile with whoever He highlights.

Letting Go of the Past & Positioning for the New Year

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” -Hebrews 12:1-2

Healthy endings prepare the way for grace filled beginnings. Not everything is supposed to live in every season. Not every commitment, relationship, discipline is meant for every season in life. You cannot carry two seasons simultaneously. Process the following questions with God:

• Is there anything from this past year I need to leave behind?

• Is there anything that fulfilled its purpose and is not supposed to enter into the new year with me?

• Is there anything that needs to be laid down, surrendered, let go of, or die in this season so it doesn’t sabotage the next season or become excess baggage?

• What do I need to eliminate or remove from my life this season that is not life-giving?

• What or who do I need to release and surrender to the Lord?

Leaning into the New Season

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” –Ephesians 2:10

Now, as you shift from reflecting on the past to dreaming with God for the future, invite Holy Spirit to reveal God’s heart and His purposes for you in the new year.

• What am I supposed to take with me into the new year?

• What new rhythms does He want me to add?

• Where do I need to engage, focus my energy?

• Are there any new assignments awaiting me?

• Are there any new relationships He is highlighting for me to lean into? 

• What season am I in now? And what season am I about to step into?

• How am I to position myself now to step into all He has for me in the coming year?

Thanksgiving & Prayer

Set apart some time to thank God for all He has done, taught you, formed in you, provided for you, relationships He has blessed you with, and whatever else comes to mind. Worship and celebrate all He’s done. Surrender the past and the future to Him. Welcome the fire of God to fall upon you, burning away anything that is not supposed to enter the new year with you, and ask for more oil. Then get ready to dive into all that He has for you in the New Year.

by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D.

When I reflect on all that God has done in 2015 and I look around and see the incredible treasures of people He has surrounded me with, I feel so undone by His lavish love. Thank you for being a part of the Destiny House family's journey, it has made all the difference.

I want to share an activation below that has helped me process and find the gold from this past year as well as dream for the new year ahead. I pray that the Holy Spirit launches you into a greater measure of your destiny as you go along with me on this journey of giving thanks and of dreaming for the future.

Reflecting & Finding the Gold in 2015

What were some of your highlights of 2015 that you are most thankful for? Write out at least 5. 

For example, in Destiny House a few of our highlights were:

• Cultivating an atmosphere of worship during the birth of baby Fenna in Destiny House
• Starting our non-profit
• Times of extended worship where the glory was so thick that bodies were on the floor for hours
• Launching Elisha’s Room, a guys community house in conjunction with Destiny House
• Hosting and worshiping alongside the Destiny Kids (5th graders from Bethel Church)
• Powerful treasures from around the world coming to live at Destiny House
• Surf trips!

How have you grown in 2015?

What lessons, revelations, gold nuggets from making it through hard things has He taught you that you can carry with you into the future?

Before moving onto the next activation, I encourage you take some time thanking God for all He has done for you in 2015.

Testimony

We are soon going to write out some goals, but first let me share a testimony of what God did in my life when I did this activity 10 years ago as quoted in Writing in the Glory:

“In 2006, I was a manager and trainer for Starbucks Coffee, and I had the opportunity to go to a leadership training class. One of our activities was to write out a list of goals and dreams. One of the goals I wrote was that I wanted to “write a book about revolutionaries/revivals.” Years later during the summer of 2012, the Holy Spirit opened doors for me to work on a book project with Bill Johnson, the pastor of Bethel Church in Redding, California. This started as a summer job to help him do research for a book about defining moments of revival leaders. It later developed into a two-year project where I actually got paid to help write a book with one of my heroes of the faith. It astonishes me how good God is. He had given me the desire to write the book six years before I actually started writing it. Then, when it was finally time to start it, He paired me with someone who carried the same heart for revival history. As we seek God first (see Matthew 6:33), He consistently goes above and beyond our wildest dreams.”

This book called Defining Moments that I supported Bill Johnson comes out January 14, 2016. Dreams come true but they begin somewhere. I am praying that when you do the activation below, that the Holy Spirit will overshadow you and open your eyes to see dreams that God has planted in your heart that are awaiting to emerge.

Dreaming with God for an Incredible 2016

Now, write out a list of 20 things that are you dreaming for in 2016. The bigger and more impossible the better. Be as specific as you can. These dreams and goals can be in various areas such as relationally, financially, physically, spiritually, adventure, destiny, etc. 

Positioning for Alignment

Who are a few of the people God is highlighting for you to run with more intentionally and deeply in 2016? What can you do invest in these relationships in the new year?

Living Fearlessly

If you knew that you couldn’t fail and that no matter how messy, embarrassing, shameful, awkward it got, you would always be loved, what risks would you take this year? What areas would you step out and try?

Surrender

Now, I encourage you to surrender and trust God with all the dreams, desires, relationships He has placed in your heart and ask Him to water these with the Holy Spirit and cause them to emerge and grow in His perfect timing. Cover these dreams and desires in prayer and in His presence.

Thanks for all your prayers and support for our Destiny House family. We are so thankful for you in our lives. Blessing each of you with an incredible ending to 2015 filled with His goodness, favor, and love. I declare that 2016 will be full of hope, promises fulfilled, and exceedingly abundantly above all you could ask, hope, dream, or imagine in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:20). 

With love from Jen and the Destiny House family