What Will You Do Different In 2025?
Philippians 3:13-21 (Amplified Bible)
13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have made it my own yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the [heavenly] prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 All of us who are mature [pursuing spiritual perfection] should have this attitude. And if in any respect you have a different attitude, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us stay true to what we have already attained.
17 Brothers and sisters, together follow my example and observe those who live by the pattern we gave you. 18 For there are many, of whom I have often told you, and now tell you even with tears, who live as enemies of the cross of Christ [rejecting and opposing His way of salvation], 19 whose fate is destruction, whose god is their belly [their worldly appetite, their sensuality, their vanity], and whose glory is in their shame—who focus their mind on earthly and temporal things. 20 But [we are different, because] our citizenship is in heaven. And from there we eagerly await [the coming of] the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21 who, by exerting that power which enables Him even to subject everything to Himself, will [not only] transform [but completely refashion] our earthly bodies so that they will be like His glorious resurrected body.
Like Paul the Apostle, as we enter into 2025, you and I need to be “forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead!” We need to “press on toward the goal to win the [heavenly] prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” If we are to follow the pattern set before us, as Jesus and His disciples demonstrated, shouldn’t we ask Him to teach us to pray? In His John 17 prayer, we are to be One, just as Jesus and The Father are One, in The Holy Spirit – and He certainly was a man of prayer!
Below are the only two recorded examples in Holy Script of the outline or blueprint for us to use in our regular prayer times, and an example of how not to pray. Hoping for God to pour new wine into old wineskins isn’t going to happen and the Word tells us that He is wanting to do a new thing in our day, so how about we set aside old patterns, doctrines of men and commit to moving in obedience to His Spirit? Messiah taught us to ask, seek and knock. The bible tells us, “You have not, because you ask not!”
Starting January 1-21, at 6:00 PM (MST) at christianbody.net, projectpray.org and CBNetMedia@YouTube, and other social media sites on the internet or by phone, you are invited to join us for America’s Prayer Meeting. So, prayerfully read over the following scripture verses, invite others and spread the word, because last year we had over 60,000 people join us in 60 nations, with 300 persons giving their lives to the LORD.
Each night we’ll have different ministry leaders and guests, covering specific topics for prayer – from local, state, national and international ministries. Paul encourages all of humankind, everywhere, to lift up holy hands and to go boldly into God’s Throne Room of grace and mercy.
The Word of God tells us to pray without ceasing. Obedience always brings God’s blessings, so what better thing could you do different this year than to talk to God, face to face, hearing from Him and each other? Remember, one can put a thousand to flight and two can put ten thousand to flight. Imagine what God can do with thousands in agreement, praying according to His Word, will, way and believing that He will do exceedingly, abundantly, above and beyond all that we could ask, do or think – because He watches over His Word to perform it!
The past year is gone, so let’s look unto Jesus, the Author & Finisher of our faith in 2025, because He cares for us. Did you know that the great men and women of faith in Hebrews 11 are incomplete without us? At the end of that chapter, God says that He has something better in store for us, so let’s seek the LORD while He may be found, and expect great and mighty things to come in this New Year!
Matthew 6:7-13 (Amplified Bible)
The Lord’s Prayer
7 And when you pray, do not heap up phrases (multiply words, repeating the same ones over and over) as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard for their much speaking. [I Kings 18:25-29.] 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. 9 Pray, therefore, like this: Our Father Who is in heaven, hallowed (kept holy) be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven (1, left, remitted, and let go of the debts, and have 2 given up resentment against) our debtors. 13 And lead (bring) us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
1 Kings 18:25-29 (Amplified Bible)
The Prophets of Baal Defeated
25 Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, Choose one bull for yourselves and dress it first, for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it. 26 So they took the bull given them, dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, O Baal, hear and answer us! But there was no voice; no one answered. And they leaped upon or limped about the altar they had made. 27 At noon Elijah mocked them, saying, Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is musing, or he has gone aside, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened. 28 And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with knives and lances until the blood gushed out upon them. 29 Midday passed, and they played the part of prophets until the time for offering the evening sacrifice, but there was no voice, no answer, no one who paid attention.
Luke 5:33-39 (Amplified Bible)
33 Then they said to Him, “The disciples of John [the Baptist] often practice fasting and offer prayers [of special petition], and so do the disciples of the Pharisees; but Yours eat and drink.” 34 Jesus said to them, “Can you make the wedding guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? 35 But days [for mourning] will come when the bridegroom is [forcefully] taken away from them. They will fast in those days.” 36 He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old one; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. 37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new [fermenting] wine will [expand and] burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. 38 But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. 39 And no one, after drinking old wine, wishes for new; for he says, ‘The old is fine.’”
[Footnote: Luke 5:37 – See Matthew 9:17.]
Matthew 9:17 (Amplified Bible)
17 Nor is new wine put into old wineskins [that have lost their elasticity]; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the [fermenting] wine spills and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, so both are preserved.”
Luke 11:1-13 (Amplified Bible)
Instruction about Prayer
11 It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.” 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins, [f]or we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us [who has offended or wronged us]. And lead us not into temptation but rescue us from evil].’”
Parable of Persistence
5 Then He said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves [of bread]; 6 for a friend of mine who is on a journey has just come to visit me, and I have nothing to serve him’; 7 and from inside he answers, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything just because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence and boldness he will get up and give him whatever he needs.
9 “So I say to you, ask and keep on asking, and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking, and you will find; knock and keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who keeps on asking [persistently], receives; and he who keeps on seeking [persistently], finds; and to him who keeps on knocking [persistently], the door will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you, then, being evil [that is, sinful by nature], know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and continue to ask Him!”
If you or someone you know would like to hold a prayer meeting or outreach in New Mexico or the surrounding areas, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
As I write this, it’s officially the 7th day of Christmas, the 6th day of Hanukkah (John 10:22) and the last day of 2024. Whatever you’re going through, keep going forward, because God promises to get us through it! You are not alone! Jesus will command His blessing upon, in and through us, as we gather together in unity, according to Psalm 133. May His face shine upon us all in this new year, 2025!
Shalom,
Mark Tross
NM Prayer Connect Coordinator
