Looking Toward 2026: A New Year, a New Invitation

What are you looking forward to with great anticipation in 2026?

What hopes stir quietly in your heart?
What goals, aspirations, ambitions, and expectations are you carrying into the coming year?

For many of us, this year has brought both beauty and burden. We’ve felt the weight of change, the sting of loss, the challenges of growth. And yet, we’ve also seen God show up in unexpected places, weaving grace into the seams of our days. As we stand on the edge of a new year, we get to decide how we will enter it: timidly or with intention, distracted or discerning, resigned or hopeful.

A New Year Isn’t Just a Date: It’s an Invitation

The turning of the calendar is not magic, but it is meaningful. It’s an opportunity for us to ask deeper questions:

• Where am I headed?
• Who am I becoming?
• What has God been stirring within me?
• What am I willing to release?
• What am I ready to embrace?

 Maybe you’re dreaming of creative projects. Maybe you’re hoping for healing (physical, emotional, or spiritual). Maybe you’re longing for relational restoration, vocational clarity, or fresh purpose.

Or maybe you just want to breathe again; to feel joy rise more freely, to notice beauty more consistently, or to rediscover the peace your heart has been craving.

Looking Back to Move Forward

Reflection is a powerful spiritual practice. Before you can step fully into what’s next, it helps to acknowledge where you’ve been. What did 2025 teach you? What did it reveal about your heart, your faith, your resilience?

Were there moments where God whispered to you?
Were there experiences that shaped you, deepened you, or strengthened you?

As Christians, we don’t move into the future alone. We move into it with Immanuel, God with us. And because He goes before us, you and I can walk forward with confidence, even if the way ahead feels unclear.

Setting Intentional Goals

As you begin considering your 2026 goals, here are a few grounding prompts:

• A spiritual goal: How do I want to grow closer to God this year?
• A creative goal: What do I feel called to create, explore, or express?
• A relational goal: Who do I want to invest in and how?
• An emotional goal: What habits or rhythms will nurture my inner life?
• A vocational goal: What would faithful stewardship look like in my work?
• A service goal: How can I be the hands and feet of Jesus in my community?

 Not every goal needs to be BIG. Some of the most powerful changes begin quietly and grow slowly.

Hope for What’s Ahead

As we prepare to turn the page, remember this: A new year doesn’t demand perfection; it invites participation. Show up as you are. Bring your whole story. Offer your hopes to God and trust that He is already shaping what’s next.

So I’ll ask again (because your answers matter):

What are you looking forward to with great anticipation in 2026?

What are your goals, your aspirations, your ambitions, and your expectations?

May 2026 be the year you grow deeper roots, take braver steps, and discover more of God’s goodness in the unfolding of your days.

 Biography: Rainer Bantau is a husband, mentor, and storyteller whose passion is helping people draw closer to Jesus. After rededicating his life to Christ in 2007, he has shared God’s Word in churches across Texas and walked alongside others as a trusted guide in their faith journeys. A visual artist, Rainer’s work has been shown throughout the state, often reflecting themes of hope, redemption, and the beauty of God’s creation. Rainer also writes The Devotional Guy™ blog, where he encourages readers to hold fast to their faith through life’s joys and struggles. He and his wife, Terri, make their home in Richardson, Texas, where they live next door to her parents and enjoy the company of a lively menagerie of pets. Grateful for God’s grace, Rainer seeks to live each day in a way that leaves a legacy of faith for future generations.

https://thedevotionalguy.blog/

Image by DEEPAI