As we step into the new year, let's break free from the cycle of mundane resolutions and dive into the extraordinary power of God.
God created a system of cycles. Every 360 days in the Hebrew calendar or 365 days in the Gentile calendar is the cycle of a complete year. At the end of each year, we are tasked with preparing for the upcoming year. We set goals, list our prayers, and construct some formulation of a strategy for what we would like to see happen. Yet, it can sometimes be mundane; it is the Preacher’s chasing after the wind (Eccles. 1:14).
Power Pass Your Past
We look to the future through the fog of the fatigue of the past. It’s not always easy to pursue more when you have persevered to get to where you are today. But there is a fire that burns on the inside of us that challenges—better yet, compels—us to reach higher and dig deeper than we ever have before (Phil. 3:13-14).
It is this internal fire that beckons us to burn even brighter and build even better until we exceed even our own expectations. That fire is the Spirit of God who fuels our lives by leading us into the divine plan that God has predestined for us. It is almost as if destiny has a magnet that pulls us into our future, whether we are willing or not. Thus, we do more than go through the motions; we embrace the pull, and we power our way to the next level in God.
2024 is the year that we will power our way into our purpose. It is the year that we will be what we were designed to become. It is the year that we will live in the fullness of our promised land. And it is the year that we will enjoy the fruits of previous year’s labor.
Three Prerequisites to Powering Up
The apostle Paul invites us to reflect on the providence of God’s predestination and the power of His omnipotence as it relates to God’s will and our walk. In jubilant praise, he exclaims: “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think” (Eph. 3:20, NLT).
There are three quick but powerful nuggets in this prolific doxology (praise to God) that are inspirational for our 2024 power up.
1. Know that God is able. Reflecting upon the predetermined plan of God in Jesus Christ, Paul is compelled to give God praise. He praises God for His magnanimous power, His ability to make things happen—more importantly, His ability to bring about the things He wants to happen in our lives.
In 2024, we don’t have to worry about how God is going to carry out His plans for us; we just need to know that He has the power to bring them to pass. This means that whatever will be done, He will be the One to do it because He is more than able to make it happen.
2. Recognize that God’s power is working in us. God’s power is made available to us, for us. He doesn’t deify us (make us little gods), but He does put His power into operation on our behalf.[1] Thus, God anoints and activates us in such a way that we are able to achieve feats that are beyond our power but within His unlimited supply. We become His conduits through which His inherent power becomes apparent in and through us.
In 2024, we are going to experience the supernatural power of God at an unprecedented level. What we saw in 2023 was just the teaser for the manifestation of the Lord’s power in these last and evil days. This means that we must be prepared to tap into His operations on the earth by purposing in our hearts to stay plugged in to His Spirit.
3. Believe that God can accomplish so much more. God’s unlimited power exceeds our wildest requests or dreams. There is nothing we can ask or envision that God cannot infinitely surpass. He is so powerful that we are only limited by our capacity to become as ridiculous in our petitions and imaginations as we can. Yet, despite our limitations, He is not restricted to our constraints, so He accomplishes more than we can even concoct.
In 2024, we want to be as outlandish in our expectations as we can. God is waiting for us to make a demand on His power. This means that we must raise the ridiculousness of our ask and push beyond the parameters of our past. We must get God’s attention by exploring the new frontier of impossible convictions.
So Much More in 2024
In December, I started teasing the slogan of “God has so much more in 2024” just for fun. But recognizing how He led me to Ephesians 3:20, I am more confident than ever that 2024 is going to be a year of greater. So, buckle up for the greatest year of your life and power up for a year of insanity that not even Walt Disney could have envisioned.
Rev. Isaac Hayes is an Assistant Pastor at the Apostolic Church of God in Chicago, Illinois, and author of Men After God’s Heart: 10 Principles of Brotherly Love. He is also a doctoral student at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Follow Rev. Hayes on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @RevIsaacHayes.
[1] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 335.