New Year, Same God

After indulging in copious amounts of chocolate, cheese, and roast potatoes over the Christmas period, it’s no surprise that January often brings a desire to start afresh: a new routine, a new year, and perhaps even new hobbies. Whatever your New Year’s resolutions might be for the year ahead (if you make them), one important truth remains—our God is the same yesterday, today, tomorrow, and forever.

As we consider new habits and routines, it’s vital to remember that our primary motivation should always be to stay close to God and experience His presence in our lives. Whether or not you stick to your resolutions, this truth is a firm foundation for the year ahead.

To give you some inspiration, here are a few resources that OM in the UK staff members rely on to help them draw closer to Christ.

Bible App reading plans

This is a classic reading plan! Nicky and Pippa Gumbel are the pioneers of the Alpha course—a series designed to help people with big life questions find Christ. Their Bible plan takes you through the whole of scripture with a daily devotional in just 365 days! A lot of our staff use this, including myself, and it’s a great accessible gateway to the Bible.

 

The Bible Project

The Bible Project is best known for its beautifully illustrated videos on YouTube, which explore the books and themes of the Bible in an engaging and accessible way. Created by Bible scholar Tim Mackie and tech-savvy storyteller Jon Collins, these resources are rich in theology and provide thoughtful commentary on deep questions of faith. Did you know they also have podcasts, theology classes, and even a Bible reading plan? 

Some of our team favourite’s:

 

Books

Quite a broad one, I know. There are thousands of books out there that can guide you in your journey with God. You can find some of George Verwer’s favourites, as well as some of his own books here. Online bookshops like Eden and 10ofthose are great sites to explore with devotionals.

  • Our project officer, Ursula, is currently reading ‘Names of God’ by Ann Sprangler. She says “It’s a great book to go through, you get to know a bit of Hebrew along the way and as you learn what these words mean in scripture, you learn what they actually mean for us”. 
  • Deejay, our Marketing & Communications manager is currently reading 'Prayer. The God who answers' by Andy Mason. It’s a great quick read and serves to encourage and uplift you in your prayer life.
  • Tim Keller. An extraordinary author with extraordinary books. You can find all of his books on 10ofthose along with our other OM books.

 

Daily Prayer

1.Global Magazine & Heartbeat Prayer Diary

We couldn’t leave out our very own Global Magazine and Heartbeat Prayer Diary! These resources are designed to encourage and inspire you with stories of how God is moving around the globe. From testimonies of outreaches in Vienna to church planting in El Salvador, each edition of Global Magazine is filled with powerful accounts of God’s work globally.

The Heartbeat Prayer Diary guides you through daily prayer points to present to the Lord, along with updates on where OM’s ships are heading next. If you prefer digital tools, you can access all our Heartbeat Prayer Points on the Prayermate app.

2. Global Prayer Meetings

Want to take it a step further? Join us for our monthly Global Prayer meetings, where OM workers from around the world share updates and ways you can partner with them in prayer. It’s free to sign up and you can come in person and share a meal together, or join online from whatever corner of the world you’re in!

3. Prayer Campaigns

We have 3 prayer campaigns a year that we dedicate time to pray for our brothers and sisters in other religions. We pray for our Buddhist, Muslim and Hindu neighbours all around the world! All updates can be found on our Facebook prayer group; The Prayer Group.  

 

Get Highlighting

Whether you bring your paperback bible on a Sunday morning or a digital one, highlighting and making note of the verses preached about is a great way to keep track of what you’ve been studying throughout the year. It can always be a challenge sticking to a daily plan, so if that’s not for you, this could be something to consider.

Chris, our Director of Strategic Partnerships says “It keeps me accountable with myself and others when highlighting and making note of verses and parts. It’s a way of covering the whole Bible differently”. 

 

As you step into the new year, remember that the journey of faith is one of constant growth and connection with God. We pray these resources encourage and equip you as you seek Him in every season.

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