Walking Into the Unknown With God

As we step into a new year, many of us feel that familiar pull to change something. Maybe it’s your health, like mine is. Perhaps it’s building a healthy habit or releasing one that isn’t serving you. Maybe you want to change careers or focus on your priorities. Whatever it may be, there’s a quiet stirring that happens around this time, a sense that we want to live differently, more intentionally, more aligned.

For me, this year begins with a deep sense of clarity in both my heart and mind. I feel led to embrace a healthier lifestyle and to commit to a 40-day fast, not as a challenge or a rule to follow, but as an act of obedience and trust. When our hearts and minds come into alignment with God, His leading becomes clearer, and what once felt confusing, difficult, or intimidating begins to feel peaceful. Saying yes to Him no longer feels forced; it feels aligned. It feels right.

That calling may look entirely different for you, and that’s okay. Maybe God is inviting you into a big shift, something that requires courage and faith. Maybe it’s a small, quiet change that only you and Him will notice. Or maybe it’s simply a desire to draw closer to God right where you are, without fixing or changing anything else just yet. Whatever this season holds, I believe we all have room to grow deeper in our relationship with Him. Growth doesn’t require dramatic transformation or perfectly executed plans. It requires a willingness and a soft heart as well as an openness to let God lead, one step at a time.

In the book of Esther, God’s people find themselves facing a moment of unimaginable uncertainty. A decree has been issued that threatens the destruction of an entire group of people. Fear is not hypothetical here; it is immediate, personal, and overwhelming. Esther, a young Jewish woman who has risen to become queen, suddenly realizes that her position of influence does not protect her from danger. In fact, it places her directly in the path of it.

Esther faces a choice that feels impossibly heavy. She can remain silent and hope the storm passes her by, or she can step forward and risk everything. Approaching the king without being summoned could mean death. There are no guarantees. No clear outcomes. Just fear, responsibility, and the weight of knowing that doing nothing is also a decision.

Before Esther speaks to the king, before she attempts to change circumstances she cannot control, she does something deeply significant. She pauses. She calls for a fast. She asks the people to stop what they are doing, to deny themselves comfort, and to seek God together for three days and nights. In a moment where panic would have been understandable, Esther chooses surrender. She understands that clarity does not come from rushing, and courage does not come from self-reliance.

This fast was not about earning God’s favor or proving spiritual strength. It was about alignment. Esther knew that wisdom, courage, and discernment flow from a heart that is quiet before God. By fasting and praying, she created space for God to move first, rather than trying to fix everything on her own. Only after those days of seeking God does Esther step forward, not with fear-driven urgency, but with grounded faith.

And God moves.

What looked like certain destruction is turned into deliverance. What felt like a moment of powerlessness becomes a turning point of divine intervention. Esther’s obedience does not eliminate the risk, but it places the outcome firmly in God’s hands. Her story shows us that fasting and surrender do not weaken us. They strengthen us. They peel away noise, fear, and the illusion of control, allowing us to move forward with God’s guidance instead of our own anxiety.

Esther’s story reminds us that alignment often comes before action. That sometimes the bravest thing we can do is stop, seek God, and trust that He’s got the rest handled.

Esther’s story invites us to look beyond the outcome and sit with the process. Before deliverance came, there was stillness. Before courage came, there was surrender. Before action came, there was alignment with God.

As you reflect, consider these questions slowly and honestly:

Fasting was part of Esther’s story, but it’s important to say this clearly: fasting may not be for everyone, and I am certainly not a doctor or medical provider. This is not an instruction or expectation. Fasting is simply one of many spiritual disciplines Scripture shows us that can help quiet the noise around us and draw us closer to God. For some, alignment may come through prayer, Scripture, stillness, journaling, worship, or setting aside intentional time with the Lord. God honors hearts that are willing to stop, listen, and trust Him before taking the next step. Alignment doesn’t always require big actions. Sometimes it begins with just a simple prayer: “Lord, lead me.”

1. Many Christians set spiritual goals for the New Year
In surveys, a large number of religious people say their resolutions involve spiritual growth, including praying and attending religious services more frequently. In one poll, about 59% of Americans who make resolutions said they plan to pray or attend church more in the coming year.

2. A significant number of people resolve to grow their relationship with God
Research has shown that around 29% of U.S. adults make resolutions related to their relationship with God, with the number especially high among those who attend worship frequently.

3. Christian traditions link resolutions with prayer services
Many churches hold Watchnight or Covenant Renewal services on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day. These gatherings focus on Scripture, prayer, reflection, and spiritual commitments instead of secular festivities.

4. The idea of New Year’s resolutions has ancient spiritual roots
Early New Year practices were tied to pledges and personal commitments to higher ideals, often toward moral or religious improvement rather than just self-improvement. People historically used the turning of the year as a moment of spiritual reflection and renewal.

5. Resolutions about faith and spiritual habits tend to outlast others
While most New Year goals focus on health or finances, Christian resolutions like reading the Bible more, praying regularly, or joining a faith community often remain priorities longer because they feed the soul rather than just personal accomplishments.

6. Many Christians incorporate Scripture or devotional goals into resolutions
Among people who want to grow spiritually, Bible reading plans are a very common resolution — with a majority of some groups saying they want to read the Bible more regularly than they currently do.

7. Commitment without direction often fades, but connecting goals to God gives them deeper meaning
Research on resolutions in general shows that about 35% of people keep some or all of their goals into the year, especially when those goals involve community, faith, or meaningful identity rather than purely personal gain.

As we step into this new year, it’s important to remember that no two journeys with God look the same. Some of us are walking into this season feeling hopeful and energized. Others are stepping forward carrying uncertainty, unanswered prayers, or quiet fears about what lies ahead. And many of us are somewhere in between. Wherever you find yourself, please know that you belong here.

The goal has never been to have it all figured out. The goal is to grow closer to God. To choose Him again and again, even when change feels uncomfortable, even when the future feels uncertain, even when we let our fears get in the way of our faith. Choosing God does not mean we won’t face challenges this year. It means we won’t face them alone.

We don’t know what this year will bring, but we do know that God is the One who walks with us through every season. God remains faithful when our circumstances shift. He steadies us when our lives feel unpredictable. And He gently leads us forward, not asking us to carry the weight of the future, but inviting us to trust that He will be with us every step of the way.

Wherever this year takes you, it is my prayer that you continue choosing God over fear, surrender over control, and faith over uncertainty. May you grow deeper in your relationship with Him, lean into His presence, and allow Him to carry you through whatever this year holds.

We are all walking this journey together, each in our own way, anchored in the same God who never changes.

Heavenly Father,
As we step into this new year, we come to You with open hands and open hearts. You know every hope we carry and every fear we’ve tucked away. You know what we’re walking into, even when we don’t. And today, we choose to trust You.

We surrender this year to You.
We surrender our plans, our health, our relationships, our work, and our unknowns. Teach us to listen for Your voice above all others. Help us to choose You over fear, faith over control, and trust over uncertainty.

When this year brings joy, keep our hearts grateful.
When it brings challenges, keep our spirits anchored.
When the road feels unclear, remind us that You walk before us and beside us.

Grow our relationship with You in ways we didn’t even know we needed. Shape us gently. Lead us faithfully. And when change feels hard, give us the courage to keep saying yes to You.

We place our lives, our days, and our future in Your loving hands, knowing You are already there.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.