“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23–24 (NRSV)
As 2026 approaches, I’m thinking about plans, goals, and responsibilities. I expect you are too. New years tend to do that to us. But before we speed into strategies, the Spirit invites us to pause. Spiritual preparation begins with being honest with God.
Paul points us in a healthy direction: “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” Philippians 3:14. Pressing on matters, but only when we’re moving in the right direction, with the right foundation.
One helpful way to prepare spiritually for the year ahead is to reflect on two sets of words that appear repeatedly in the New Testament:
- Grace, mercy, and peace
- Faith, hope, and love
Together, they give us a simple but profound framework for entering 2026 in good shape.
Start with your relationship with God
Before we ask what God wants us to do, it’s wise to ask how we are doing with him. The New Testament groups the words grace, mercy, and peace together several times:
“Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.”
(1 Timothy 1:2; 2 Timothy 1:2; 2 John 1:3)
These aren’t throwaway greetings. Paul and John are naming the reality of a healthy relationship with God.
- Grace speaks to our failures and weaknesses.
- Mercy meets us in our guilt and need.
- Peace steadies us when fear and anxiety rise.
None of these can be produced by effort. They are gifts, given by a generous God.
As you look toward 2026, it’s worth asking yourself some questions:
- Am I actually enjoying God’s grace, or just believing it exists in theory?
- Do I live like someone who knows they’ve received mercy?
- Is God’s peace shaping my inner life, or am I often tense?
These questions matter because many of us struggle secretly with fear, guilt, or restlessness. If those issues go unaddressed, they poison everything else.
You might sense that one of these areas needs particular attention this year. That’s not a failure. It’s an invitation. Perhaps 2026 could be a year where you intentionally pray, read Scripture, and reflect with a focus on grace, or mercy, or peace.
Growth begins there.
Then think about areas of growth
Once our relationship with God is solidified, we can think clearly about how that relationship shows up in daily life. Another familiar trio appears several times in the New Testament:
“And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13)
In 1 Thessalonians, Paul links these qualities directly to action:
“Your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope.” (1 Thessalonians 1:3)
Faith, hope, and love are not abstract ideas. They express themselves in work, labour, and endurance.
When we are filled with God’s grace, mercy, and peace, we have fuel for discipleship. From that place:
- Faith leads us to act when obedience feels risky.
- Love prompts us to serve, even when the cost is high.
- Hope helps us keep going when results are slow or suffering is real.
As you prepare for 2026, consider questions like these:
- What might works of faith look like in my life this year?
- Where am I being called to labour in love, even if it’s unseen or tiring?
- What kind of endurance will hope need to produce in me?
Don’t rush these questions. They are worth prayer, reflection, and conversation with others. Clarity comes as we listen.
Trust God with the details
Would you like God to hand you a detailed plan for the year ahead? In Scripture, that kind of specificity is rare.
More often, what we see is this pattern: People receive God’s grace, mercy, and peace, and from that basis they commit themselves to faithful work, loving service, and hopeful endurance. Along the way, God reveals his will in his time. That may feel slower than we’d like. But it’s how transformation happens.
As 2026 approaches, perhaps the most faithful preparation is not a long list of goals, but a heart secure with God and a willingness to walk forward in faith, hope, and love.
That kind of preparation will never go to waste.
What do you think? I’d love to hear your responses.
Your brother, Malcolm
