An End-of-Year Reflection: Making Space to Know Jesus More Deeply
As another year draws to a close, many of us find ourselves caught between looking back and looking ahead. There is thanksgiving for what has been given, relief that certain seasons have ended, and often a quiet weariness from all that has been carried throughout the year. There may also be unresolved questions — about work, relationships, faith, or the direction of our lives.
The Christian life is not meant to be lived on autopilot. Scripture invites us, again and again, to remember, to reflect, and to return. The end of the year offers a natural moment in time — a threshold if you will, to pause long enough to notice not just what has happened, but how God has been present within it all.
This reflection is an invitation to slow down and to bring your whole year — your work, your relationships, your longings, your disappointments - honestly in all the messiness and complexity - before God.
Looking Back: Where Has God Been at Work?
Begin with thanksgiving.
Ask yourself:
Where have I seen God’s grace at work this year — in obvious ways, and in quiet, easily overlooked ones?
What gifts has God given me through people, opportunities, or moments of unexpected joy?
Where have I been sustained when I did not have strength of my own?
Gratitude is not denial of hardship. Rather, it is the practice of recognising that God has been present even within the complexity. The Christian life isn’t about a trouble-free existence, but about a faithful God who meets us in the midst of it.
Noticing What Has Been Formed in You
Reflection is not only about events, but about formation.
Consider:
How has this year shaped my faith, my character, and my desires?
Where have I felt spiritually alive and connected to God?
Where have I felt distant, dry, or resistant — and what might that reveal?
Ruth Haley Barton speaks of paying attention to the movements of the soul. God often does His deepest work not through dramatic breakthroughs, but through slow, hidden shaping — teaching us dependence, humility, courage, or trust.
Rather than judging yourself (or others) focus on curiosity. God is not surprised by what you notice.
Naming Loss, Lament, and What Needs Releasing
Every year carries loss — things that did not turn out as we hoped, griefs, prayers that feel unanswered, parts of ourselves that feel tired or worn.
Take time to ask:
What has been costly this year?
What grief, disappointment, or unmet longing do I need to acknowledge before God and take to Him?
Are there expectations, identities, or patterns I am being invited to release?
The Psalms remind us that lament is a deeply biblical practice. It creates space for truth-telling with God and frees us from carrying burdens we were never meant to hold alone. We don’t move forward well unless we allow ourselves to let go and be honest both with and before God.
Looking Ahead: An Invitation to Know Jesus More Deeply
As you turn your attention toward the year ahead, resist the urge to rush into goals or the world’s focus on “self-improvement”. Instead ask yourself, what could it look like to begin with the desire for a richer life with the one who gave it to you in the first place?
Ask:
What is Jesus inviting me into in 2026?
Where might He be calling me not to do more, but to be with Him more deeply?
What practices, rhythms, or relationships might help me remain rooted in His love?
The Christian life is not ultimately about becoming a better version of ourselves, but about being continually drawn into deeper relationship with Christ and understanding the depth of His love for us. We are formed through relationship before we are shaped by effort.
Perhaps the invitation for the coming year is toward greater trust, deeper prayer, more honest faith, or a slower, more attentive way of living. God’s call is always shaped by grace.
A Prayer to Close the Year
Lord Jesus,
Thank You for walking with me through this year — in what was joyful, what was hard, and what remains unfinished.
Help me to receive Your grace for what has been, to let go of what I cannot take forward,
and to step into the year ahead with a deeper trust in You.
Draw me into a richer, truer knowing of Your presence,
that my life might be shaped not by fear or striving, but by love. Your Love
Amen.
As one year ends and another begins, may you find yourself not simply planning for the future, but anchored — held firm again in the faithful presence of God, who goes before you, walks with you, and gently shapes you in love to be more like His Son.
