12 Best Things To Change Your Life In 2024, Part 2

Make smart changes in 2023 that will make positive changes in your life.

Today is part two of a three-part series about making SPIRITUALLY healthy changes in our lives this year. The best things we can do for our overall well-being are spiritual. Let’s get started!

You might want to read Part 1 of this series HERE

We ended up last week by talking about Prayer and how keeping an ongoing, real, and active conversation with our Father is so good for us!

I’m going to expand this thought and say we should all be praying for one thing specifically…

Pray For Revival

Revival is a matter of the heart! The word revival means to rekindle something that is almost expired. Like a tiny spark or a little burning ember that is almost spent, it can turn into a roaring, hot, and huge fire once fanned and fed.

Revival is renewing our fervor and love for the Lord God and a saving and obedient relationship with Him. It is when we see God’s glory (His worth and who He is) and exactly who we are! It is seeing our sin and the stricken and grave state of our lives, nation, and world. It is being clearly able to see our need for a Savior. 

Revival is not something we do; it is a wondrous act of the Holy Spirit. But we can have an active part in it through prayer. We should be praying with everything in us that the Holy Spirit would reveal the truth to us in a big and overwhelming way.

As individuals and as a corporate nation, we need revival. We need a good reality check on who we are and the deep condition of sin we live in. Once we see this, we can openly confess those sins with heartfelt fervor and joyously turn back to God.

However, these are highly unpopular and socially unacceptable things to talk about these days. Reasons we need revival all the more! 

Psalm 80 is about revival.

Restore us, O God; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved. Psalm 80:3, 19

Revival can turn around whole nations and set them on the right path. We need as many souls to stand in the gap with arms raised to our good God, pleading for Him to revive us, and we need to ask with thankful and expectant hearts.

In ancient times watchtowers were built into the protective walls of the city. They were high places where guards would watch for both good and bad news. A coming enemy could be seen before it descended on a city to attack. Or a bearer of good news from the king could be spotted, and the city made ready to receive him.

I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. Psalm 130:6

We need to not only have to pray for revival, but we should be in a watchtower mentality, waiting for signs of the good news from our King. Let God know you are anxiously waiting for Him!

I have seen a revival, and it is miraculous! It sweeps through and seeps into everything in its path. Pray for revival and watch diligently for it!

Give

Giving of your tithes (money), talents, and time to make sure God’s work here on earth is expanding His kingdom. Let’s not get too busy and tied up in our day-to-day lives and ignore the most important things.

Those things of eternal value are the things that promote God’s kingdom and are the only works we will carry into eternity. If we desire and believe that we will live forever in heaven with God, why not start living like that on earth today? Be the hands and heart of Jesus to others. 

Start Your Day With God

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

When I open my eyes every day, I say this verse. It’s really out of context, but I think it fits the way I should acknowledge my day.

For me, it reminds me that TODAY, right now, this minute is an extreme and lavishly given gift from God. It means God has blessings stored up for me in this day, and He is with me should trouble present itself. 

I can rejoice in good and bad because I know that my Father is with me, and Jesus has promised to never leave or forsake me, and the Holy Spirit indwells me. I am also very aware of my sojourner status in this world and know well that I am in the best company!

My heart can look happily and peacefully upon the day!

Speaking out and believing scripture is a wonderful way to start a day. I have several scriptures I cling to daily.

Speaking out and believing scripture is a wonderful way to start a day.

Find scriptures that your life needs and speak them out over your day. Let God know that you believe Him and you wish to be transformed by His word.

Here are a few of my favorite scriptures to pray over my life…

Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship. And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you]. Romans 12:1-2

I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.  Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.  Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;  one Lord, one faith, one baptism;  one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4: 1-6

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jere 29:11

For we are his workmanship (meaning poem as in poem to the world), created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10

 End Your Day With God

By the time my day ends, I usually roll into bed completely spent and tired! How about you? 

One thing I am working on is a little time with my Father talking over my day and taking it into account. Really being aware of how I lived for Christ that day, confessing my sins, thanking God for the ways I could see Him in my life, and praising Him for who He is!

As a child, I learned the discipline of bedtime prayers but have lost the desire to make them a part of my day-to-day life. 

I want my bedtime prayers to be more personal and reflective. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to end our wakefulness by telling God how much you love Him? I would want that to be the last thing on my lips before I drift off to sleep.

These spiritually healthy habits are very rudimentary. They are basic. But they are real and deep and life-changing!

Let me ask you a question. Sort of a gut check. How is your relationship with the God of EVERYTHING? And if you don’t mind, can I ask you how you would like your relationship to be?

The true answer to these just might give you the desire to start or maintain some good spiritual habits that can last a lifetime and beyond!

Here is a verse to thing about this week…

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

26 Comments

  1. God bless you for using your site to share decor AND the rich life we can have in Christ!

  2. Refreshing to hear these truths in our current world. God has really just given us a way to live. It’s all meant as a blessing, and it is.

  3. Kathy Evans says:

    Thank you so very much for your wonderful words. I, too, am on a journey to know my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ more intimately. I really did enjoy reading your part 1 and part 2 guidance and recommendations. My favourite verse comes from 1 Thessalonians 4:11 and I start my day with those words. God’s blessings to you and yours. Kathy

  4. I love these Sunday posts. They are such a blessing and beautiful reminders of things we need more of in our lives. Thank you!

  5. Amen!!! Make Jesus Christ a priority and number 1 in your life……that does not mean no more problems or stress BUT it does give you a peace to walk through the trials in life! It gives you JOY that NOTHING else can give …..it gives you more enjoyment in the beautiful things Jesus gives each and everyday!!!

  6. Lorraine Hitchcock says:

    I love, love your comments on revival. I have been praying for our nation for sometime and asking The Lord to bring revival to the United States. Thank you for Sunday posts. I forget to comment sometimes, but I am so thankful for your willingness to share these truths.

  7. God has given me days in the dry dessert and days in the fresh running waters. I have been blessed by both. Praise to God for both.

  8. Yvonne—Oh how I love and treasure your amazing daily blogs. But, Sundays are my very favorite! Your inspire me in ways you will never know. Somedays, you give me just the right medicine to pick myself up and do the
    next right thing—whether it be in my daily life of taking care of a house, decorating, cooking etc. or in my Spiritual walk with God.

    Your segment on Revival today especially hit home with me. The song “Set My Soul Afire” came flooding back to my memory of singing it as a young girl in the church. The words “Set my soul afire, Lord—set my soul afire! Make my life a witness of Thy saving pow’r. Millions grope in darkness waiting for Thy word. Set my soul afire, Lord–set my soul afire” That is truly my inspiration! May I be a witness to all those I know and meet and may the Holy Spirit move in me and set my soul afire!

    Thanks, again, for shining in all you do! What an amazing woman of God you are!

    Blessings!

  9. Kelli Thomas says:

    Thank you for today’s post and all of the Sunday posts, as well as the blog. I enjoyed reading it and all the comments. Such great encouragement to read how others are praying, praising, and believing God. I am in agreement and praying for revival. Come and revive us Lord Jesus! We need you! 🙏🏽

  10. Yvonne, thank you for your posts that share your faith. Thank you for allowing God to use you to share His word with so many. It is so easy to use this platform to promote materialism, vanity, and greed, but you have found a way to promote what is most important in a home, God’s presence! My prayer for you today is that God will continue to bless the work you are doing and that your home will always be filled with His Holy Spirit.

  11. Hello Yvonne, thank you for your wonderful blog, I love reading it daily.
    My relationship with God has come full circle – believer, non-believer, back to believer as a result of a visit to Assisi in Italy. St. Francis called my name there, and I have found my way back.
    Right now I’m in the middle of clearing out the in-law suite at the back of our house so we can rent it to someone who needs it. There is not enough housing in the town where I live, and while it’s our favourite part of the house, someone else needs it more.
    Blessings to you, and please say a prayer that I can give up my space without hard feelings.

    1. Hi Helen, thank you for your comment. I am overjoyed you turned back to God! May God bless you as you give up your space and may this kindness fill you with generosity and joy.

  12. MARY-ANN (FROM CANADA) says:

    Yvonne, I just loved your post today! I just thank God for you and for your willingness to share Him with us. I, too, have been praying for a revival in our land. How we need this — and how we need to let people know how much they need to put their trust in Him. I pray that I, too, can be the “hands and heart of Jesus” to those around me. Bless you, Yvonne, as you so faithfully bring us these wonderful devotions each Sunday. I appreciate you so much!

  13. Diane Russell says:

    Thanks for your uplifting words! So refreshing and much needed in our work today. God bless you Yvonne.

  14. Sharon Ganne says:

    I have one thing to say: You are simply wonderful! Thank you for your loving encouragement as we journey through this life on earth. You make me want to be the best I can be. May God continue to bless you with many good things.

  15. Lareese Miracle says:

    Thank you for these pearls of wisdom!