Do you have your word for 2016 yet? Has God specifically spoken to you a word of direction, of purpose and of challenge for the coming year?

I believe that He wants to speak to each one of us more than we could possibly desire to listen. I also firmly believe that He has a personal word for you today that is specific for this coming year.

God has a strategic word for you with your name attached to it. It is meant for no one else other than you because we serve a personal God with a distinct plan and purpose for each of our lives.

When God speaks to His children, it is always with wisdom, with encouragement and with rich purpose. He often speaks through a verse or chapter in the Bible and then confirms it through teachings, books or lyrics.

God might speak to you through a simple but unforgettable impression that becomes impossible to ignore or escape.

The heartfelt desire of God is to speak to you concerning His plans for your life. But are you willing to slow down from the busyness of life and simply stay at His feet in rapt attention? Are you willing to lay aside every distraction in order to focus on Christ and Christ alone? Are you willing to turn down the volume on the voices of our culture in order to solely listen to the voice of your Creator and Savior?

He longs to communicate with you more than you long to listen to Him.

As you begin this momentous year of impact and of destiny, take the time this week to open your Bible and ask God to speak to you personally. Ask God to give you a word that is meant only for you.

"Father, I come to You in Jesus' Name and I ask You to speak to me clearly. I ask You to give me a word for 2016 that will set me on the course that You have for my life. I say with the prophet Samuel, "Speak Lord, for Your servant is listening."

God will indeed speak to all those who choose to snuggle up to His presence and to all those who devotedly set their gaze on His face and on His power. 

So ... what is your word for 2016?  Have you heard God speak to you yet?

God has clearly spoken to me that my words for 2016 are "change" and "miracles." God has spoken this through His Word and has confirmed it through the voices of counselors, friends and teachers.

I believe that the God who never changes is making all things new for me in 2016! Like Abraham of old, I am ready to be released into new territories and into greater blessings.

I believe that the God who performed miracles on behalf of Daniel, Lazarus and Hannah will perform miracles for me at my moment in history. I believe that the body of Christ is about to enter the greatest age of miracles ever known and I am ready to be in the middle of it all!

And so this day, during the first couple of weeks of the New Year, I cry out to God and declare, "God! Change my heart and prepare me for what you are preparing for me! Usher in a new day of power and miracles! Use me in Your kingdom and for Your purposes this year!"

Carol McLeod is an author and popular speaker at women's conferences and retreats, where she teaches the Word of God with great joy and enthusiasm. Carol encourages and empowers women with passionate and practical biblical messages mixed with her own special brand of hope and humor. She has written five books, including No More Ordinary, Holy Estrogen!, The Rooms of a Woman's Heart and Defiant Joy! Her most recent book, Refined: Finding Joy in the Midst of the Fire, was released on Aug. 1. Her teaching DVD The Rooms of a Woman's Heart won the Telly Award, a prestigious industry award for excellence in religious programming. You can also listen to Carol's "A Jolt of Joy" program daily on the Charisma Podcast Network.

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