By Daniel Timotheos Yohannan, Op-ed contributor Tuesday, December 30, 2025iStock/ThomasVogel
When one year draws to a close, and we prepare to enter a new one, I always set aside time to reflect on all that God has done.
Over the last year, I have had the privilege to travel more than I usually do. As I’ve reflected on these trips, something that stands out to me is all of the wonderful people I spent time with in several different nations around the world. I can’t count the number of God-ordained airport conversations and meaningful encounters that took place throughout my journeys — moments that reminded me how faithfully God is at work, often in ways we do not plan or expect.
My father, K.P. Yohannan, often talked about Christ’s call to “follow in My footsteps.” Even though traveling so much was very tiring at times, I’m thankful to have met many Christ followers who are doing just what my father taught: trusting God, fully surrendering, and daily walking in obedience to what the Lord has called them to do.
No matter where I went, I met faithful saints who were quietly serving the Lord. From inner-city Uber drivers to mountain missionaries to African community builders, I saw Christians — young and old — doing their part to fulfill the Great Commission. Witnessing every part of the Body of Christ working together over the past year was a powerful reminder of God’s faithfulness.
Wherever you are, and no matter what 2025 has looked like for you, I encourage you to pause and reflect on your own past year. Think about where you saw God at work in your life, even in the most seemingly insignificant places. How were your prayers answered? Did God surprise you in some unique way? Or perhaps this was a difficult year for you. How did God sustain you through it?
Remembering what the Lord has done, and who He’s shown Himself to be, is one of the best ways to prepare our hearts for what lies ahead.
As I prepare for the new year, my own prayers have been shaped by a simple posture of surrender:
“O Holy Trinity, I give myself to You today. I am encouraged knowing You receive my offering, simple as it is, with gladness. Thank You for Your unchanging love and acceptance. There is so much peace in remembering that You are here beside me, asking me simply to trust You with this day, this hour.”
This is where reflection leads us — not to self-evaluation alone, but to renewed trust. There is much in our lives we simply do not understand. One by one, we lay these things at the feet of Jesus and entrust them to His care. We submit our hopes and desires for the coming year to Him and ask for the strength to walk in humility, obedience, and gratitude, whatever the future holds.
Yet as we look ahead, our prayers cannot be only for ourselves.
Our hearts are heavy with the suffering in this world. How desperately we need God’s intervening mercy and His healing presence. We remember that Jesus came not for the healthy, but for the sick (Luke 5:31-32), taking on human flesh so that we might be reconciled to Him forever.
As we enter a new year, we pray together:
“Heavenly Father, You watch over little sparrows and direct the hearts of kings. Restore peace, O Lord. Heal our land. Bring relief to the suffering, hope to the downtrodden, and freedom to the exiled, exploited, and oppressed. Restrain evil and revive Your people to be a means for restoration and hope.”
Prayers like this remind us that we are not alone, and that we are not powerless. When God reveals the suffering in this world, He calls His people not to look away, but to be filled with His compassion and to love without holding back.
If you’re a Christian, always remember that you are an integral part of a worldwide movement and a large family answering the call of Christ and walking in His footsteps. Whatever we do — whether in our daily activities, our work, or our home life with our families — it is all for the glory of God.
As we head into a new year, I have great confidence that the Lord has many more answers to prayer in store for us. Each of us must prepare our hearts to see Him move as we continue to be faithful to Him who called us.
In 1 Corinthians 15:58, we’re told, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
In light of this command and promise, I remain confident that the Lord will grant each of us the mercy and grace to press onward in the work He’s given us to do. And when we enter into eternity, we will find it has all been more than worth it.
Bishop Daniel Timotheos Yohannan is the President of GFA World and is consecrated bishop of the Believers Eastern Church. In his role as president of GFA World, Bishop Daniel serves as a primary link between thousands of Christian workers and missionaries serving throughout Asia and Africa and the rest of the Church worldwide.
