Every year arrives like a fresh dawn— full of promise. As a result, many are tempted to spread their wings and fly. So calendars fill up and plans metamorphose into schedules quickly. As a ministry, we choose to do something ancient and countercultural: we begin by pausing. We consecrate the month of January to prayer and fasting not out of routine, but as a deliberate act of alignment. In a world obsessed with speed, we are in a hurry to wait so January becomes our sanctuary. A holy interruption and a reminder that before we move, we must listen first because “those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] Will gain new strength and renew their power; They will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun]; They will run and not become weary, They will walk and not grow tired.”
Isaiah 40 vs 31 AMP
Why We Wait
Scripture is clear: beginnings matter. In the Old Testament we see scenarios where altars were built at the start of journeys. Covenants were even sealed at the opening of seasons. Better yet, Jesus Himself began His public ministry with fasting and prayer in the wilderness. This underscores the fact that by waiting on the Lord at the beginning of the year we are saying: “We refuse to run ahead of you Lord.”
This is important because prayer recalibrates our hearing and fasting quiets the noise of appetite and urgency. Together, they posture our hearts to receive heaven’s blueprint rather than merely pursue human ambition. So when we wait, we acknowledge a profound truth: clarity precedes activity, and intimacy precedes impact.
More Than A Routine
It is no news that sacred rhythms can become hollow rituals if hearts disengage. Our January fasting can easily slip into “what we do every year” rather than “what God is doing with us this year.” Routine will begin to ask, “How many days?” while relationship will ask, “Lord, what are You saying?” Waiting faithfully, therefore, is not measured by the length of the fast but by the depth of surrender. It is less about enduring hunger and more about yielding control. That’s why when prayer becomes a checkbox, it loses its efficacy but when we see prayer as koinonia, grace multiplies.
What Happens When We Wait Well
When we embrace prayer and fasting with faith and expectancy, they produce undeniable fruits:
- Spiritual Sensitivity
Waiting sharpens discernment. We begin to recognize God’s voice with greater clarity and resist distractions with greater authority.
- Divine Direction
Instead of guessing our way through the year, we receive clear instructions thereby making our decisions prophetic not reactive.
- Inner Alignment
Prayer realigns our desires with God’s will such that what once mattered excessively loses its grip, and what truly matters rises to the surface.
- Renewed Strength
As we wait on the Lord, we exchange exhaustion for strength. That’s why when the year feels demanding, we do not burn out easily because our souls are anchored in God.
- Corporate Unity
Waiting together as a ministry causes our hearts to beat in rhythm. In essence, our vision becomes shared, burdens become lighter, and purpose becomes collective.
January As A Spiritual Firstfruit
By dedicating January to God, we offer Him the firstfruit of our time, our plans, and our strength. It is a declaration that the year belongs to Him—its victories, its battles, its growth, and its becoming and what we crown God with at the beginning often determines what follows through the year. That’s why when January is surrendered, the remaining months are stewarded with wisdom.
An Invitation, Not an Obligation
As we go through this season of prayer and fasting, it is not a burden placed on the people of God; it is an invitation into depth. An open door to begin again—properly. So as we come hungry, not merely for answers, but for God Himself, waiting not out of fear of the year ahead, but out of trust in the One who designed and already stands within it, we will be transformed.
Child of God, we wish you a wonderful time waiting on the Lord.
We’re rooting for you. 😃💯