Christmas Week Reset: Reflect on God’s Faithfulness and Prepare Your Heart for the New Year is all about using the quiet days after December 25 to slow down, remember how God has carried you, and step into what’s next with Him. As you turn your planner into a spiritual tool, those in-between moments become a gentle, Jesus-centered reset that helps you release hurry, realign your heart, and prepare for the year ahead with hope and intention.
Pause after the Christmas rush
The days between Christmas and New Year’s often feel like “in-between” time, but they can become a sacred pause for rest and reflection. Instead of jumping straight into resolutions, receive this week as a gift to breathe, pray, and notice how God has carried you through the past year.
In your planner, block off at least one intentional reflection session during this week—an hour at a coffee shop, a quiet morning at home, or an evening with a candle and your Bible. Treat it like an appointment with God, not something optional to squeeze in “if there’s time”.
Remember God’s faithfulness
Scripture encourages believers to remember and recount the Lord’s works as a way to strengthen faith and grow gratitude. Looking back at the past year through this lens helps you see not just what happened, but how God was present in each season.
Flip through your planner month by month and note in a separate “Year-End Reflection” page:
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3 ways you saw God’s provision or protection.
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3 prayers He answered (even if the answers looked different than you expected).
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3 moments of unexpected joy or growth.
Writing these down turns your planner into a record of testimony, not just tasks, and fills your heart with hope for the year ahead.
Gently review the hard places
A faithful review includes both praises and pain, but it does not become a guilt trip. The goal is not to relive every disappointment but to notice where God sustained you, refined you, or is still healing you.
Set aside a section in your planner for “Challenges & Lessons.” Ask:
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What was one of the hardest parts of this year, and where do I see God’s hand in it now?
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What did God teach me about Himself, others, or myself through that situation?
Offer these moments back to God in prayer, thanking Him for His nearness and asking Him to continue the work He began.
Evaluate your spiritual rhythms
The week after Christmas is a natural time to gently assess your walk with God over the past year. This is not about perfection but about noticing patterns in your spiritual habits so you can step into the New Year with more intention and grace.
In your planner, create a simple checklist or rating scale for key areas like:
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Time in Scripture.
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Prayer life.
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Church/community engagement.
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Serving and generosity.
Next to each, write one sentence: “Where did I see growth?” and “Where do I sense an invitation to grow?” This gives you a realistic picture of your spiritual rhythms without shame, and it sets the stage for faith-centered goals.
Capture gratitude in writing
Gratitude is a powerful way to close one year and open the next. Naming specific blessings helps shift focus from what is unfinished or disappointing to the goodness of God woven through everyday life.
Use one planner page as a “Gratitude Spread” and list:
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People you are especially thankful for this year.
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Opportunities or open doors God provided.
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Small, easily overlooked graces (a habit that stuck, a moment of laughter, a quiet day of rest).
You can add a short written prayer of thanks at the bottom of the page, dedicating your memories and the coming year to the Lord.
Pray into the New Year
After looking back, gently turn your heart toward what is ahead. Instead of rushing into a long list of resolutions, start with a few prayerful themes or words that capture what you sense God inviting you into next year.
In your planner, create a “New Year Prayers & Focus” section and jot down:
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A word or phrase for the year (such as “steadfast,” “rest,” or “courage”) you feel led to pray over.
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3–5 specific prayer requests for your spiritual life, relationships, work, and health.
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A key verse you want to meditate on as you begin the year.
These become anchors you can revisit throughout the year, turning your planner into an ongoing conversation with God instead of a one-time goal-setting exercise.
Design a simple reset plan
Finally, translate your reflections into a few gentle, realistic steps for the New Year. The goal is not to overhaul your life but to align your daily rhythms a bit more closely with what God has been showing you.
From your reflection pages, choose:
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One spiritual rhythm to strengthen (for example, a short daily Scripture reading or weekly Sabbath practice).
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One relationship to intentionally invest in.
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One habit to release or replace because it drains your time, energy, or focus from God.
Add these to the first month of your New Year planner pages, scheduling small, concrete actions rather than vague intentions. As you do, you step into the New Year not just with plans, but with a heart freshly anchored in God’s faithfulness.
Dream boldly. Plan wisely. Honor God daily.