Part 1, 2026, The Year Of Our Lord
2026, The Year Of Our Lord
Tuesday January 5, 2026
Matthew 6:9-13 NKJV In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. [10] Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. [11] Give us this day our daily bread. [12] And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. [13] And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
2026, The Year Of Our Lord
The year of the Lord: What does it mean?
It is a year of pursuing God’s priorities.. His Name, His will, His kingdom.
Matthew 6:9-13 NKJV In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. [10] Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
The things of God versus the things of men.
Matthew 16:23 ESV But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man."
In previous years we have desired our own interests, but this is a year wherein we must desire the Lord for Himself.
Matthew 6:11-13 NKJV [11] Give us this day our daily bread. [12] And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. [13] And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
All our needs fall under three broad categories… food, relationship and deliverance; sustenance, maintenance and preservation.
Ecclesiastes 6:7 NKJV All the labor of man is for his mouth, And yet the soul is not satisfied.
These are the same things animals pursue, (feeding, mating and safety), so they are low-level pursuits.
God is calling us to higher things in 2026.
The things Gentiles seek
Matthew 6:31-33 NKJV "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' [32] For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. [33] But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
It is a year of God’s self revelation.
Isaiah 40:3-5 NKJV The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God. [4] Every valley shall be exalted And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth; [5] The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."
God will show a difference between those who seek Him as a means to an end and those who seek Him for Him.
Malachi 3:16-18 NLT Then those who feared the LORD spoke with each other, and the LORD listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and always thought about the honor of his name. [17] "They will be my people," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. "On the day when I act in judgment, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient child. [18] Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not."
It is a year wherein we have to seek to know God better than ever.
Those who believe will see His glory
John 11:40 LSB Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
Those who seek the Lord will find Him and all other things. Those who seek other things will miss the Lord.
Jeremiah 29:11-14 LSB For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares Yahweh, ‘plans for peace and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope. [12] Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. [13] You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. [14] I will be found by you,’ declares Yahweh, ‘and I will return your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have banished you,’ declares Yahweh, ‘and I will cause you to return to the place from where I sent you into exile.’
This is a year to recognize and reject distractions.
Distraction: (The Cambridge Dictionary)
a) something that prevents someone from giving their attention to something else
b) an activity that you do for pleasure
Sinful Distractions
Hebrews 12:1 NLT Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
2. Fleshly Distractions
These are not sinful. They are just things we enjoy a little too much.
Proverbs 25:16-17 NLT Do you like honey? Don't eat too much, or it will make you sick! [17] Don't visit your neighbors too often, or you will wear out your welcome.
These first two types of distraction are easy to identify and by God’s grace, relatively easy to deal with. The next type is more subtle, sneaky and insidious.
3. Good, Necessary, Dutiful and Obligatory Distractions:
Family, work, business, pursuit of wealth,
Luke 14:15-24 NKJV Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, "Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!" [16] Then He said to him, "A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, [17] and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, 'Come, for all things are now ready.' [18] But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.' [19] And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.' [20] Still another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' [21] So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.' [22] And the servant said, 'Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.' [23] Then the master said to the servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. [24] For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.'"
4. The distraction of Ministry and service.
Luke 10:38-42 NLT As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. [39] Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord's feet, listening to what he taught. [40] But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, "Lord, doesn't it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me." [41] But the Lord said to her, "My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! [42] There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her."
Martha was distracted by many good and important things. She missed the one needful thing.
It is possible, in fact, too easy to be busy for the Lord and not have time for Him. There are many hardworking men who have no time for his family but tell them everything he is building is for their benefit.
5. Demonic distractions:
Attacks on our bodies, mind, finances, etc
6. Conflict and Offence:
This particular distraction requires a special mention. This year, you must not allow your buttons to be pushed. It will get you worked up so you cannot pray, nor hear from God.
If you manage to get to prayer, conflict and offence will try to dominate your thoughts and become the only thing you pray about.
Luke 12:13-14 LSB
And someone from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” [14] But He said to him, “Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?”
Strategy against distractions:
Sweet Hour of Prayer
“Don’t pray when you feel like it. Rather, have an appointment with the Lord and keep it.”-- Corrie Ten Boom
The Bible makes many references to the hour of prayer.
Acts 3:1 ESV Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.
2. Set your times of prayer, of the study of God’s word, of fellowship, and make them sacrosanct.
Daniel 6:10 ESV
When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.
