Learn a little more about why this looks different this year.
Thanksgiving
That Does Not End in November
For years, my Bible reading plans in the fall have centered
around gratitude. November always held a special place for reflecting on God’s
faithfulness—pausing to remember where He has brought me and offering thanks
for His hand in every season.
But something shifted this year. As I sat with my 2024 Word
of the Year, New Beginning, I began looking back—not just to last
November—but to every year since 2019. I saw each Word of the Year as more than
a theme. It was a season of my life:
- Purpose
(2019) — discovering why I was here
- Vision
(2020) — learning to see clearly
- Intentional
(2021) — aligning my daily steps
- Resilience
(2022) — standing firm through storms
- Finish
(2023) — completing what God assigned
- New
Beginning (2024) — stepping forward with peace
And I asked myself: What if Thanksgiving was not just for
one season, but for all of them?
From
Seasonal Gratitude to Sacred Rhythm
This year’s plan, Fresh Starts and Faithful Thanks,
is my answer to that question. Instead of limiting gratitude to autumn, this
devotional spreads thanksgiving, praise, and worship across the whole year.
Each two-month section focuses on one of my Words of the Year, allowing time to
sit with it, thank God for it, and grow from it.
This is not a break from gratitude.
It is a deeper kind of gratitude—a yearlong offering,
a heart posture, a sacred rhythm of “Thank You, Lord” in every circumstance.
The
12-Month Praise, Gratitude, and Thanksgiving Plan
January–February
— PURPOSE
Theme: Created on Purpose, Grateful by Design
Scripture Anchor: Exodus 9:16 — “I have let
you live for this reason: to show you My power and to spread My name all over
the world.”
Focus: Identity, calling, divine design
We begin the year by remembering that nothing about us is
accidental. God placed purpose in us before we ever saw it. These months are
about recognizing our design and thanking Him for planting meaning in our lives
from the very beginning.
View the
Plans:
(These links go directly to the PDFs.)
March–April
— VISION
Theme: Thankful for Vision, Even Before It’s Clear
Scripture Anchor: Habakkuk 2:2 — “Write down
what I show you… so that the message will be easy to read.”
Focus: Clarity, direction, divine insight
Vision is not just seeing clearly—it is trusting God’s
leading even in the blur. These months are for thanking Him for refining our
focus, even when the destination is not fully revealed.
View the
Plans:
(These links go directly to the PDFs.)
May–June
— INTENTIONAL
Theme: Living Intentionally, Thanking God Daily
Scripture Anchor: Ephesians 5:15–17 — “Be very
careful how you live… understand what the Lord wants you to do.”
Focus: Daily alignment, stewardship, faithful
discipline
Here, gratitude meets discipline. We thank God for the grace
to live wisely, not wastefully, and for the structure that helps us walk in
alignment with His will.
View the
Plans:
(These links go directly to the PDFs.)
July–August
— RESILIENCE
Theme: Still Standing, Still Grateful
Scripture Anchor: 2 Corinthians 4:8–9 — “We
have troubles all around us, but we are not defeated… we do not give up.”
Focus: Endurance, strength, perseverance
These are the months to thank God for holding us together
when we felt undone, for giving us the courage to keep going, and for shaping
our character in the process.
View the
Plans:
(These links go directly to the PDFs.)
September–October
— FINISH
Theme: Grateful to Finish What God Started
Scripture Anchor: Ecclesiastes 7:8 — “It is
better to finish something than to start it.”
Focus: Completion, release, faithfulness to the end
Finishing is not about perfection—it is about obedience.
These months are a time to reflect on progress, celebrate spiritual milestones,
and thank God for carrying us through to completion.
View the
Plans:
(These links go directly to the PDFs.)
November–December
— NEW BEGINNING
Theme: A New Beginning, A Heart Full of Thanks
Scripture Anchor: Isaiah 43:18–19 — “Do not
think about what happened a long time ago… I am doing something new!”
Focus: Renewal, hope, fresh vision
We close the year by embracing the fresh start God offers
without shame or hesitation. Gratitude becomes the soil where new seeds of
faith are planted for the year ahead.
View the
Plans:
(These links go directly to the PDFs.)
Final Encouragement:
Let this year be a living testimony of thanksgiving. Whether
you are in a season of purpose, vision, discipline, resilience, completion, or
new beginnings—there is always something to praise God for. May this rhythm of
gratitude shape not only the way we read Scripture, but the way we live it.