One Word for 2026

A few years ago, in our first meeting of the new year, my then supervisor shared that she had been reading a book that encouraged readers to choose a word as their focus for the new year.  She said, by choosing a single word it simplifies our list of goals and helps us focus on a single goal that can be summed up as one word.  Recently, at our church, our pastor asked us to choose a word that will be our prayer focus for 2026.  If you have never done this, it’s not easy.  According to a quick Google search, the 2nd edition of the Oxford English Dictionary contains 171,476 entries - and that’s just English!  I wanted to choose a big word, a complicated word, a multi-syllabic word!  I have a big birthday coming up in a couple of weeks and it’s been on my mind, so I thought my word might be related to that.  Instead, after much thought and prayer, my word only has 4 letters and 1 syllable.  Used. 

Yep, used, that’s my word for 2026.  And no, it has nothing to do with my shopping on Marketplace.  No, I’m not shopping for a used car.  In 2026, I want to allow myself to be fully used by the Lord.  I am a thinker and a planner, I am analytical, and logical, and some would even call me strategic.  While I can use these thought patterns to do what I believe the Lord wants me to do, for 2026, I want to put these thought patterns aside and allow Him to guide me in the ways He wants to use me.  My own thoughts, plans and analytics can dissuade me from obedience.  My prayer is that I can be led by the Spirit and not by my own mind.  I know that I have a call to ministry, and I use it in writing this weekly message as well as in other ways, but if there is more that He is calling me to do, I want to be fully obedient. 

So, what’s your word for 2026?  Last week, I wrote about Matthew 3:8 NIV “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.”  This is John the Baptist’s advice that we should prove by our fruit, that we have repented and now live for Christ.  If you need a word for 2026, you may find one in the verse below:  “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”  Galatians 5:22-23. If you need more word ideas, please see this link.  Think about your own life, habits and goals for 2026 and post your word in the comments so that I and others can be in prayer for you in 2026.  Amen.


Happy New Year!
What's your word?  Please post it in the comments so that I and others can be praying for you.  Please be in prayer that I will be USED in 2026.  Amen.
Thank you for reading!
Kim​