Fearlessly Courageous
Desk of Dennis Piller
1 7 2026
Companies require goals – But why do readers tune me out when I discuss OUR Spiritual Goals?
Do yours require you to have big faith?
Part 2
Every year I try to inspire my audience to set Spiritual Goals but I consistantly notice a drop off of 15 to 18% each year. Why is that?
- They don’t like the work it takes.
- They don’t want to be accountable to them.
- They don’t want to fail again … so don’t do it!
- Trying to do too much too soon leads to burnout.
- Routine sets in, distractions increase, urgency fades, pushing spiritual practices to the bottom of the priority list… Again!
- Forgetting the core reason (e.g., deeper faith, peace, purpose) makes the effort feel pointless.
How can we break that cycle?
A. Let’s start small. 5 mins of prayer each time we look at these.
B. If you’re married or serious with someone, ask them if you can do this together. (Believe me, that helps and will grow your relationship.)
C. Revisit the whys: Regularly remind yourselves why you started this journey, and not allow Satan to steal your blessings to grow in God.
D. Normalize lapses: Learn that missing a day or planning time, isn’t failure; it’s a chance to restart, not quit.
E. Say YES to God: Prioritize what moves you toward God’s plan for your life
So what will you plan to do to improve your year by an honest reflection of last year? The alternative is to do nothing. Just start a new year, streaming off the same momentum, or lack of it, from last year. Taking note of: NO lessons learned from mistakes, sidesteps, hiccups, or victories. I’m sorry, but I don’t think that sounds like God to me. This is the 2nd installment to help you put your life on a God Ordained foundation for the New Year.
The Bible has more to say about planning, your future, your family, and your career than you think. Don Whitney wrote 10 spiritual questions that we should ask prayerfully of God. Today, we are going to get you started thinking of the first five. Please start praying and thinking about them, and write them down.
We know that every successful company takes year-end inventory. They decide to write off some things that don’t merit further consideration or cost. They make plans to build a brighter future for their company and the men and women who do the work.
Why wouldn’t that make perfect sense for each of us, too?
What parts do we need to cut, and what foundation should we build upon?
Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans”.
IF, that’s true, let’s cast some big dreams and make sure we put God first! Don Whitney wrote 10 spiritual questions that we should ask prayerfully of God. Today, we are going to get you started thinking of the first five.
1. What’s one thing you can do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?
Perhaps meditating on short passages in the Bible to help you retain it and hear from God vs reading a chapter and walking away. What ideas do you have?
2. What’s an impossible prayer you can pray?
There are more than 48 “but God” statements in Scripture, such as in Rom 5, 8, which reads, “But God, shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Situations that were humanly impossible were transformed by “but God” (Ephesians 2:1–7). What’s a “But God” big prayer you can pray for the coming year? If it doesn’t require faith… then it’s not big enough.
3. What’s the most important thing you could do to improve your family life?
Family prayer time? Or Worship time together? Something… write it down
4. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year?
Would it be a personal spiritual discipline (that is, one you practice alone), or an interpersonal spiritual discipline (one you practice with other believers)? There are 10 disciplines;- Reading the Bible, Prayer, Worship, Evangelism, Serving, Stewardship, Fasting, Silence and Solitude, Journaling, and Learning. Once you decide, determine the next step to take and when you will take it. Pick ONE, and let’s make a plan.
What’s the difference between a Goal and a dream?
Goals have a deadline! If you don’t set one, you can’t make it!
5. What’s the single biggest time-waster in your life, and how can you redeem the time? Uh…Oh, I have gone to meddling! Social media? TV? Video games? Sports? Hobbies? It’s easy for any of these (or something else) to take too much of our hearts and time. Is repentance required? Just easing back is probably not enough. How about substituting family and God into some of that scaled-back time? (Start with something small…but write it down, tell your spouse, and be accountable.)
Scripture says in Jer; 29:11 I have plans for you. PLANS? Do you think that God himself has taken the time to plan and bless your life? … Don’t you think you should inquire of Him what plans
He put in your spirit?
Proverbs 19:21 “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails”.
Is 14 26-27 “This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the hand stretched out over all nations. 27 For the LORD Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?”
Come on… Let’s step up our game on listening to God. Start praying… Start writing… Start talking with your family and start walking in the new promises He has for you in this new year. Or you can have not -because you ask not. You choose! Next time, we look at God Questions 6 through 10 to take a deeper look at creating a Vibrant and Creative New Years foundation, walking in God’s will and with God’s blessings
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Phil Driscoll
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