Matthew 7:7-8, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks received; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” (NIV).

James 2:17, “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (NIV).

Happy New Year 2026 OTP Family!!

As we are now in day 4 of the New Year, I wanted to share some information to inspire and encourage you as you develop and navigate your plan for this year. 2026 is a year of opportunity. We need to not just seek the next level, but to take action – make proactive steps in reaching our goals. The time for being idol is long past.

New Year Resolutions

January is well known for a time of make positive statements of the changes we would like to see in our lives. But the determination to actually see them through to completion usually falls through by March’s end. But this year we cannot afford to fail in our mission to achieve our goals. Matthew 7 promises that if we ask, seek and knock, we will receive just what we need. James 2 warns us that if we do not act upon our faith, we are not actually exhibiting faith at all. Faith is an action word – always has been. Otherwise faith dies when it is idol.

Good Advice in Navigating the New Year

“Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one.” – Brad Paisley.

This quote encourages us to be move in purpose and to be intentional. Take time to pray about this new year, get direction from God, then set a plan of attack. Remember God has already promised if you ask, seek, and knock you will get what you need. But also remember the warning to put your faith in action. So you have to develop a plan. Then break the plan down into small manageable steps.

Then, take the quote literally – get a journal, and start to write. Write down the vision God gave you for this year. Look at this journal daily and continue to write. Write the things that went wrong, and write the things that went right. Make adjustments to the plan as needed, but with a focus to stay in the will of God. This will serve as a reminder during those times when it seems like everything is going wrong.

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt.

This quote paints a beautiful picture of faith. You must have faith in the God who gave you the vision or dream. God has a way of breathing life into the things he shows us. They may be small visions – things that we only see small glimpses of (not the full picture at all), but they are full of life and powerful enough to keep us moving forward. They are crucial for creating the future we want and propel us toward personal growth (spiritually and naturally). Most importantly, they move us beyond fear and doubt. We have to maintain our faith in the vision God has given us. We must know (remember and understand) what God has promised, he is able also to perform. (Romans 4:21).

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started” – Mark Twain.

Starting is often the hardest part of the journey. We cannot allow fear, laziness, or waiting for more_____ (you can fill in the blank), stop us from making that first step. Let’s flip back to our journal. If we have complied with the advice, we have already developed our plan and broken that down into manageable steps. Now, let us focus on making that first step a completed reality. This is called applying it – just begin. Stop planning and start doing – even if it is imperfect. You can always make corrections. This is part of the journal as well. We logging what worked and what did not. Then get then next step ready and put that in action too. Keep moving forward. Focus on taking action, not on perfection.

“You don’t get what you wish for. You get what you work for.” – (Quora).

Remember – achieving goals requires consistent effort, action, and persistence, not just hoping or desiring something to happen. It is effort over intention: your outcomes are determined by your actions, not your aspirations. You have a responsibility that cannot be ignored. True success comes from putting in the necessary work, over coming challenges, and making tangible progress. Again, we cannot stand idol. We cannot afford to be slothful or lazy either. It is time for faith in action.

Happy 2026 – A year of turning opportunity into success

Let us lean into Matthew 7 and James 2. Let us seek God and move in faith.

Actionable steps: Dreams become reality through small, consistent steps, dedication, and discipline. We just cannot think about it, we need to be about it.

Responsibility: We must take control and work on self-improvement (spiritually speaking, but also mental, emotional and physical). It’s going to take hard work, but it is not impossible work.

Embrace challenges: view failures as stepping stones and keep working through difficulties. Do not give up. Don’t give in. Keep faith in action.

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Happy new year and strap on your boots – it’s time to get to work.