Cultivating a Year of Devotion

A Daily Journey of Faithfulness

By Shelly Sulfridge

I don’t make resolutions anymore—they’re too much pressure, and I feel like a failure when I don’t follow through—but I do pick a word for the year. I always pray for that word to be revealed to me. One year, it was a phrase, and I ended up teaching a whole women’s retreat on that phrase.

Last year, my word was “devotion.” I heard it in a song a few days after praying about what my word would be. I can’t remember the song—I wish I could—but that’s not the point. The word came to me when I least expected it, and I knew that was my word to focus on for the year.

I have been trying to make my word a part of every day and every part of my life. This involves asking myself questions daily, ensuring that my devotion to God is where it needs to be, and remaining devoted to my husband, children, ministry, friendships, and writing.

Sometimes, it’s easy to lie to myself, thinking I’m doing the right thing, but if I search deep and ask those tough questions, I find out I’ve been ignoring God and pushing my convictions to the back of my mind.