What’s Your Word for 2025?
AS WE STAND ON THE THRESHOLD OF 2025, it's time to pause, reflect, and prepare for the journey ahead. And there’s no better way to do so than by embracing a (maybe new-to-you) practice that can guide, inspire, and fortify our faith: choosing your very own Word of the Year.
WHY CHOOSE A WORD OF THE YEAR?
The concept of choosing a Word of the Year is not new, but its power to provide focus, direction, and a spiritual compass is undeniably profound. It's an inspiring trend that has seen an immense surge in popularity in recent years for good reason. By choosing a single word to represent our aspirations, goals, and prayers for the year ahead, we simplify our vision and align our actions. This word acts as a beacon, guiding us toward spiritual growth and strengthening our faith, much like the North Star. It becomes a lens through which we view our experiences, a filter for our decisions, and a reminder of our journey. It is a tool to hold yourself accountable to the challenge that the Lord has for you this year and to grow and transform yourself personally, professionally, emotionally, spiritually, and more.
Proverbs 16:9 NIV says, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” Our Word of the Year can be a tangible expression of this scripture and a reflection of our heart's desire to follow the Lord's leading. He has already established our steps! We just have to trust in Him and follow His lead.
Choosing your Word of the Year requires prayerful consideration and openness to the Holy Spirit's guidance. Spend time in prayer and meditation, inviting the Lord to reveal a word that resonates with where you feel He is guiding you and your family this year. Spoiler warning: It might be uncomfortable. It might push you or challenge you in ways that you didn’t expect. You might not be thrilled with the word you land on. But that’s OK. God doesn’t call us to comfortability—He calls us to follow Him.
The beauty of this practice is its flexibility. Your word can be a virtue you hope to cultivate, such as “patience” or “gratitude,” a spiritual discipline you intend to focus on, such as “prayer” or “service,” or even a promise from God you want to claim, such as “peace” or “victory.”
Remember that your Word of the Year is not a magic trick that will instantly change your life. It's a tool to bring intentionality and focus to your spiritual journey. As Psalm 119:105 NIV says, "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." Let your chosen word light your way through 2025 and beyond, illuminating your path and strengthening your faith. As you step into 2025, do it with purpose, guided by a word that aligns with your faith. Embrace this practice to deepen your relationship with God and step confidently in the direction of your divine calling.
HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR WORD OF THE YEAR
So, what will your Word for 2025 be? May it be a word that draws you closer to God and guides you through a year of growth, grace, and divine direction. We can help you discover a theme from God’s Word that will meet you exactly where you are. We created the Word of the Year Quiz to help you decide, find it here. You are just seven questions away from your 2025 Word of the Year!
WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR WORD OF THE YEAR
Once you’ve chosen your word, invite it into every aspect of your life. It’s easy to do right as the new year dawns and everything feels fresh and full of promise. However, as the year unfolds, it's often easy for that word to get lost in the hustle and bustle of daily life. So it’s important to be intentional about keeping our word alive and active.
Here are some ways to keep your Word at the top of mind:
Pray with and over your word. Prayer is a powerful tool for transformation. Start each morning by praying about your word. Ask the Lord to guide you in living out this word in your daily life. "In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths" (Proverbs 3:6 NKJV).
Go to the Scripture. Scriptures are the living words of God. Find some verses or passages that connect with your word. Write them down and place them where you can see them daily. You could practice Scripture memorization by praying the Scriptures throughout your day or each time you see them. This constant reminder will help to etch your word and its meaning deeper into your heart and mind.
Journal with your word. Writing has a wonderful way of allowing us to explore and understand our thoughts. Spend a few minutes each day writing about how you have seen your word in action or how you'd like to incorporate it more. You can write your prayers here and note when you get little winks and reminders from the Lord about your word throughout the day.
Share your word with others. Create accountability with trusted individuals within your community by sharing your word with them at the beginning of the year and your plans to incorporate it into your life. Others can help encourage you on your journey and provide their perspectives on how you can grow in new areas throughout the year.
Create other visual cues for your word. Buy or create your own artwork that incorporates your word or Scripture to hang on the wall in your home or office. Make or buy a bracelet so you can wear it with you all day. Put it on a keychain. Keep a note card on your mirror. The possibilities are endless on how you can use these visual cues—tailor them to you!
WHAT DO OTHERS DO WITH THEIR WORDS?
DaySpring Associate Art Director Jessica Wei chose “celebrate” as her 2024 word. “Incorporating this word into my daily life means being intentional with reaching out to friends to hang out, looking for daily small things to celebrate (‘treat yo’self’), and being attentive to milestones in both my life and my friends’ lives,” she says.
Emily Taylor, an Associate Product Manager at DaySpring chose her first Word of the Year last year. After praying over it, the Lord told her it was “humility.” “It was His from the start,” she said, “In 2024, I was studying fear of the Lord, and it was a really cool moment when God connected my word ‘humility’ to a healthy fear of him. Through daily focus on humility, it’s became almost like an inside joke with God. I find it so helpful to have intentionality around my word because I am able to focus on a single area of my faith rather than being overwhelmed with all of the ways I need and want to grow.” DaySpring
Social Media Marketing Strategist Morgahn Martin spent a lot of time last summer making friendship bracelets. “After spending so much time carefully choosing words and phrases to encourage others, I decided to make a bracelet with my Word of the Year. The Lord showed me this word as a theme to walk through the year, and I wanted to wear it every day as a constant reminder. I wanted a way to see it when I washed the dishes, sent emails, ran errands, and did chores. It was a tangible way to keep my word in front of my eyes and on my heart all year long. I can’t wait to make my next bracelet.”
We would love to hear what your word for 2025 is, tell us in the comments below! We hope this word acts as a beacon, guiding you toward spiritual growth and strengthening your faith this year. Looking for more inspiration? Check out our Devotional Library or sign up for our Daily Devotion to receive inspiration every morning right in your inbox!
