It is December already and so many end of year programs, parties, family thanksgivings, carols, and all other ceremonies that go on at the end of the year. There’s a lot of eating and visiting, some are so happy it’s December that they don’t realize it’s two days to January and they never had an overlook of their year, neither are they ready for the coming year. Don’t feel guilty if you never thought that there were things you’d need to do before the year runs out. It’s good you asked and have gotten an answer.
There are some things you should do before the year wraps up. Let’s discuss a few:

1. A PERSONAL THANKSGIVING SERVICE

Underline the word ‘personal’. Don’t be carried away with the church’s Thanksgiving, or dinner at your family house coming up next week. You need a personal time to really thank God for the year. If you are short of words you can start from playing a praise song and either dance to it or sing along with it before praying, or you could read Bible verses on Thanksgiving, especially from the book of Psalms. As you read you speak out and pray each verse, thanking God for what He has done. But if your best expression of Thanksgiving comes by going face down and talking to your heavenly Father, just let your gratitude find expression.

2. GO ON A RETREAT

This is not one of those retreats you go on when you’re seeking God’s face for more revelation or access to His will. This retreat is a time set out for Thanksgiving, seeking mercy for anything you did or didn’t do in line with God’s purpose that you overlooked or were to heavy to talk about with God during the year, evaluating your life throughout the year. Run a check your growth: spiritual, intellectual, physical, financial, relational, and any other aspects of your life. What would you need to not do or improve on in the coming year. Then give good time to prayer. Prayer goes before you into the new year. It’s like saving money in the bank.

3. LET GO OF THE CURRENT YEAR

Not just letting go of your failures, that is very helpful, but also letting your success sit in the past as your run towards what’s ahead. Paul put it this way, “… but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before” (Philippines 3:13). Letting go doesn’t mean they don’t matter any more, but they don’t weigh you down or make you content.

4. PREPARE FOR THE NEW YEAR

You have already started preparing for the new year by looking for answers to what you should do before the year wraps up. To prepare you can get a book and a pen, write down your expectations for the year, your goals, your major plans and strategies to achieve all that you have in your heart to do. Scripture encourages us in Habakuk 2:2 to write down our visions. It gives you something tangible to see and run with.

5. PRAY, AND PRAY AGAIN

Prayer is a sign of trust. You pray because you trust who you’re praying to. So praying means you’re trusting the Lord with all your heart, and like Proverbs 3:5 tells us, “He shall direct your path.” Prayer is also partnership with God to do what He would do and to know what he would have you do. So, pray, and pray again.

6. HAVE FAITH AND BE HOPEFUL

You don’t have to see a rainbow in your room before you trust that God will help you through the coming year. Don’t see the new year like every other year, saying you messed up last year, so there’s every chance you’d mess up next year. That is a lying spirit. Have faith in God and be hopeful that your coming year will be better than the previous years, for the path of the just is as a shining light, and that shining light shines brighter and brighter. Keep calm, God has got your back.

7. GET YOUR ‘LAMP’ AND ‘LIGHTS’ READY

That means get directions and anchors from the word of God. It is the lamp to your feet and the light to your path (Psalm 119:105) Get scriptures that will encourage you and guide you through different phases and faces of your life. Get scriptures on faith, relationships, purity, finances, health, purpose, and all aspects of your life that are pivotal. You can also get books that you can read through the year to build yourself up. Get direction.

8. REACH OUT TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS

It must have been a busy year for you, and you never really took out time to call or text that cousin, that friend, that neighbor. It’s not too late. Instead of waiting for the new year to send a bulk SMS, you can reach out now, and even hangout with family and friends that are close enough. For those afar off, a call is never too far.

9. GIVE YOURSELF A TREAT

O yes, it must’nt be something large, but if it can be, why not? Don’t overspend and empty your bank account, but get yourself a treat or a gift and present it to yourself. Appreciate yourself for standing strong through thick and thin through the year. It is therapeutic.

10. CLEAN UP

Very important point to note, clean up before the coming year. Do your laundry, take off the cobwebs, sweep under the bed, clean the windows, go to the salon, do your nails, you can do a detox, either by fasting or drinking detox drinks, it’s still cleaning. Pay attention to areas in the house and on or in your body that you haven’t paid attention to in a while. You can clean up all the dishes in the kitchen, clean the pets cage, just anything to clean up as the year wraps up.