Selah

Charmain Hibberd

Marketing Assistant, CBN UK

Happy New Year!

We pray that you have had a blessed and restful Christmas period and are ready to begin the New Year with excitement and energy. 

Before we get into anything, I would love to introduce you to (or remind you of if you are already familiar) a word that you will find littered across the book of Psalms and Habakkuk – Selah. 

The meaning of the Hebrew word ‘Selah’ is not definitively known but an interpretation of its meaning is simply, ‘to pause in His presence.’ 

I am aware that at the start of each new year we can get caught up in setting goals, building expectations for what the year might hold and such like. There is nothing wrong with this! But my question to you today is this – what if, instead of ploughing ahead with our lists and strategies, we stop. Pause. Listen.  

What if we invest some ‘Selah’ time into the start of the year? 

Much like a tithe is the first fruits of our income offered back to God, pausing in His presence can be an offering to God of our most powerful resource…our time. 

If we start the day in prayer and reflection, reading and learning in the hopes that that will power our day, why should our year be any different? 

Much like a tithe is the first fruits of our income offered back to God, pausing in His presence can be an offering to God of our most powerful resource…our time. 

Taking the Time

Taking a day out to pause in His presence, to pray and ask God – ‘what do you want to do in and through me this year?’ can reap huge dividends for the year ahead.  

Here is what I suggest and certainly plan to do myself for the New Year: 

1. Worship 

Begin by putting on some music that honours God and who He is. Sing out to Him and posture your heart ready to receive what He would say to you.  

2. Ask 

After you have spent some time in worship, continue by asking God some key questions like – What do you want to do in me this year? What do you want to do through me this year? Who do I need to pray for this year? What do I need to let go of this year? Who do I need to forgive this year? The list is endless so try not to overwhelm yourself. Ask God questions that are specifically on your heart for the year ahead.  

3. Listen 

Set aside a good amount of time simply pause in His presence – Selah. Listen for His voice and the words that He may speak to you. Don’t beat yourself up or get frustrated if you do not hear anything right away, patiently sit and focus on the questions you are seeking  answers for in your heart.  

4. Write 

Make notes of what you have felt God say to you during your time together. Perhaps there are next steps or instructions that God wants you to take. It could be a word, phrase or verse that God has spoken over your year ahead. Take note for the days to come.  

5. Counsel 

If you feel comfortable, find a trusted friend or mentor and share what you felt God say to you. It’s always good to get an outside perspective on things when it comes to hearing from God, that way we can iron out any misunderstandings or miscommunications that we may have perceived.

Taking a day out to pause in His presence, to pray and ask God – ‘what do you want to do in and through me this year?’ can reap huge dividends for the year ahead.  

 I believe that if we introduce some Selah moments into the beginning of our year, we will see breakthrough and progress like never before.  

My prayer for you in 2022 is that your heart will be aligned with the heart of God in a way that changes our world for the better. Be blessed and enjoy the year ahead. We’ve created a 5-day devotional on the YouVersion platform for you to get the new year kicked off with purpose and energy – why not take a look? 

We’ll talk about vision, purpose, direction and investment amongst other things that will set you up to win in the coming year. 

Check it out here.

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