Bible verses for the New Year
New Year's Eve is a date on the calendar, not in the Bible — but the Bible understands a lot about new beginnings. Isaiah speaks of God doing a new thing and asks us not to stay stuck in the past; Lamentations says mercies are renewed every morning; Paul describes the Christian life as forgetting what lies behind and pressing on toward what is ahead. There is also a healthy warning in Proverbs: the heart plans, but the Lord directs the steps. The verses on this page are for the New Year message, the first prayer of January, the list of goals and for anyone reaching the end of the year tired and in need of permission to start again. Choose one and keep it as your phone wallpaper for the month.
“Don’t remember the former things, and don’t consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing. It springs out now. Don’t you know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
It is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his mercies don’t fail. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.
Brothers, I don’t regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do: forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,” says Yahweh, “thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future.
You crown the year with your bounty. Your carts overflow with abundance.
A man’s heart plans his course, but Yahweh directs his steps.
For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:
Frequently asked questions
Which verse works for a New Year message?
Isaiah 43:19 ("behold, I will do a new thing") and Lamentations 3:22-23 are the most used. Jeremiah 29:11 also fits the date.
Which verse is good for New Year's goals?
Proverbs 16:9 reminds us the Lord directs our steps, and Philippians 3:13-14 speaks of pressing on toward the goal. Together they balance planning and surrender.
Does the Bible mention New Year?
Not our December 31st. It speaks of feasts and cycles of Israel's calendar and, above all, of new beginnings — which is what the date calls for.
See also
Scripture text: World English Bible (WEB), public domain. Prayers, introductions and reflections: original text by this site, not affiliated with any denomination. Devotional content; it does not replace medical, psychological or legal advice.