Welcome to 2025! You realize by now that nothing has changed from yesterday except your perspective on life and the decisions you have chosen to make. Here is to remind you that three things will remain constant in the next 365 days: challenges, opportunities, and mysteries. You cannot change any part of these but cooperate with them amidst all the complexity they will present. 

I came to remind you of what you already know. This is the truth that God has graciously provided three universal gifts to everyone: Prayer, Time, and People. These gifts hold the key to a meaningful and purposeful life when we understand the purpose of each and plan to use them well.  Let me highlight each below.

Prayer:

The gift of prayer reminds us that we are not self-existent, we have a Source and a purpose. It is the vital connection to our Source and the means through which we download and upload the issues of life. However, we must remember that in prayer, what we have to say is not as important as what the Source is saying. So when we plug into the life-giving power, the goal is to first submit to His will and preferences and, therein, find our purpose and the supernatural empowerment to execute life accurately. In other words, prayer is not about agenda-setting. Rather, it is a growth process in becoming like the Heavenly Father, through which He can entrust His will, words, and work to you. Don’t worry about your needs. He already knows about them all, even before you can think or articulate them. You do not love yourself more than He does. 

Time: 

Thinking about time as a gift is very consequential. It reveals an intention by the Giver, outside of which abuse will be the result. There is no further innovation around time. It cannot be expanded, extended, or controlled but can be managed. Time is the great equalizer—rich or poor, young or old, everyone gets the same amount daily. But the difference lies in how and for what we use it. The key question everyone must answer is what is the best use of time today. Because time is also a finite resource, the best use of time will be for the things that resound both in time and eternity (when time expires). Think about it. We must deliberately skew our investments in time to things that reward in and after time. The answer to the question will be personal. 

People:
Indeed, we are not self-existent. Apart from prayer, the only way this truth is revealed is through our relationship with others. Everyone in your life right now, whether by decree or through design, is a gift from the Father. I am not referring to the prickly ones you ill-advisedly took on, but relationships that naturally occurred due to birth, location, and divine connection. When you think of each relationship as a gift from the Father, the goal will be to serve them and learn from them, yes, even in the transactional ones like your staff and stewards. Remember, people are not tools to be used for your desires but treasures to be served and honoured. You see, the purpose of the first two gifts of prayer and time will be consummated in your present relationships. This is how every man’s reward will be apportioned both in time and eternity. The greatest of your tests in life will be in how you treat people. In the end, you will discover nothing else really mattered. 

As you journey through this new year, remember that these three gifts—Prayer, Time, and People—are divine resources entrusted to you. Embrace prayer as your compass, time as your currency, and people as your treasures. Let each gift guide your actions, sharpen your purpose, and deepen your impact. In stewarding them well, you honour the Giver and unlock a life of meaning, fulfilment, and eternal significance. The question is not whether you have these gifts, but how you will use them to make the Father pleased this year and beyond.