PRAY OR PRAISE?

Hey friend,

Happy New Year! 🎉

We’ve officially stepped into 2026. And before the pace picks up and the calendar fills, I want to pause and ask:

How will you show up this year?

Not your goals.
Not your resolutions.
Not your to-do list.

I’m talking about your posture, the way you hold your spirit through all the highs and lows ahead.

And the book of James gives us the perfect starting point.

“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.
Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.” — James 5:13

Two simple actions.
Two powerful responses.
One invitation: Give it to God.

The beginning of a new year often brings pressure to fix, to hustle, to change it all overnight.
But James reminds us: it’s okay to start right where you are.

💔 If you’re carrying heartbreak into 2026, pray.
😊 If you’re walking in blessing, praise.

Both are holy.
Both are welcome.
Both lead us back to the One who holds it all.

This verse gives us permission to bring our full selves to the table: sorrow and joy, confusion and celebration, tears and laughter.

Let’s be honest. When we’re struggling, our first move isn’t always prayer.
Sometimes you might be tempted to:

• Post instead of pray
• Vent instead of pray
• Numb out instead of kneel down

But James says: the BEST thing a suffering person can do is PRAY.

And when things are going your way? When the doors swing wide and the blessings are abundant? That’s not the time to forget God, it’s the moment to praise Him louder.

There’s something powerful that happens when you make gratitude your default:

• Your struggles become strength
• Your pain becomes purpose
• Your setbacks become setups

When you pray through pain and praise through breakthrough, you stop being defined by circumstances.
You become unconquerable.

That’s what I’m praying over you this year.

So… What’s Your Posture?

As you step into this new year, take a deep breath and ask:

Am I called to pray right now, or to praise?

Whatever the answer is God is in it.

You don’t need a perfect plan to begin this year well.
You just need the right posture.

Let 2026 be the year we give it all to Him.

With faith, joy, and the finest chocolate to share,
Your friend,
Brock

P.S. Got big plans for 2026? Start by giving it all to God. Grab a prayer journal and a little box of goodness to go with it: our handcrafted treats are made to comfort, celebrate, and connect. Because whatever this year brings… it’s Goodness Created to be Shared.