Another Year Is Dawning

This reflective New Year hymn by Frances Ridley Havergal is a quiet prayer of surrender and trust. Written as a personal dedication for the opening of a new year, it expresses a desire to step into the unknown with confidence in God’s guiding hand. Havergal often wrote hymns that emphasized consecration, and this text beautifully captures that theme. She presents the turning of the year not as a moment for resolutions, but as an opportunity to yield every day fully to the Lord.

The hymn speaks of entering the coming year with peace, because the believer rests in the certainty that God directs each season of life. It acknowledges that joy, trial, labor, and rest may all appear, yet each experience finds meaning through the presence of Christ. Havergal portrays the year ahead as a gift to be lived in obedience, gratitude, and wholehearted devotion. Instead of relying on human strength, she encourages believers to seek divine help for every step and every decision.

A key element of the hymn is its spirit of trust. Havergal reminds the singer that God’s past faithfulness guarantees His future care. The heart can move forward without fear because the Lord who began the journey will complete it. The hymn closes with a prayer that every hour of the new year may be shaped by God’s grace, filled with His service, and marked by His peace. It remains a gentle and hopeful reminder that believers can face each new day with calm assurance, knowing that all their times rest safely in the hands of their heavenly Father.