Word of the Year 2026: Stay

Our world that tells us to move on, level up, escape, or reinvent as God whispers something far less dramatic:

Stay.

Stay when it would be easier to leave.
Stay when the fruit hasn’t appeared yet.
Stay when obedience feels ordinary and unseen.

Stay is not stagnation.
Stay is abiding.

Jesus says in John 15, “Abide in me, and I in you.” Abiding is about staying connected and remaining rooted even when nothing seems to be happening on the surface. Growth is quiet before it is visible.

Scripture is full of people who stayed:

  • Anna stayed in the temple, worshiping and waiting.
  • The disciples stayed with Jesus when others walked away.
  • The early church stayed faithful under pressure and persecution.

Staying doesn’t mean ignoring change.
It means refusing to abandon what God has asked you to tend.

There are seasons when staying looks like:

  • Continuing to pray when answers delay
  • Continuing to write when readers are quiet
  • Continuing to love when relationships are hard
  • Continuing to serve when recognition is absent

Stay is a holy resistance against hurry.
It is faith expressed through presence.

Today, as we step into 2026, perhaps God is not asking you to do something new but to remain faithful in what He has already given you.

Stay with Me.
Stay the course.
Stay awake.
Stay rooted.

Stay focused.

Because those who stay often see God move in ways that only the faithful few ever witness.

Friend, is God asking you to stay?

Until my next post…

Be salty, stay lit.

Rainer Bantau —The Devotional Guy™

You can now find my articles in The Christian Grandfather Magazine.


Please hit me up if you have questions or drop a comment below. And please subscribe to my blog!


#bgbg2#BibleGateway

The Stigma Stops Here.

#mentalhealthmatters

© 2026 Rainer Bantau | The Devotional Guy™ | All Rights Reserved

Friend, are you encouraged or blessed by this post? Please consider showing your appreciation.

Bless The Devotional Guy™

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.