Becoming a New Creation in Christ in 2015

To become a new creation in Christ, we have to know the desires of our heart. I was just reading "Goal Setting" by Annette Capps. She writes that God is always there for us, 'do not fear, for I am with you Isa 41:10. She also writes that God wants us to have the desires of our hearts. Jesus taught the principle of planting seeds. We are told by Annette that in order to receive the desires of our hearts, we have to do some planting. We need to declare and write on paper what it is that we want = what we desire from God. She invites us to make a list of principle ideas rather than a 'wish/want' list.  By doing so, our list of our hearts desires become practical as we hear and see them in front of us as a plan for growth and development. "Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will and] so shall your plans be established and succeed." Proverbs 16:3 Amplified.
"Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart" Psalm 37:4
Part of this exercise, plan for becoming a new creation in Christ, is being a partner to faith. Charles Capps tells us that hope is necessary and that hope is a partner to faith. Because faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1  Hope is the goal setter. Faith is the substance of things hoped for... The substance of 'things' - what things? The things you hoped for. What do we hope for? We hope for the things that God has given us. We must know what God has given or we can't have faith in the promise, in the knowledge that God is for us. Some argue that people will only desire what they want. Some will. However, if you know that God is for you, why would you desire only what you want. You would/will not.  The Christmas Eve message in my church was titled "Dreaming of a White Christmas". It was very inspiring in context of what I am writing to you now. How/Why? The pastor asked us to dream of good things for ourselves but firstly good things for others. We must acknowledge our sins, and let Jesus Christ into our hearts to wash it away sin and make us clean as snow. In this way, we will get those 'gifts' the desires of our hearts as we also wish for others to have their sins made clean as snow. The greatest gift 'desire' we can have is to recognize our sins and embrace the gift of / desire for Jesus Christ. With that knowledge, you will become a new creation in Christ.

Reference ~ Hope: A Partner to Faith by Charles Capps.

*Read in James 4: 1-8
Drawing close to God
"What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don't they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don't have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can't get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. You, you don't have what you want because you don't ask God for it. And, even when you ask, you don't get it because your motives are all wrong... you want only what will give you pleasure.... Humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Come close to God and God will come close to you."