Today I am thankful for those who gather in the name of Jesus. My church family has commented on how much we missed gathering from March – May this year. If you haven’t learned what gathering around the name of Jesus is, you have missed out. We aren’t perfect, but when we have our eyes fixed on God, the fellowship is wonderful.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for my church family and others who gather in Your name. Thank you for the joy when we are in tune with Christ. Thank You for the unity we can have when we put You first. Please help us to focus on You and all You have done for us.
Today’s verses are compliments of my mom. I love the book of Philippians. There is so much practical advice for daily living. Verse 4 tells us to rejoice – twice! I also appreciate the reminder in verse 6 to bring requests with thanksgiving. The beauty of this practice is the peace it brings. Peace that can only come from God.
Peace can seem elusive when times are tough. I think we sometimes don’t have peace when things are good, because we look for peace in the wrong places. We think it will come from the right job, house, possessions, people. Godly friends can help us achieve peace, but only if they direct us to Christ.
Friends, I pray you know Jesus Christ as your savior according to what the Bible says. If not, please contact me. I would be happy to share the truth of the gospel with you. God is worth it!
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for providing peace when we come to You with our praise and requests. Thank You for the protection for our hearts and minds. Please help me to rejoice and have a gentle spirit every day.
Happy week of Thanksgiving! I wanted to take extra time this week to be thankful. I know this is something that I need to do more. Gratitude is even proven to be effective in helping with health issues (there are many medical studies).
Today’s verse was chosen by a friend of mine when I asked for thankfulness verses. I know how easy it can be to complain when days are tough. I also know the struggle of putting negative things in their place. I am not going to lie about challenges – pretending they are no big deal. However, it is too easy to get stuck in negative thinking. There is nothing worse than someone who is constantly negative. Thankfulness can bring refreshing joy despite challenges.
I will continue to spend my life working through how to be honest about negative things and grateful at the same time.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for providing instruction on how to handle difficulties. Please forgive my complaining. Please give me wisdom to deal honestly with trials, but not be trapped in grumbling. Thank You for the many blessings You give.
Today I want to declare my thankfulness for the Bible. The Bible is God’s word; breathed out by God for our benefit (2 Timothy 3:16-17). I know many consider the Bible a good book, but not necessarily from God. Many have rejected the Bible completely as though it is nothing more than fiction. The Bible means so much more to many of us, because we have studied and lived the truth found in its pages.
I find it interesting that many philosophies of love, kindness, respect and other values are found in the pages of the Bible. None of us will perfectly live out these values. However, with the help of reading and studying of the Bible, we can continue to grow and learn how to live the best priorities.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for providing and protecting Your word. Thank You for allowing me the opportunity to read and study the Bible. Please help me to be faithful to the words You gave.
I pray this in Jesus’ name.
God is so good.
If you have a favorite Bible verse of thankfulness, please comment below or send me an email (pleadinginprayer@gmail.com). I would be happy to include it in a future post.
Many have used the month of November to focus on being thankful. I have used the week of the Thanksgiving holiday for this, but I want to expand this year.
Some days are easier to be thankful than others. When I struggle to be thankful, I start with the fact that God saved me from my sins. Romans chapter 3 tells me that I am a sinner. In Romans 6:23, I find there is punishment for sin (death). Romans 3 also tells me that I can be justified (saved) by faith in Jesus Christ. If I continue reading Romans (10:9-10), I find that I need “to confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead”. I acknowledge my sin to God and Jesus saves me.
I am so thankful for salvation and what that means in my day to day life. Not only did God save me, but He wants to sustain me. I will share more of those items in future posts this month.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for saving me and sustaining me. You have given me so much for my life now and for eternal life. I cannot praise You enough.
When times are tough, it is easier to dwell on the negative. God commands us to rejoice. While we don’t want to pretend nothing is wrong, we should easily be able to find a way to rejoice. A friend of mine took this picture of a sunflower field. I can easily smile when looking at something so bright and cheerful. God made sunflowers happy.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for providing ways to rejoice. Thank You for beautiful flowers to brighten my day. Thank You for friends who send me pictures to brighten my day. Thank You for the many blessings You send my way. I praise Your name and rejoice in who You are.
While it seems easier to ask for things in our prayers, we need to remember to praise and thank God for what He does. God allows us to see some of His work, but I am convinced that He doesn’t share everything He does. None of us could handle all the work Almighty God performs – even in our own lives.
God is in control. He does wonderful things.
Praise and glory to God!
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for all You have done. I know Your work is great and You are mighty. Please help us to focus on Your work and what You will do in our lives. Thank you for all You will do.
In our day of many negative news stories, we need a reminder of what we should dwell on. I’m not saying we should completely ignore the news. We need to be informed, but dwelling on the ugliness in our world will drag us down. Negativity can also push us to believe lies. We need discernment to think correctly.
God provides a way to keep our minds on what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely and commendable. His word gives guidance for every situation. God did not give us details on how to handle every situation, but He gives the principles we need.
As we navigate the rough terrain of 2020, we need to seek God to keep our minds focused on what will bring peace. God’s peace. Philippians 4 gives good advice.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for providing truth and the principles we need to seek the truth. Please help us to think on the correct things.
I am thankful to see a little bit better news these days, although sadly much negativity is still circulating. The reality is that bad things will happen. We live in a sin cursed earth (read the book of Genesis to see the origins of that). However, even though we see ugly, hard things around us there are many blessings.
I have heard a saying, “Blessings come to those who notice.” There is Biblical truth in those words. We can get too focused on the negative and miss the positive. I’m not saying that we pretend the bad things never happen, but I think we need help to keep a proper perspective.
I love to tell stories – positive stories – stories of blessing. I have told several in my blog. God sent me some more this week. The picture behind Psalm 34:8 was sent to me by a friend who was thinking of me. #heartwarming! Another day I saw a friend at the grocery store. I had a big grin on my face as I waved through the window to get her attention. We talked for a few minutes. I was smiling for a while after our conversation (especially when she waved at me at the next store). That evening God painted the sky yellow, orange and pink as the sun was going down. I love the beauty of sunset. All of these happenings were hugs from God – blessings God sent my way.
I am still processing the negative things that God allowed in my life this week. He is using those to perfect me (James 1:2-4). However, I want to notice and claim God’s goodness to get me through each day. Blessings hold great power when we allow God to work.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the blessing you send my way: friends who know and love You, all the beauty in Your creation. Please help me to keep a proper focus on the blessings in my life and encourage others to do the same. Please give me the strength to view the challenges correctly and not let them weigh me down.
Have you ever been anxious – silly question, right? We have all faced anxiety at some point or another. If you are living, you have opportunity for anxiety and stress. It is the reality no matter what.
I am so thankful that God provided a way to end my anxiety. As I pray with both thanksgiving and request, God will send His peace that provides protection. He never fails.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for sending peace when I come to You in praise and pleading. I ask for help now as I face the day to day challenges that You allow in my life.
Pleading in Prayer 