Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Lead Us Not Into Temptation

(Part of a continuing series on the Lord's Prayer)

Father,

Protect us from trouble and temptation. Guide us in ways that we may avoid it.  And if we must go through it, give us the strength to endure it. Help us not to take the attitude that we are strong and we can handle it. But let us trust You to show us the way to escape it. What we must bear, let us do through Your strength. But help us not to proudly take more on ourselves than we should, lest we fail in the test.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen

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Advent Thanksgiving

Father, we thank you that, as the longing of Israel for the Messiah was fulfilled, so shall our longing for the return of our King. Thank you that all things will be made right and everything sad will become untrue. Amen

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THE ONE TRUE GOD




 Jeremiah 10:10  "But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King....."

Dear Lord, In a world that markets innumerable false gods, I acknowledge You, O Lord, as the only true God in a world that lives as though You were dead.

I choose to walk in Christ's resurrection life, for You are the living King.  In a world bound by time and quickly passing away, I embrace Your gift of everlasting life.  

Sovereign Lord, I gratefully worship You in the beauty of all that You are ~~ true, living and eternal!  I love You.  Amen.




Amen

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So Much.......


Psalm 95:2 (ESV)
     Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;

 Father as we have in this season of Thanksgiving, remembered Your blessings, we find the greatest joy in Your presence.  Our gratitude is not limited to temporal blessings but especially for the eternal relationship we have with You. It is so well expressed in Psalm 16:11 (NLT) “You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.”

King David again expressed this reality when he said: “You have endowed him with eternal blessings and given him the joy of your presence.” Psalm 21:6 (NLT)

 Father we have so much to give thanks for and we do so in the name of Your Son and our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.


Amen

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To be closer to God

My Father, my God, my Lord. I feel so far away from you even though I know you are near. You are here. Your presence is with me. Yet I long for more closeness. I long to seek you every moment of my life and yet I know I don't all time. I desire to come near, to center my life in you, from you, through you. I need to put you first and seek you. You have told me that when I seek you I will find you when I search for you with all my heart. So here I am, Lord, coming to you, believing in you—despite my fears, doubts, and failures. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Inspired by Jackie M. Johnson, Powerful Prayers for Challenging Times


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This Thanksgiving, We Choose Gratitude

God, there are days we do not feel grateful. When we are anxious or angry. When we feel alone. When we do not understand what is happening in the world or with our neighbors. When the news is bleak, confusing. God, we struggle to feel grateful.

But this Thanksgiving, we choose gratitude.

We choose to accept life as a gift from you, and as a gift from the unfolding work of all creation.

We choose to be grateful for the earth from which our food comes; for the water that gives life; and for the air we all breathe.

We choose to thank our ancestors, those who came before us, grateful for their stories and struggles, and we recieve their wisdom as a continuing gift for today.

We choose to see our families and friends with new eyes, appreciating and accepting them for who they are. We are thankful for our homes, whether humble or grand.

We will be grateful for our neighbors, no matter how they voted, whatever our differences, or how much we feel hurt or misunderstood by them.

We choose to see the whole planet as our shared commons, the stage of the future of humankind and creation.

God, this Thanksgiving, we do not give thanks. We choose it. We will make this choice of thanks with courageous hearts, knowing that it is humbling to say “thank you.” We choose to see your sacred generosity, aware that we live in an infinite circle of gratitude. That we all are guests at a hospitable table around which gifts are passed and received. We will not let anything opposed to love take over this table. Instead, we choose grace, free and unmerited love, the giftedness of life everywhere. In this choosing, and in the making, we will pass gratitude onto the world.

Thus, with you, and with all those gathered at this table, we pledge to make thanks. We ask you to strengthen us in this resolve. Here, now, and into the future. Around our family table. Around the table of our nation. Around the table of the earth.

We choose thanks.

Amen.

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We have too much...


What a powerful scripture to remind us all of the importance of having a grateful and a thankful heart. There is much need around us. We have so much. Too much. And we are slow to be generous to the needs of others. 

As a missionary to Nicaragua, I see first hand the stark poverty of others and it has opened my eyes to the fact that most of us are drowning in our abundance. We must be mindful of those around us who are lacking in the necessities and in need of someone being the hand of God to them.

This season, be focused on Christ so that He can turn our gaze off of ourselves and on to the needs of others. You will never be filled with more joy than when you focus on the needs of others rather than the desires of self. 

Gives thanks......with a grateful heart!


Amen

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Forgive Us Our Debts

(Continuing a series on the Lord's Prayer.)

 Father,

I thank you for Your forgiveness. Help us in this season of thanksgiving not  to forget this greatest of Your gifts. Thank you for offering that forgiveness freely through Your Son through faith. Help us to come to You and accept that forgiveness. Help us not to hide or rationalize or blame other people but to honestly bring our sins and confess them to You. Help us also to show others the the forgiveness You have show us. Help us to remember we are sinners, saved by Your  grace, and to treat others in the same way You have treated us.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen

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Thankful for Freedom

Father, we thank you for the freedoms you have blessed us with. Thank you that we can proclaim the gospel and show the love of Christ to others without fear. Thank you that we can gather with our brothers and sisters to worship and encourage one another.
Amen

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THANK YOU





 THANK YOU, Father for the voice of wisdom.  It calls to us, it seeks us out and does not remain hidden.  Its voice can be heard by anyone who will listen.  Please give me ears to hear and a heart to understand, so that I may live by Your truth, walk in Your light, and grow in Your grace and knowledge.  I love You.  Amen.

You are the living Truth;
All wisdom dwells in You,
The source of every skill,
The One Eternal True!
O great I AM, in You we rest
Sure answer to our every quest.

You only are true Life;
To know you is to live
The more abundant life
That earth can never give.
O Risen Lord, we live in You;
In us each day Your Life renewed.

We come O Christ, to You ~Margaret Clarkson (1957-1985)



Amen

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Thankful for Undeserved Grace



Romans 5:1-2 (NLT)
     1 Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege (GRACE) where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.


Father when I contemplate the privilege of friendship and fellowship with you, it is stunning. The wonder of such a personal relationship with God who created and sustains all things. God with whom power has no limit, wisdom has no error, love has no measure, holiness has no flaw and mercy has no prejudice. This privilege that makes us the apple of your eye, the object of your affection and the treasure of your heart. What an astounding thought! How much you love us and think about us. It reminds me of Psalm 139:17 (NLT) How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!


Father, may I ever be mindful that this privilege is undeserved. This is pure and glorious grace. It is a relationship which only you could make possible. Thank you Father from an undeserving heart and an eternally grateful soul.

Amen

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Thank you Lord

Thank you Lord for this life you've given us
Thank you Lord for in you we can trust
Whatever that life brings
Whichever life song we sing
We thank you that you are Emmanuel

Thank you Lord even in times of trouble
Thank you Lord that in all our struggles
You are good
You are faithful
In you we can depend on

Thank you Lord.

Amen





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Thankful for Love and Goodness

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. -Psalm 118:1 NIV

These two words, love and goodness, describe God at a very core level.

For these two words we give thanks to you Lord.

You are good. When we hurt, we can know that you have not caused the pain.

You are love. When all have abandoned us, your loving presence remains.

You are good. In times of great trial, we know that your plans for us are good.

You are love. In moments of doubt and confusion, you love brings clarity.

You are good. Evil and temptation, in the end, will bow to your goodness.

You are love. Hate cannot stand against you. Love never fails.

Lord, we have hope for tomorrow because we see your love and goodness today.

Amen
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In everything.....

"Give thanks in everything,
for this is God's will
for you in Christ Jesus."

(1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Be thankful in ALL things. Be thankful for everything. God is in control. He has a plan. We just have to jump in and trust Him. And believe Him. And be thankful....



Amen

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Daily Bread

(Continuing a series of prayers based on the Lord's Prayer.)

Father,

I thank you that You are concerned for our mundane ordinary needs. I thank You we can ask You for our everyday food  and shelter. Provide us those needs. And help us to remember they come from You. Help us to remember to trust You for even the little things. And help us remember all good things come from You.

In Jesus' Name.

Amen

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Thanks

Father, thank you for the comfort you give when we are grieving, when we are broken and feel like we can't go on. Thank you for those you send our way who pass on the comfort you have given them. Thank you that we can know that you are with us always, even when we feel alone. Amen

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GIVING THANKS






 Psalm 100:4-5  "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name, for the Lord is good and is love endures forever, his faithfulness continues through all generations."


 Dear Lord, our goal in life should be giving thanks to You, praising you wonderful Name, and remembering that Your love endures forever, and Your faithfulness will filter down to all generations.  Our children, grandchildren, and beyond.  Praise Your Holy Name.  I love You.  Amen.








Amen

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Gratitude

Image result for count your blessings

1 Chronicles 16:8-10 (NLT)
     8 Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. 9 Sing to him; yes, sing his praises. Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds. 10 Exult in his holy name; rejoice, you who worship the LORD.

Father we have more to give thanks for than we can possible express. It reminds me of the refrain written by Johnson Oatman, Jr.

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your many blessings, see what God has done.

The Apostle Peter captured it will when he wrote: “You are extremely happy with joy and praise that can hardly be expressed in words? 1 Peter 1:8 (GW)

Yes we are Father and we give You all the glory and our love, worship and praise!

Amen

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Thank You Lord

by Paul Baloche and Don Moen

I come before You today,
and there's just one thing that I want to say
Thank You, Lord, thank You, Lord
For all You've given to me,
for all the blessings that I cannot see
Thank You, Lord, thank You, Lord
With a grateful heart,
with a song of praise,
With an outstretched arm
I'll bless Your Name and

Thank You, Lord,
I just want to thank You, Lord
Thank You, Lord,
I just want to thank You, Lord

For all You've done in my life,
You took my darkness and gave me Your light
Thank You, Lord, thank You, Lord
You took my sin and my shame,
You took my sickness and heal all my pain
Thank You, Lord, thank You, Lord
With a grateful heart,
with a song of praise
With an outstretched arm
I'll bless Your Name an

Thank You, Lord,
I just want to thank You, Lord
Thank You, Lord,
I just want to thank You, Lord

With a grateful heart,
with a song of praise
With an outstretched arm
I'll bless Your Name and

Thank You, Lord,
I just want to thank You, Lord
Thank You, Lord,
I just want to thank You, Lord
Thank You, Lord,

Amen

Listen to it here.




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An Election Benediction

May you remember that all politics and all platforms and all legalities and all borders and all leaders are temporary.

May you recall that political movements and boundaries and personalities and programs are here one day and gone the next. All of these are passing away.

May you resist the temptation to place ultimate trust in any person, policy, party, movement, or nation—even a beautiful idea that is embodied by a nation—because there is no nation with an eternal foundation.

May you know that your kingdom is not of this world but of the world that is coming to this world and that is not yet here.

May you in the same breath grasp that engagement with the things of this world—not escape from its harsher, darker realities—is the sacrificial pattern of Jesus Christ.

May you discover your role in the just and merciful governance of the world God made good and pursue that cosmos-converting vocation with love amid the world’s brokenness and grittiness.

May you see your work in the world—all of your callings and activities—as a participation in bringing the kingdom of heaven to earth.

May you have strength and beauty and determination and wisdom as you love your neighbor and your enemy as Christ has loved you, seeking with all persons to bring justice, mercy, and lasting peace.

May you comprehend that your salvation is not dependent on who you vote for in an election, or in whether or not you vote; that you are under no biblical or theological or moral obligation to vote for a person or party or proposal or initiative if that vote violates your conscience.

May you be grateful for the opportunity to participate in your government and if you choose not to participate in the election may you find ways to make that non-participation more than a protest, and may you find tangible ways to help and protect the poor and oppressed who might have been helped or shielded by your vote.

May you realize that the kingdom of God is within you and that the Son of God sets you free even as you vote for whomever your conscience dictates, without anxiety or fear, for the Spirit the Father gives us does not make us timid, but bestows on us power, love, and self-discipline.

May your posture toward every human leader be driven by respectful prayer, and where protest and prophecy and non-violent resistance are needed, may you have the courage to speak and oppose and critique in humility and charity.

May you perceive God’s love for creation in sending Jesus to embody a New Humanity, and may you join in Christ’s care for the earth and all its creatures and resources, for we await with patience not only the coming of the Son in the flesh but his perfect bride, a people who beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks.

May you trust that Providence is working behind the scenes of history to draw all things to a good and fitting and proper end with justice and mercy.

Amen.

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Now and Forever!

Oh, LORD, we are thankful for your infinite mercy and grace upon us. We are grateful for your loving watchcare over us. You have blessed us immeasureably and bountifully and we give you thanks. Our blessings are uncountable. Your goodness unending. May we give you all praise and all glory and all honor due your Holy and Mighty Name! Help us to keep our eyes and hearts turned toward heaven. 


"But we will praise the LORD,
both now and forever. 
Hallelujah!"
(Psalm 115:18) HCSB



Amen

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Thy Will Be Done

Father,

I pray that Your kingdom may invade this world and end all sin and sorrow and pain. But I also pray that Your kingdom may manifest itself  more and more in our lives. May we do Your will in our lives, in our families, in our nations, and around the world. May we show Your grace and Your truth to all who meet us. May Your people be the example of Your kingdom breaking into time, until the full day dawns and all evil is driven forth from the world.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen

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Thanks for Friends

Father, thank you for friends, our brothers and sisters who are there to encourage us, to challenge us, to teach us, and to comfort us when we grieve. Thank you for those friends who are as close as family and who are always there for us. Amen

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Today I will Dance


“……a time to dance.”
Ecclesiastes 3:4 (NLT)


Father, happy feet are a wonderful expression of the exuberance you give us in life. It is hope jumping for joy. It is laughter filling the air. It is love bubbling over with barely restrained enthusiasm. There is a time to dance and probably more often that we think. In fact if we danced more we would probably be less depressed.

So today I will dance. Dance with the joy of a forgiven heart. Dance with  appreciation for a wonderful family and faithful friends. Dance with thanksgiving for the abundance of your blessings. Dance with the assurance that when the music ends on earth its’ just beginning in heaven where there will still be more dancing. Yes, dance, dance, dance for all the grace and mercy you shower on us every day. There will be times of mourning, but not today. Today I will dance!

Psalm 30:11-12 (NLT)
     11 You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, 12 that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever!

Yes, today I will dance!

 Amen

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Prayer of Thanksgiving

God of all blessings, source of all life, giver of all grace:

We thank you for the gift of life:
for the breath that sustains life,
for the food of this earth that nurtures life,
for the love of family and friends without which there would be no life.

We thank you for the mystery of creation:
for the beauty that the eye can see,
for the joy that the ear may hear,
for the unknown that we cannot behold filling the universe with wonder,
for the expanse of space that draws us beyond the definitions of our selves.

We thank you for setting us in communities:
for families who nurture our becoming,
for friends who love us by choice,
for companions at work, who share our burdens and daily tasks,
for strangers who welcome us into their midst,
for people from other lands who call us to grow in understanding,
for children who lighten our moments with delight,
for the unborn, who offer us hope for the future.

We thank you for this day:
for life and one more day to love,
for opportunity and one more day to work for justice and peace,
for neighbors and one more person to love and by whom be loved,
for your grace and one more experience of your presence,
for your promise: to be with us, to be our God, and to give salvation.

For these, and all blessings,
we give you thanks, eternal, loving God, through Jesus Christ we pray.
Amen.

By Vienna Cobb Anderson
Source: BeliefNet





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Much to be thankful for!!

We have much to be thankful for!

Too many times our hearts tune out the goodness of God and focus instead on the negative. It seems easier to look at and dwell upon all that is wrong but it is so much more beneficial to our lives to see just how blessed we are in our every day existence!

We have so much to thank our God for and we simply must take the time to look around and recognize what they are. Something as simple as clean, running water is a huge blessing that we pass by everyday without a thought.

Let's make the effort to stop and lift our faces toward heaven and express our thankfulness to our God and Savior!

"...singing and making music from your heart to the LORD, giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our LORD Jesus Christ." ( Ephesians 5:20)

Amen

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Hallowed Be Thy Name

(A continuation of a series based on the Lord's prayer.)

Father,

I praise You that Your Name is great and holy and majestic.  You are great above all things that are called god or take the place of gods in peoples' lives. Your holiness and justice and Your love and grace are great beyond all we can comprehend. Help us, Your people to live lives that reflect Your greatness. May we reflect who You are and not a distortion of You.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen

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