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

help us to forgive

People hurt us and seem to not even care.
Help us Lord to forgive them anyways.

In hard times it is so hard to see you working.
Open our eyes Lord and soften our hearts.

Days sometimes seem to be so depressing.
Fill us Father with your hope and peace.

We sometimes sin and disappoint ourselves.
Teach us Lord to trust and forgive ourselves.

Loneliness and estrangement plague us.
Cause reconciliation to come as well forgive.

In all things, and in all ways, help us to lead lives of forgiveness. Amen.


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giving thanks when it doesn't make sense

Remember what the Holy One has done, and give him thanks! [Psalm 30:4 GNT]

There is something healing about the giving of thanks. We acknowledge God's goodness when we give thanks to him in the midst of struggle and pain. We seemingly reach back to times of divine blessings when we remember what God has done in our lives. Such memories can be an anchor in the storm.

I can relate to times of pain when all I had was a memory of the goodness of God. There is something about a memory that can cause me to be thankful. When my parents passed on my memories of them caused me to be thankful for their lives. I think that it is helpful to give thanks to God in hard times.

The issue, I believe, is whether we follow the loud shoutings of our head and ignore the small voice of our speaking heart. Our minds are somewhat rational and have difficulty giving thanks to God when it does not make sense to do it. Yet the heart has a different perspective because it has a different memory.

We remember what you have done in our lives Lord. And we give thanks.

For your presence in good times and bad. We give thanks.

For the people that you have placed in our lives. We give thanks.

For the ways that you work all things together for our good. We give thanks.

Fof the gift of your Son. Our hearts are filled with Thanksgiving.

Amen


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a prayer for God's presence


Father,

Gracious and Holy God, we come before you today acknowledging your continued presence on this earth. You are not only everywhere, but you are here. Right here with us. This is power we cannot understand, but is power we can trust in. You are the only one worthy of our dependence, for you are the same yesterday, today, and forever.

We desire your presence, Lord! We want to not just know that you are here, but feel you here. We want to be open to how you are working in our hearts, and open to how you are working all around us.

We confess that our sin is a hindrance to experiencing your presence, but you stepped in to pay the price for our sin. You have overcome our sin and yet still we need help be mindful of your power. Our sin is not greater than your will. Help us be more aware of your presence, for it is always here.

All of your work ends with you dwelling with us. What a joy, what a reason to celebrate.

Amen

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A PSALM OF THANKSGIVING



BLESS THE LORD
OH MY SOUL
AND ALL THAT IS WITHIN ME
BLESS HIS HOLY NAME

Children do not have any trouble being animated!  

Lord give me a child's heart.
Let me praise your Name
with reckless abandonment! 
Let me shout my Thanksgiving to You!
Let me shout as the Psalmist did!

Make a joyful SHOUT to the Lord, 
all you lands.
Serve the Lord with gladness
Come before His presence
with SINGING.
Know that the Lord, 
He is GOD.
It is He who has made us, 
and not we ourselves.
We are HIS people
and the sheep of HIS pasture.
Enter into His gates with
THANKSGIVING
and into His courts with PRAISE.
Be THANKFUL to Him,
and Bless His Name
for the Lord is Good
His mercy is everlasting
and His TRUTH endures to all generations!
Psalm 100


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for what we take for granted

O God, when I have food,
help me to remember the hungry.

When I have work,
help me to remember the jobless.

When I have a home,
help me to remember those who have no home at all.

When I am without pain,
help me to remember those who suffer.

And remembering, help me to destroy my complacency,
bestir my compassion, and be concerned enough to help,
by word and deed, those who cry out for what we take for granted.

Amen.
— a prayer of Samuel F. Pugh

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The Breath of God

The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. [Genesis 2:7]

I, the Lord God, will put breath in you, and once again you will live. [Ezekiel 37:5]

Jesus breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit". [John 20:22]

Breathe on us Lord and bring us to life. Bring life from death and light from darkness. And help us to exhale all of You that we have inhaled to a world that needs Your breath of life.

Amen


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Changing our perspective


LORD, help us keep our eyes on Jesus.  Help us keep our focus solely on Him. 

May our perspective of all things be evaluated and seen through the eyes of Christ. He is the SOURCE of our LIFE. The perfecter of our FAITH. The AUTHOR of all things. 

Change our mindset and help us to see...

“Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus...” (Hebrews 12:2)

Amen

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Living for Jesus


O Savior of Sinners,

Thy name is excellent,
thy glory high,
they compassion unfailing,
thy condescension wonderful,
thy mercy tender.
I bless these for the discoveries, invitations, promises of the gospel
for in them is pardon for rebels,
liberty for captives,
health for the sick
salvation for the lost.
I come to thee in thy beloved name of Jesus;
re-impress thy image upon my soul;
Raise me above the smiles and frowns of the world,
regarding it as a light thing to be judged by men;
Make my to abhor that which grieves thy Holy Spirit,
to suspect consolations of a worldly nature,
to shun a careless way of life,
to reprove evil,
to instruct with meekness those who oppose me,
to be gentle and patient towards all men,
to be not only a professor but an example of the gospel,
displaying in every relation, office, and condition
it's excellency, loveliness and advantages.

Amen

(From The Valley of Vision)

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Prayer for Our Country

Father, we pray for those folks who claim your Name and are involved in all the political goings on currently. Remind all of us that our first allegiance is to your Kingdom, and that we are called to love our brothers and sisters in Christ. Let truth be known in the midst of the rancor and noise. Unify your people around our common faith in Jesus above everything else.Amen

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LET YOUR KINGDOM COME


When the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray...this is what he taught them.  Lord let this be my prayer today and everyday.

*Our Father in heaven
Hallowed be Your name.
YOUR KINGDOM COME
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us day by day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins,
For we also forgive everyone
who is indebted to us.
And do not lead us into temptation
But deliver us from 
the evil one.

Bob Kaufin wrote a song that expresses this prayer so well.  The following is the chorus:

Let Your kingdom come
Let Your will be done
So that everyone might know Your Name
Let Your song be heard everywhere on earth
Till Your sovereign work on earth is done.
Let Your kingdom come!

*Luke 11:1-4






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let all that I am praise


Let all that I am praise the Lord;
with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.

Let all that I am praise the Lord;
may I never forget the good things he does for me.

He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.

He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies.

He fills my life with good things.

My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!

The Lord gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly.

The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.

He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.

The Lord has made the heavens his throne; from there he rules over everything.

Praise the Lord, you angels, you mighty ones who carry out his plans,
listening for each of his commands.

Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels who serve him and do his will!

Praise the Lord, everything he has created, everything in all his kingdom.

Let all that I am praise the Lord.

Amen

..verses from Psalm 103

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we give thanks


We remember what you have done in our lives Lord. And we give thanks.

For your presence in good times and bad. We give thanks.

For the people that you have placed in our lives. We give thanks.

For the ways that you work all things together for our good. We give thanks.

For the gift of your Son. Our hearts are filled with thanksgiving.

Amen


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a prayer of trust



 I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.  He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him. (Psalm 40: 1-3)

Lord, please give us patience to wait on You, for we know that You are near and listen to the cries of our hearts. We know that You care for us and will made our steps secure. 

You alone are the rock on which we stand. We remember Your faithfulness and Your steadfast love. Lord, even in the midst of struggles, You place words of praise in our hearts.

Let the multitudes hear us proclaim "You are good!"

Let us also come to rejoice in your trustworthiness. Help us understand that You stand ready to bless all who trust in You alone.

Who can compare to You, O Lord? Who, but You, are worthy of all praise? Let us proclaim Your goodness to everyone we meet. We praise You this day for the blessing of patiently waiting on You.
Amen

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WHAT'S IN YOUR MOUTH?


Everyone is familiar with the TV commercial "What's in your Wallet?"  As I was reading in Psalms the other day, the question to me was "What's in your mouth?"

Psalm 126:2-3 "Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing.  Then they said among the nations,  the Lord has done great things for them.  The Lord has done great things for us."

What is is my mouth ~ songs of praise and joyful laughter at what the Lord has done in my life?

Zephaniah 3:13 says that "no deceitful tongue was found in their mouth.  Proverbs 4:24 warns us to "put away a deceitful mouth."

Jesus said in Matthew 15:18a " The words you speak come from the heart."  Our source of joy and laughter is from a heart devoted to God.

WHAT'S IN YOUR MOUTH?

Father God, I pray that you will guard my mouth.  Let only those things that please you come from my lips.  Father, praise, laughter and joy from your goodness is what I desire to speak.  May my mouth be in instrument for praise.  I love You.  Amen.


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Thankful for Who You Are

You are a righteous God ... You are my refuge and defense ... You are a faithful God ... You are my God. ... Everyone knows how good you are ... Praise the Lord! How wonderfully he showed his love for me. [Psalm 31:1,2,5,14,19, 21 GNT]

In this season of Thanksgiving, I think that we sometimes forget to give thanks for who God is. I love how David speaks to the character of God in this psalm. There is an intimacy projected in each of these verses. It is as if David had personally experienced each of these divine qualities.

Sometimes people confuse rightness with righteousness. I think that righteousness is all about justice and mercy. The Prophet Micah teaches us that a humble walk with God requires us to act justly and love mercy. These two qualities seem to define what it means to be righteous.

The words refuge, defense and faithful speak deeply to me about prayer. I have often come to God in times of deep distress and found spiritual refuge in him. I have sensed him defending me against mental assaults. He has been so faithful to speak comforting and encouraging words to me when I most need it. Please pray with me.

Lord, you are righteous in all that you do.
I give you thanks for who you are in my life.
I give you thanks for your compassion towards me.
I give you thanks for never leaving or forsaking me.
I give you thanks for how you show your love for me.
I give you thanks that you are a place of prayerful refuge.
Praise you Lord for who you are.

Amen

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a prayer in tough times

I love the perspective of this quote. So often I forget that God has used tough times to mold me into the person that I am. Please join me in prayer.

Lord I pray that you would open my inner eyes to the working of the Holy Spirit. Help me to see the ways that you are using tough times to make me spiritually tough. Teach me Lord to praise you in tough times as I persevere in faith. I release my desire to control to you Lord. I offer you my cares and my worries believing that you hear me and are able to deliver me from my fears as I trust you. To you belong all praise and honor.

Amen

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Deepest longing for our kids....


We must pray God’s Word into their lives.

We must teach God’s Word to their hearts. 

We must instill godly and holy living into their spirits by example. 

It’s time to pray for our children and grandchildren every day! 

Pray God’s strength in them. Pray God’s shield about them. Pray His Presence around them...

It is their only HOPE. Their only SALVATION. 

“Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
(Proverbs 22:6)


Amen

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deliver me



from Psalm 40, a prayer

Do not withhold your mercy from me, Lord;
    may your love and faithfulness always protect me.
 For troubles without number surround me;
    my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
    and my heart fails within me. Be pleased to save me, Lord;
    come quickly, Lord, to help me.
 May all who want to take my life
    be put to shame and confusion;
may all who desire my ruin
    be turned back in disgrace.
 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”
    be appalled at their own shame.
 But may all who seek you
    rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
    “The Lord is great!”


Amen

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All Saints Day

Father, we are thankful for all those believers who have gone before us and for the examples they have given us. May we follow the pattern of following Jesus that they have set before us. Amen

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WHY AM I THANKFUL?


Oh Lord, why am I Thankful?  For more reasons than this page would hold!  But today, I am thankful for your MERCY.  What love could remember no wrongs I have done.  Omniscient, all knowing, You count not their sum.  You've thrown them into a sea without bottom or shore.  My sins they are many, Your mercy is more!  Praise your Name!  Your mercy is more.  Stronger than darkness, new every morn.  My sins they are many, but Your mercy is more!!!  That is why I praise you today and every day!!  I love you deeply and dearly because though my sins are many ~Your MERCY is more! Amen.



*Some of the words are taken from the Song  "His Mercy is More." ~Matt Boswell, Matt Papa


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create in me a thankful heart


This is the image that greets me each morning when I enter the hall bath of our downtown KC loft. It reminds me that thankfulness is a challenge to embrace every single new day. The words challenge me to live a different sort of life.

I honestly don't always pay attention to the words - sometimes I am simply not up for the message. Often I wake up to a life that seems so heavy and I feel so alone and forgotten. Especially, in times like these, I think that it is so hard, yet so necessary to develop a grateful heart. Please join me in prayer.


Create in me a thankful heart dear Lord. Renew a grateful spirit in me. Teach me the ways of gratitude and help me to find ways to reflect a heart that is blessed by your many gifts. When I am tempted to be unthankful please remind me that you are with me and helping me in all things. And in good times cause me to remember the grace that comes from knowing you. I offer you thanks today Lord Jesus.

Amen

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