Summer Thoughts

Lanzarote Beach by Paul Collings

Isaiah 63:3 You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.

Our rest lies in looking to the Lord, not to ourselves. - Watchman Nee

Lord of lasting peace. Help me to accept your invitation to come empty and receive the rest I need. Help me to willingly release my fear, my worries, my agenda, and my to-do list. Ease the tension and replenish my body. Silence the voices of doubt and speak Your words of truth. Remove the heaviness of my day and pour out abundantly into my life. Fill me with Your peace, joy, and love. Fill me until the overwhelm is consumed by Your grace, and my life reflects the beauty of resting in You. Amen.

Summer Thoughts

Lanzarote Windmill by Paul Collings

Hebrew’s 4:9-11 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.

Thou hast made us for Thyself, O Lord; and our heart is restless until it rests in Thee. - Augustine

Lord, show this sheep of yours where the still water is. You are the one who will restore my soul. You will prepare a table for me right in front of my enemies. God, let me stay in that place of solitude with you, where I can be refreshed. Amen

Summer Thoughts

Lanzarote Rock Pools by Paul Collings

"Come to me... I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

Christ's invitation to the weary and heavy-laden is a call to begin life over again upon a new principle--upon His own principle. "Watch My way of doing things," He says. "Follow Me. Take life as I take it. Be meek and lowly, and you will find Rest."

- Henry Drummond

Loving Lord, in times of weakness and hour of need,

yours is the strength by which we carry on,

the shoulder we rest our head upon.

When our load is heavy and too much to bear,

yours are the arms stretched out to help us

the grace that we depend on.

In times of weakness and hour of need,

your voice is heard,

‘Come… find rest.’

This is grace divine,

the path we tread to wholeness

of body and spirit,

the path that leads to you,

and for which we offer our offering of praise. Amen

Summer Thoughts

Acts 3:19-20 Now change your mind and attitude to God and turn to him so he can cleanse away your sins and send you wonderful times of refreshment from the presence of the Lord and send Jesus your Messiah back to you again. 

Refreshing times come when we change our hearts and lives to live for God and with God in our everyday lives! In fact, Jesus has told us that he will reveal himself to us as we live obediently for him. His home will be in us until he returns for us and we get to enjoy the ultimate refreshment — going home to be with him forever.

Taking time off from our normal day to day activity gives us the chance to be refreshed; in fact it is truly a time of re-creation and seeing what is possible when we are renewed in Christ.

The great preacher Charles Spurgeon once said,  “Our Lord Jesus is ever giving and does not for a solitary instant withdraw His hand. As long as there is a vessel of grace not yet full to the brim the oil shall not be stayed. He is a sun ever-shining; He is manna always falling round the camp; He is a rock in the desert ever sending out streams of life from His smitten side; the rain of His grace is always dropping; the river of His bounty is ever-flowing and the well-spring of His love is constantly overflowing.”

Father, Creator of all, thank You for summer!
Thank you for the warmth of the sun
and the increased daylight.
Thank You for the beauty I see all around me
and for the opportunity to be outside and enjoy Your creation.
Thank You for the increased time I have to be with my friends and family,
and for the more casual pace of the summer season.
Draw me closer to You this summer.
Teach me how I can pray
no matter where I am or what I am doing.
Warm my soul with the awareness of Your presence
and light my path with Your Word and Counsel.
As I enjoy Your creation, create in me
a pure heart and a hunger and a thirst for You. Amen

Over the next weeks we will have a simple thought for each day with original summer images painted by Rev’d Paul Collings

Summer Thoughts

Mark 6:31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

The Bible tells us to work, but it also tells us to rest. Under the Old Testament, people who insisted on working all of the time, without taking the Sabbath day of rest, were subject to the death penalty. Maybe that would get the attention of today's overly busy, stressed-out workaholics, who are so busy providing for their families they never spend any time with them. So if God desires us to rest occasionally from our labours, it is surely only stretching the matter slightly to see in the Sabbath principle a justification for taking time off work.

The Sabbath also speaks to us of Christ. That God wants us to honour Him by not working at times is a reminder that we are not saved by our works, that in Christ we enjoy a "Sabbath rest" in the grace of God. 

Jen Wilkin an author and Bible teacher from Dallas, Texas  says in her book “Ten Words to Live by: Delighting in and Doing What God Commands”, “Our patterns of work and rest reveal what we believe to be true about God and ourselves. God alone requires no limits on his activity. To rest is to acknowledge that we humans are limited by design. We are created for rest just as surely as we are created for labor. An inability or unwillingness to cease from our labours is a confession of unbelief, an admission that we view ourselves as creator and sustainer of our own universes.” (pp. 64-65).” 

Lord, there are times when I want to get away from the crowds, when I feel oppressed by company. There are other times when I just wish that somebody knew that I exist; I can have too much of aloneness. If I can reach you in prayer, and know that you are more central to me than my own thoughts, I feel at peace, as the apostles must have felt. Amen

Summer Thoughts

Today we talk about holidays where as once upon a time society referred to these special days as holy-days. For the word holiday comes from the Old English word hāligdæg (hālig "holy" + dæg "day"). The word originally referred only to special religious days. The modern use varies geographically. In North America, it means any dedicated day or period of celebration. In the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, holiday is often used instead of the word vacation.

The word holiday is only found in the book of Esther, but the concept of a day set aside to celebrate or remember is found throughout the Bible. The first time we read about God setting aside time as special is in regard to the Sabbath, in Genesis 2:1-3.

In Leviticus 23, God set aside feast days for His people. The term feast here is moed and can also be translated “appointed times.” These appointments are times God set aside to meet with His people, time for us to remember the mighty works of God on behalf of those who have lived before us.

Perhaps summer holidays are those times for spiritual as well as physical refreshment. Jeremiah 31:25 says, “For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.”

The German Lutheran hymn writer Paul Gerhardt 1607-1676 starts his 15 verse hymn says

Go forth, my heart, and seek delight

In this summer time so bright,

The bounties God displayeth,

The garden’s splendour go and see,

Behold how God for me and thee

Them gorgeously arrayeth.

He concludes the hymn with the words:

Grant me Thy paradise to share,

And more fruit may I ever bear

While I am going thither.

Thine honour, Lord, to me is dear,

Thee and Thee only shall I here

And yonder serve for ever.

Creating God,

you are the source of summer’s splendour—

the beauty and fragrance of delicate flowers,

and sweet sound of birdsong.

We come to you this day

with delight and gladness,

grateful for all of your wonders.

As the fields produce their harvest,

may your love grow within us,

that we too may produce a harvest

of love, hope, and joy. Amen.

Prayer - Supplication

Romans 8:27 “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”

Following on from yesterday’s prayer as uttered or unexpressed, our verse here reveals how the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. So what part are we called to live within the realm of intercessory prayer.

God calls us into cooperation. We consider the dignity and honour that we am given and ask that we may act in a ways that shows our appreciation of God-working-with-us.

We realise that God's purpose is not always evident to us. So we pray for trust and patience and for the ability to persevere.

We take time to think of how God has turned things to our good in the past, giving thanks for blessings, letting go of the plans that we have for ourselves.

I recall a verses that from earlier years that was prayer in itself that said:-

Open my eyes that I may see

glimpses of truth thou hast for me.

Place in my hands the wonderful key

that shall unclasp and set me free.

Silently now I wait for thee,

ready, my God, thy will to see.

Open my eyes, illumine me,

Spirit divine!

Open my ears that I may hear

voices of truth thou sendest clear,

and while the wave notes fall on my ear,

ev’rything false will disappear.

Silently now I wait for thee,

ready, my God, thy will to see.

Open my ears, illumine me,

Spirit divine!

Open my mouth and let me bear

gladly the warm truth ev’rywhere.

Open my heart and let me prepare

love with thy children thus to share.

Silently now I wait for thee,

ready, my God, thy will to see.

Open my mouth, illumine me,

Spirit divine!

Clara H Scott (1841-1897)

What a Supplication

Lord, you search me and you know me. When I am sick, distracted, or in other ways unable to pray, the Holy Spirit, more intimate to me than my own self, links me with you, and prays for me with sighs too deep for words. Your Spirit is active in me. Thank you. Amen

Prayer - Supplication

John Newton of the 18th century wrote a hymn with the words:-

Come, my soul, thy suit prepare,

Jesus loves to answer pray'r.

He Himself has bid thee pray,

rise and ask without delay.

Thou art coming to a King,

large petitions with thee bring,

for his grace and pow'r are such,

none can ever ask too much.

John 15:7 “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

This verse comes within the passage where Jesus speaks of himself as the vine and we as the abiding fruitful vine. The fruits of our Christian life are the work of God. Each of us can see the life and work of God in others - in ministry, in love, in commitment, courage, endurance, and ordinary daily kindness and compassion. Each of us, too, is gifted in some unique way. We can bear fruit for God in a way nobody else can. Prayer helps us recognise the fruits, develop them and offer them in the service of God and God's people.

From the hymn we gather  Christ’s desire is to answer prayer and for our part we are required to be so grafted to him that we are so attuned to his Spirit that our natural communication reflects his will and purpose. Another hymn writer sums such prayerful placement. Ponder these words prayerfully and carefully.

1 Prayer is the soul's sincere desire,

uttered or unexpressed;

the motion of a hidden fire

that trembles in the breast.

2 Prayer is the simplest form of speech

that infant lips can try,

prayer the sublimest strains that reach

the Majesty on high.

3 Prayer is the Christian's vital breath,

the Christian's native air,

his watchword at the gates of death:

he enters heaven with prayer.

4 Prayer is the contrite sinner's voice,

returning from his ways;

while angels in their songs rejoice,

and cry, 'Behold, he prays!

5 The saints in prayer appear as one,

in word and deed and mind;

while with the Father and the Son

sweet fellowship they find.

6. Nor prayer is made on earth alone:

the Holy Spirit pleads,

and Jesus on the eternal throne

for sinners intercedes.

7 O Thou by whom we come to God,

the Life, the Truth, the Way,

the path of prayer thyself hast trod:

Lord, teach us how to pray!

James Montgomery (1771 - 1854),

Prayer - Supplication

1 Timothy 2:1-2 Here then is my charge: First, supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings should be made on behalf of all men: for kings and rulers in positions of responsibility, so that our common life may be lived in peace and quiet, with a proper sense of God and of our responsibility to him for what we do with our lives. (J B Phillips)

True intercession involves bringing the person, or the circumstance that seems to be crashing in on you, before God, until you are changed by His attitude toward that person or circumstance. People describe intercession by saying, "It is putting yourself in someone else’s place." That is not true! Intercession is putting yourself in God’s place; it is having His mind and His perspective.” 

Corrie Ten Boom once said, “We never know how God will answer our prayers, but we can expect that He will get us involved in His plan for the answer. If we are true intercessors, we must be ready to take part in God’s work on behalf of the people for whom we pray.” 

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in his book “Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Christian Community” goes even further when he says, “A Christian fellowship lives and exists by the intercession of its members for one another, or it collapses. I can no longer condemn or hate a brother for whom I pray, no matter how much trouble he causes me. His face, that hitherto may have been strange and intolerable to me, is transformed in intercession into the countenance of a brother for whom Christ died, the face of a forgiven sinner.” 

Eternal God, You are worthy to be praised because You are able to bless others abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that they need, they will abound in every good work! I thank You in advance for blessing Your children and uplifting them, for in doing so their time on earth has become more endurable. I thank You for being gracious to Your people by allowing them to experience joy in You, Amen.

Matthew 7:11 “Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This isn’t a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we’re in. If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing. You’re at least decent to your own children. So don’t you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better?

The Jewish rabbis used say: Human beings can hardly hear two people talking at once, but God, if all the world talks to him at the one time, hears their cry. That challenges our imagination. Parent-child is only a metaphor for what happens in prayer.

In the very act of praying we receive something from God. As we open our hearts to God in prayer, God's hands are open to give us good gifts. We leave a time of prayer with an increase of faith, hope and love, which is the consolation of God. No time of prayer is wasted; all prayer is in the service of love, and prayer increases within us our capacity to love.

Prayer won’t win us the lottery. Nor will it save us from dying. God is not a Santa Claus who gives us just what we happen to want. Instead, the promise is that God will never give us bad things, only ‘good things’. God is infinitely good, and works for our long-range good always.

‘Do to others as you would have them do to you.’ This is the Golden Rule, however we tend to follow another Rule: the rule of tit for tat. But as Christians we must instead try to take our cue from Jesus. His goodwill toward us is not conditioned by the way people respond to him. I must try to be like God in this.

Jesus does not say that we will be given precisely what we ask for; or that we will find exactly what we are looking for; or that the particular door we want will be opened to us. But we will receive ‘good things’!

He says that we will not ask without receiving what God knows is best for us. We will not seek without finding what God knows we most need. We will not knock without having the most worthwhile way opened to us. Can I trust in this radical goodness of God?

I know, Lord, that you always hear my cry, but I do not always understand your answer. I will still go on praying to you. Amen

Prayer - Supplication

Ephesians 6:18 “Pray all the time. Ask God for anything in line with the Holy Spirit’s wishes. Plead with him, reminding him of your needs, and keep praying earnestly for all Christians everywhere.” The Living Bible

We note three things that the writer says about prayer. (a) It must be constant. Our tendency is so often to pray only in the great crises of life; but it is from daily prayer that the Christian will find daily strength. (b) It must be intense. Limp prayer never got a man anywhere. Prayer demands the concentration of every faculty upon God. (c) It must be unselfish. The Jews had a saying, "Let a man unite himself with the community in his prayers." I think that often our prayers are too much for ourselves and too little for others. We must learn to pray as much for others and with others as for ourselves.

William McGill says that, “The value of persistent prayer is not that God will hear us, but that we will finally hear God."

Prayer is surrender--surrender to the will of God and cooperation with that will. If I throw out a boathook from the boat and catch hold of the shore and pull, do I pull the shore to me, or do I pull myself to the shore? Prayer is not pulling God to my will, but the aligning of my will to the will of God. 

Father, Thank you that we are reminded in Philippians 4:19 by Paul that you“will meet all our needs according to the riches of your glory in Christ Jesus.” It is easy to get overwhelmed when we look at all we need on a daily basis. Even when we doubt, you prove yourself faithful. Help us bring each one of our needs to you, and trust that you will provide. You know what we need even, more than we do. Thank you for that assurance. Amen.

Prayer - Supplication

John 14:14 “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”

In week four of our exploration of Prayer using the Acronym ACTS we move to the aspect of Supplication. Although it is a noun, supplication comes from the Latin verb supplicare, which means "to plead humbly." While a supplication is often thought of as a religious prayer (it is used 60 times in the Bible), it can logically be applied to any situation in which you must entreat someone in power for help or a favour.

Christ wants us to pray, of that, there is no doubt. In Christ’s unbounded love for us, we are invited to pray about anything that pertains to our lives. The word whatever is gloriously ambiguous. Whether it be the struggles of life, long-awaited hopes for the future, or the joys experienced in the moment, Christ calls us to present these things in prayer. To pray about the “whatever” of our lives is to render ourselves open to his Spirit in humble honesty. It is to recognise that the entirety of our lives is lived with Jesus. Nothing is to be withheld.

But what does in mean, “in my name?” The Amplified version of the Bible puts this verse as, “If you ask Me anything in My name [as My representative], I will do it.” A key condition here is asking "in [His] name." To act "in the name of" someone means to invoke their authority and their will, rather than your own. An ambassador who offers an agreement "in the name of the king" is enacting the decision of that king. A police officer who says, "stop, in the name of the law!" is—or should be—acting out the will of the government, not their own opinions. 

In fact the following 15th verse helps define the scope of our requests where Jesus says, “If you love me, show it by doing what I’ve told you.”

Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time, with one accord to make our common supplications to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will grant their requests: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us, granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come, life everlasting. Amen

Prayer - Thanksgiving

2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

We conclude the week with a Litany of Thanksgiving

Generous God, for the abundance of your blessings to us
day by day and year by year,
We give you our thanks.

For the simple pleasures of life: for garden harvests,
coffee conversation, and familiar surroundings,
For health and strength to appreciate the wonder of life,
For needs met and desires fulfilled,
We give you our thanks.

For foods distributed to nourish body and spirit,
For homes which supply shelter, which nurture
order and beauty, and offer hospitality,
We give you our thanks.

With hearts that forgive as freely as you have forgiven,
With enthusiasm of spirit for the gift of life,
With music which declares your everlasting goodness,
With prayers for mutual understanding and peace,
We worship you with joy.

With creative pursuits which contribute our God-given talents,
With words which honour you as Creator, Redeemer, and Holy Spirit,
With time volunteered and dedicated to service in church and community,
With years committed to extending the love of Jesus Christ,
We worship you with joy.

With gifts of money which reach farther than we can manage ourselves,
With deeds done in service of neighbour and stranger,
With holy days set apart to celebrate your goodness and grace,
With family and friends distant and nearby,
We worship you, God, with grateful hearts and joyful spirit.

Alleluia. Amen.

–Rev. Kathy Jo Blaske

Prayer - Thanksgiving

Psalm 107:1-3 “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever.  Let the redeemed of the LORD say this”

It’s all very well having a thankful heart, but here the psalmist is saying voice your thankfulness. 

Jonathan Edwards calls the deeper, primary form of thankfulness ‘gracious gratitude.’ It gives thanks not for goods received, but for who God is: for His character -- His goodness, love, power, excellencies -- regardless of favours received. And it's real evidence of the Holy Spirit working in a person's life.

To be grateful is to recognise the love of God in everything He has given us -- and He has given us everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of His love, every moment of existence is a grace, for it brings with it immense graces from Him.

Lysa Terkeurst says “If there was ever a secret for unleashing God’s powerful peace in a situation, it’s developing a heart of true thanksgiving.” 

Such thanksgiving could be said to be positional, that is our response to the loving kindness of God; in other words how much we allow the Lordship of Christ to rule in our lives. Your identity is not wrapped up in how right you get it or how perfect you can posture yourself. But, your identity is wrapped up in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

It was John Wesley who said, “Thanksgiving is inseparable from true prayer; it is almost essentially connected with it. One who always prays is ever giving praise, whether in ease or pain, both for prosperity and for the greatest adversity. He blesses God for all things, looks on them as coming from Him, and receives them for His sake- not choosing nor refusing, liking or disliking, anything, but only as it is agreeable or disagreeable to His perfect will.”

We worship you, eternal Father.
We call on you, eternal Son.
We confess you, Holy Spirit, 

dwelling in one divine unity.

To you, Trinity we give praise and thanks.
To you, one God, we sing in endless praise.

To you, Father unbegotten,
to you, the only-begotten Son,
to you, Holy Spirit, proceeding from the Father and the Son, we confess with our hearts,
to you beyond all thought, surpassing all understanding, to the all-powerful God we give thanks; who reigns, now and forever. Amen

Prayer - Thanksgiving

1 Timothy 4:4 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.

This text seems quite counter-cultural by today’s standards. Being thankful for that which delights us is quite natural. But what about that which goes against the grain and is contrary to our likes.

Here, Paul writing to Timothy, encourages us to consider every thing as a gift created by God as good. Perhaps its a question of receiving things correctly when we receive them as the gifts they are—with thanksgiving—rather as though they were our rights.

One writer but this in context by saying, “There are three requisites to the proper enjoyment of earthly blessings: a thankful reflection, on the goodness of the giver; a deep sense of our own unworthiness; and a recollection of the uncertainty of our long possessing them. The first will make us grateful; the second, humble; and the third, moderate.”

Or as C S Lewis puts it, “We ought to give thanks for all fortune: if it is good, because it is good, if bad, because it works in us patience, humility and the contempt of this world and the hope of our eternal country." 

Loving Lord,
As I express my gratitude to you in prayer, may it be a pleasing, joyful sound to you. 

Thank you, Lord, for your love. 

It brings me acceptance and significance.
Thank you, Lord, for your truth. 

It brings me guidance and direction.
Thank you, Lord, for your mercy. 

It brings me help and comfort.
Thank you, Lord, for your faithfulness. 

It brings me stability and strength.
Thank you, Lord, 

for your beauty displayed in the earth. 

It brings me joy and delight.
Thank you, Lord, for your way of redemption - 

the cross. It brings me salvation and regeneration. Amen

Prayer - Thanksgiving

Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Modern scholarship shows how far ahead Paul was in his thinking concerning thankfulness. Research shows gratitude is a strong way to reduce anxiety. Such effects are in addition to gratitude’s ability to strengthen relationships, improve mental health, and minimise stress. In fact, researchers suggest that gratitude’s effects may be long-lasting and especially positive. Multiple studies use gratitude interventions as free, simple, and effective ways to protect against anxiety.

Putting ourselves into a spirit of thanksgiving changes everything.  Having moved in prayer though a time of adoration, confession and repentance, there is a sense of being in the right frame of mind and heart to be truly thankful.

Cicero (106 BC – 43 BC)  a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher advocated that “A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues.”

Whilst William Arthur Ward, an early 20th century motivational writer stresses that, “Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”

So no wonder Paul writing to the Philippians urges them to underpin prayers with true thanksgiving. How thankful to God are we?

Jesus, I want to be like You who obeyed the Father without complaint. You embraced the chains of humanity when You walked this earth. Convict me whenever I complain or compare myself with others. Give me Your attitude of humility and thankful acceptance. I want to be like the Apostle Paul who learned contentment in every circumstance. I choose to continually offer You a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that give praise to Your name. I long to bring a smile to Your face. Teach me the power of a thankful heart. I know that Your truth dwells in a thankful heart. Amen 

Prayer - Thanksgiving

1 Thessalonians 5:18: Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. (NLT)

Being thankful during hard times does not sound exciting, does it. In fact it can seem quite  confusing. Saying thank you for pain and heartache. Being thankful for betrayal are surely the last thing we want to do.

LaToya Edwards Questioned if thanksgiving in all circumstance was even possible. She writes, “The more I read, the more I realised that God was really serious about this whole being thankful thing. So I started to try it out. When someone hurt my feelings I would thank God for the self-control not to attack them with my words. It was hard at first, but over time, being thankful during hard times has got easier.”

Saying thank you as part of our prayers is not just a pleasantry but a participation in the very essence of God with us.  And when we question, “Lord do you really want me to be thankful during this trial?” The answer is an unequivocal yes!.

Perhaps as we say thank you to God, we need to be mindful that we never go through these hard times alone; God is always there! He knows what we are going through and He knows how He will carry us through each trial.

Take a few minutes each day to thank God for having your best interest at heart  and for loving you enough to walk with you through every trial.

Lord, teach me to offer you a heart of thanksgiving and praise in all my daily experiences of life. Teach me to be joyful always, to pray continually, and to give thanks in all my circumstances. I accept them as Your will for my life.  Change my outlook and attitude into one of joyful contentment with my present circumstances. In Jesus name. Amen.

Prayer - Thanksgiving

Psalm 95:2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.

AW Tozer suggests that - “Gratitude is an offering precious in the sight of God, and it is one that the poorest of us can make and be not poorer but richer for having made it.”

However, so often we disagree as to the nature that such thanksgiving when sharing in worship together, but that perhaps misses the point of thanksgiving within our prayers. We are to pray with thanksgiving – not just when we feel like it, but as an act of our will and obedience. Regardless of what’s happening in our lives, we’re to thank God for the good, for the difficult, for the unknown, for the big decision we’re facing, and even for the challenging relationships.

What thanksgiving does is that it alters our perspective.

When we actively and proactively give thanks, it forces us to take the focus off our problems and on to who God really is.

I recently read of someone who wrote, “Just a few mornings ago when I was feeling particularly stressed, Hebrews 13:15 came to my mind: Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. This spurred me to pray: “Lord, I thank You so much for how You have helped me this week in battling discouragement. 

The people in scripture were reminded again how much thanking God always changes their perspective and gave them peace, especially when they felt overwhelmed or were facing a lot of pressure.

Heavenly Father, thank You.  Thank You for being everything to me and for me.  You are faithful!  You are concerned with everything that concerns me.  I am grateful for Your Holy Spirit who comforts me during times of fear and doubt.  Thank You for everything that You’ve done for me; seen and unseen.  I will praise Your name, forever!  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Prayer - Confession

Hebrews 4:12-16 Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account. Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

The word of God is living and active, discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Much of what we say and what we hear in the day does not bear a second thought. As I once heard, “It is empty twaddle.” The Scriptures are different. We need to  given more study and care to understanding them than to any other human words. God’s word is meaty and powerful, pushing us to look at ourselves.

The writer of Hebrews in his application to prayer comes in verses 14 to 16. If Jesus is this great high priest that he has been talking about, then what that means is that he can sympathise with our weaknesses, and that means we should approach the throne of grace with confidence to receive mercy and grace in our time of need.  

How many of us actually follow its exhortation to approach God with confidence to find help? The promise is that if we approach God with confidence, that is with bold faith, you will receive the help that you need!

Who is this Word that cuts through our clutter,

sees when we sit and when we stand,

reads our moods and motives,

uncovers every secret

in our hearts?

Lord,

it seems that

you know us better

than we know ourselves.

Please mend what needs mending,

and fill our hearts with your love and light. 

Amen