Colossians 4:2 NLT, “Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.”
Thankful Thought: I rejoice as I commune with God through prayer! When I pray, I can find rest, strength, direction, and peace. I thank God for the gift of prayer.
Prayer of Thanksgiving:
Heavenly Father,
What a blessing it is that you have given us the privilege to spend time with you through prayer. Thank you that we can make our requests known to you with thanksgiving and receive your peace (Philippians 4:6-7). As we trust you, you direct our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6). We praise you for showing us your ways, teaching us your paths, and guiding us in your truth (Psalm 25:4-5). Thank you that when we pray, you hear us and you answer us (Psalm 17:6, 116:1). Thank you that we are alert and of sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). Hallelujah! We praise you for your kindness and mercy!
Colossians 3:17 NLT, “And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.”
Thankful Thought: What a joy it is to represent Jesus Christ in all we do and say, with a thankful heart.
Prayer of Thanksgiving:
Heavenly Father,
We thank you that through your Son Jesus, we are able to be your representatives, your ambassadors that help share your salvation with the world (2 Corinthians 5:19-20). Thank you for filling our hearts with your love so that in all we say and do your light will shine through us (Matthew 5:15-16). Thank you for working in our lives and teaching us to see and understand the wonderful truths in your word (Psalm 119:18). We give you praise for how great you are, and thank you for your wonderful deeds (Psalm 75:1)!
1 Chronicles 29:13 NLT, “O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name!”
Thankful Thought: How wonderful is the name of Jesus. His name is the name that is above all names (Philippians 2:9). His name is the name that saves (Acts 4:11-12).
Prayer of Thanksgiving:
Heavenly Father,
Thank you that whosoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Acts 2:21). You are our refuge and our strength, our help when we are in trouble, and we give you praise (Psalm 46:1). We are thankful that we do not have to live in fear because you are with us and you have promised to never leave our side (Deuteronomy 31:6). We exalt you and praise your name forever and ever (Psalm 145:1).
I was watching a movie the other day, and in the movie the main character decided that she needed to find her “true self”. So along with that, she decided she no longer wanted to be married. After her divorce, she set out on a journey of traveling, exploring life and other cultures, and various forms of spirituality. One of her struggles was learning to forgive herself for ending her marriage. Since her husband loved her, and never wanted their marriage to end, forgiving herself was difficult. In some ways, I could identify with the lady in the movie. I too had to learn to forgive myself for divorce and other unfortunate things that have happened in the past.
At some point during the movie, the words “I choose Jesus”, came to my mind. As I watched the main character try to figure things out, and try to find peace by finally being able to forgive herself, I again realized how valuable it is to have the love and forgiveness of our Savior. By choosing Him, we choose healing, peace, restoration, and forgiveness. Any struggles we face, even forgiveness towards ourselves, we can turn over to Him. We can choose Jesus to handle our hurts, pains, and sins. Our freedom comes from Him, not our ability to find peace within ourselves based on our own actions. He is our peace.
I’m thankful we have the strength and power of the Holy Spirit to help us choose Jesus. When our trust in Him overrides our own understanding, we position ourselves to experience the victory that comes when we choose His will over our own. We choose Jesus when we accept Him into our hearts and lives. However, everyday we have to choose to live for Him by letting His Spirit guide our actions and decisions. When you choose Jesus, it changes your life.
“Live, Laugh , Love” is a very popular phrase that I see in many places. A couple of weeks ago, I saw it on the back of a car. I researched a little online, and read that the phrase originated from a poem called, “Success” written in 1904 by Bessie Anderson Stanley. The first line of the poem reads:
“He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much…”
The poem of course is based on Ms. Anderson’s personal opinion of success. However, the Bible is definitely not silent on God’s instructions for success. Check out these Bible verses about success.
Based on the phrase live, laugh, love, I thought I’d share a few verses about living, laughing, and loving. Through Jesus Christ, we can do all three.
Live…
Philippians 1:21 NIV, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
When our hearts are submitted to Jesus Christ, that is when we truly live. We give up our sinful ways and the ways of the world to pursue the heart of Jesus. We see people through His eyes of compassion, and want them to know the comfort and peace of His everlasting love. We begin to see life from His perspective and find great delight in getting to know Him more each day. We want to serve Him because we love Him, and we have security because He loves us. To live…is to live in Christ.
Laugh…
Psalm 37:12-13 NLT, “12 The wicked plot against the godly; they snarl at them in defiance. 13 But the Lord just laughs, for he sees their day of judgment coming.”
Photo by: Nappy
It’s natural to laugh when things are lighthearted and funny. But what about when life is not so funny? When trials come against us or our loved ones, and we feel hurt and pain. When people do you wrong, you really want to just cry. There is a lot of evil and injustice in the world today. So many seem to be getting away with all kinds of foolishness. There are many unanswered questions and unresolved issues. But this verse always makes me laugh. It’s funny to try and imagine the Lord laughing. Knowing that the Lord will bring justice brings joy. He laughs because He has a plan to destroy the evil one and those who choose to be used by Him. Sometimes we need to just laugh. Laughter is good for our souls.
Love…
John 15:12 NIV, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
Photo by: Phong Bùi Nam
God loves us, so we are called to love others. He is love. He set the example of love for us. As we grow in our relationship with Christ, we will better understand love. We will learn to love and reverence Him more. Then he teaches us how to love ourselves in a healthy and balanced way, and grow in our desire and ability to love others. The Holy Spirit has been teaching me that love must be at the root of all we say and do as Christians. Without love life is worthless. So love! Because love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8).
1 King 17:13-15 NIV, “13 Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land. 15 She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family.
This story of Elijah and the widow is such an encouraging reminder of God’s faithfulness to supply our needs. When we obey His instructions, He will personally make sure that our wells never run dry.
I admire this widow, because she was a woman of great faith who gave from the little she had left out of obedience to the Lord. She didn’t allow fear to hold her back from the blessings that God had waiting for her. It reminds us that when God ask us to give of ourselves, it’s because He has good things planned for us.
Photo by: Pixabay
Once the widow was faithful to obey God, she and her family had food for the rest of their days. It’s the same for us, there is no way that we can lose when we are giving what God tells us to give. When we give for the sake of Christ, there will always be some type of harvest. We don’t have to fear lack at any time. God will replenish and restore us in ways we can’t even begin to imagine.
It’s important to obey God even in the little things because He can use our small acts of obedience to make a significant difference in our lives and the lives of others.
Galatians 3:1-3 NLT, “Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross. 2 Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. 3 How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?”
When I read verse one, I like to replace the name Galatians with my name. That way, I can remind myself that I cannot live for Jesus in my own strength. I need His Spirit to work in me and through me to accomplish God’s purposes.
The death and resurrection of Jesus is the means by which we are able to apply the principles of God’s Word to our daily lives and do good. When we work for the Lord, we are contributing toward His eternal purposes. Our motivation for doing good should be the same as our Heavenly Father’s, to see people come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Photo by: Bess Hamiti
Don’t be discouraged when you have days where you fall short. Refocus and remember that you began with Christ, and so you must continue on through Christ. It’s His grace that sustains us.
The Lord does reward us as we serve Him, but our greatest rewards are in heaven. Can you imagine the ecstasy of seeing Jesus face to face, for all eternity? Oh how joyous it will be.
Drawing Closer to Christ 