Genesis 18:13-14, “13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
Thankful Thought: Thank you Lord that nothing is too hard for you, with you all things are possible. I thank you that you are not limited by my physical or intellectual capabilities. Your timing for me is perfect, and your purpose for me will prevail.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Heavenly Father,
I praise you that I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). My body is a temple of your Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19), thank you for abiding within me. You use the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and weak things to shame the strong, I praise you my Lord (1 Corinthians 1:27). Thank you that you can do more than I can ask or imagine according to your power that is at work within me (Ephesians 3:20). With you all things are possible, when I believe. (Mark 9:23). Thank you Lord.
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Thank you for praying with me over the last five days. May praise and thanksgiving to our Lord continually be on your lips. May His joy and love overflow in your life as you serve Him with all of your heart!
1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV, “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Thankful Thought: I am thankful that even in my darkest hour, God is still God. When I am hurting, His comfort sustains me. Thank you Lord for giving me strength.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Heavenly Father,
Thank you that through your grace we are able to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer (Romans 12:12). Thank you for opening our eyes to see, that the secret to true contentment in any situation we face, is knowing that we can do all things through Jesus Christ who gives us strength (Philippians 4:12-13). Regardless of our circumstances, you are faithful to us and we thank you (Lamentations 3:22-23). In our weakness your strength is made perfect. When we are weak, thank you for being strong (2 Corinthians 12:9). We praise you for your love that endures through all things (1 Corinthians 13:7).
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).
Drawing Closer to Christ 