5 Things to Pause and Pray for This Thanksgiving!

In prayer, several intercessors use the acronym, ACTS. Thus, they follow the sequence of Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and, end with, Supplication as they pray. If we focus on thanksgiving, “a prayer expressing gratitude to God,” we will find ourselves with so much to be thankful for in our prayers. For instance, at this Thanksgiving, let us pause and pray thanksgiving prayers for the following five items:

1.    Our leaders, both country as well as our church leaders. The Bible encourages us to offer prayers first for country leaders and other in authority: “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness” (1 Timothy 2:1-2, NIV). Similarly, we must pray for our church leaders because they are also in authority as far as our spiritual lives are concerned. The writer of the book of Hebrews reminds us of the kind of posture we should have toward those who care for our spiritual welfare: “Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you” (Hebrews 13:17, NIV). 

2.    Our parents or parent figures in our lives.  In accordance to Bible teaching, we are to honor our parents in the Lord. Thankfully, it is the only one of the Ten Commandments that comes with a beautiful promise for us: “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12, NLT). This promise, reiterated in Ephesians 6:2, is preceded by with these words, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” (Ephesians 6:1). What a greater thing to honor or obey our parents than to offer a prayer of thanksgiving?  Let us prayerfully thank God for our parents whether they are our biological parents, foster parents or older adults who remind us of our fathers and mothers because of their positive influence in our lives.  

3.    Our family. We cannot imagine life without our family. In so many ways, we are much like our family and we should be grateful to God for our family members. One of my favorite exhortations regarding family is found in the book of Mark and was Jesus’ response to a man He had just healed.  The man wanted to go with Jesus, “But Jesus said, ‘No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.’” (Mark 5:19, NLT).  This Thanksgiving let’s thank God for each of our family members and take time to share with them what the Lord has done in and through us over the last year. 

4.    Our friends. Life without friends is really like a garden with no flowers. Life would be so miserable if we didn’t have friends. It is great to know that even if all our friends turn against us, we still have a friend in Jesus. An old hymn describes Him as a “friend of sinners” and as such He is loving, saving, and keeping towards all those who turn to Him.  Friends are part of our everyday life. In fact, we are so much shaped and influenced by friends. We should, therefore, thank God for good friends. Proverbs 18:24b underscores that “there is a [true, loving] friend who [is reliable and] sticks closer than a brother.” Let us be thankful for friends of this kind in our circles of friends. 

5.    Our Salvation—a gift that God has given to us freely—to be evident in our spheres of influence. This Thanksgiving, may our lips express with thankfulness the words of the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 9:15, regarding the Gift of God’s Son: “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” Jesus is God’s Gift to the world who made it possible for all believers to receive the gift of eternal life. Jesus is also the God-man and the Only Mediator between us and God. The Bible states that the truth of this reality: “For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5, NLT). It is, therefore, by believing in Jesus that we are saved (Acts 16:30-31; Romans 10:9-10). Acts 4:12 rightly puts it this way: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved [except the Name of Jesus]." We must make this known to those in our spheres of influence (i.e. our friends, relatives, associates and neighbors). However, we must keep in mind that we cannot do this only by our lips, we must cultivate a lifestyle that makes Jesus great in all things.

In conclusion, let me encourage us that we don’t limit our thanksgiving prayers to the five things I have listed and described above. Let us expand our expressions of thanksgiving in prayer to include everything as this Scripture verse exhorts us: “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18, KJV). Our thanksgiving may also include the good and bad. Why? Because we are confident that God’s Hand is at work in our lives. We are also knowledgeable of the fact that “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28, NASB).

Spiritual Inspiration by unknown author!

What does Psalm 46:10 mean?

The verse says, “Be still and know what I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Sarah Young in the devotional book, “Jesus calling,” shares several meanings of the verse:

·         As Young learned to seek God’s Face, “Be still, and know that I am God....” (Psalm 46:10), became a life-changing verse for her. Alternate readings for “Be still” are “Relax,” “Let go,” and “Cease striving” (NASB). This is an enticing invitation from God to lay down our cares and seek His Presence (p. xii). This is in keeping with another rendition: “Let be and be still, and know (recognize and understand) that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth!”—PSALM 46: 10 AMP.

·        According to Young, there is both a passive and an active side [in the verse] to trusting in God.  As one rests in God’s Presence, focusing on Him, God quietly builds bonds of trust between the individual and Himself. When an individual’s response to the circumstances of his or her life are done with affirmations of trust, he or she actively participates in the process. In both instances, God says, “I am always with you, so you have no reason to be afraid. Your fear often manifests itself in excessive planning. Your mind is so accustomed to this pattern of thinking that you are only now becoming aware of how pervasive it is and how much it hinders your intimacy with Me. Repent of this tendency and resist it, whenever you realize you are wandering down this well-worn path. Return to My Presence, which always awaits you in the present moment. I accept you back with no condemnation.” (p. 119).

·        Young believes that Psalm 46:10 is a timeless truth that is essential for the well-being of one's soul. In fact, in other words, the Lord expresses the truth in this way: “As dew refreshes grass and flowers during the stillness of the night, so My Presence revitalizes you as you sit quietly with Me.” Thus, “a refreshed, revitalized mind is able to sort out what is important and what is not.” (p. 258)

(Young, Sarah. Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence. Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition)

Reaching Forward to God’s Goal of Christlikeness in 2016!

^"Not that I have already reached the goal or am already fully mature, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. ¹³ Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, ¹⁴ I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ Therefore, all who are mature should think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this also to you. ¹⁶ In any case, we should live up to whatever truth we have attained. " –Philippians 3:12-16, Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

I used the Scripture passage above in a sermon I shared at Community Church this morning.  It was humbling to hear how God used the message to touch the hearts of His people. The central idea of the message was that “God’s goal for you and me in our spiritual journey in 2016 is Christlikeness.” To realize this goal, there are three crucial things we must have in place, namely: 1. A START OF OUR SPIRITUAL JOURNEY, i.e. to make a decision to follow Jesus if we haven’t already done so; 2. A STRENGTHENING OF OUR FAITH (through fellowship with others, the reading of His Word, and our own desire to grow, cf. Proverbs 27:17; Romans 10:17; 2 Peter 3:18; Ephesians 6:10); and 3. THE SANCTIFYING POWER AND PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).

Christlikeness is important in our day and age because of Worship, Our Walk with the Lord, and Our Witness. In worship, we give God His “worth-ship”—He’s worthy of all praise, honor and glory. As we worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:21-24) both privately and publically, our hearts are changed. One writer put it this way:

“…God wants to change your heart. God loves you just the way you are, but refuses to leave you there. He wants you to have a heart like His. He wants you to be JUST LIKE JESUS.” ~Max Lucado

In our walk with the Lord, we experience a constant tension between the things of the flesh and the things of the Spirit. The Apostle Paul has this response, “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). The more we draw closer to Jesus, the lesser the temporary things will have a hold on us. The lyrics of a song help to clarify it: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus; Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”

Lastly, our witness will result from our Christlikeness as people see Jesus in us and ask questions about spiritual transformation. Let us then be ready to give an answer for the hope that is in us and let us do it "in a gentle and respectful way" (1 Peter 3:15, NLT).

I believe we are most like Christ when we go a step further in our witness and make disciples who make disciples. Let us, therefore, preach the Gospel (share the Good News) and if necessary let us use words!