Your Cart is Empty
Traditionally, Thanksgiving Day is a food-filled celebration associated with expressing gratitude to God for the harvest of His bounty. As we prepare for this Thanksgiving Day—in the midst of our food prepping, house cleaning, and entertaining, let’s pause, bow our head before God who is mighty, and note some of the great things He’s done for us—both in good times and in rough seasons.
Has something happened in your life that just doesn’t make sense? Are you facing a Thanksgiving Day that is not full of celebration? Has this been a tough year for you and your family? Maybe you couldn’t understand how a loving God could let some difficult thing happen to you or a loved one. Well, you are not alone.
Most people have events happen that are difficult or impossible to understand. Rather than question the Father, it will help us to lift our hearts and, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
Keeping a Gratitude Journal
A great place to start giving thanks is through keeping a gratitude journal. Each day, write down:
Even if life is difficult right now, lift your voice in joy because of the hope you have in Christ. Rejoice that either here or in heaven, depending on God’s appointed time, you’ll experience the full, unimaginable blessing of His wonderful promises completely fulfilled. Jim and I thank God for you and pray that you have a blessed and peace-filled holiday season.
And now, O Lord, I bow before You with a heart of gratitude. For Your salvation, for the forgiveness of my sins, for my family and church, I offer You inadequate but sincere praise and thanksgiving. Thank You, dear Lord! Amen.
RENEWING RESOURCES:Finding God's Path Through Your Trials acknowledges the hard times we all face and reveals how people can "count it all joy".
Create a gratitude journal for you to record your thanks to God in throughout the year. You can also create a prayer journal.
“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
Comments will be approved before showing up.
Jim and Elizabeth George are bestselling authors and national speakers dedicated to helping people live a life after God’s own heart. Together, they have written over 150 books with more than 14 million copies sold around the world. For over 35 years, the teachings and steadfast example of Elizabeth and Jim have helped countless men and women:
Jim and Elizabeth George are bestselling authors and national speakers dedicated to helping people live a life after God’s own heart. Together, they have written over 150 books with more than 14 million copies sold around the world. For over 35 years, the teachings and steadfast example of Elizabeth and Jim have helped countless men and women:
I know from personal experience that living a life of prayer is not easy. Our lives are filled with a multitude of activities that tend to crowd out time for prayer. How many times have you been guilty of telling someone that you would pray for them? Your heart genuinely yearned to be a part of bringing their need before the throne of God. And then what happened? I’m sure that, if you’re like me, more times than you would like to admit, you forgot about the promise to pray before you rounded the corner of the church building! Why? Because you didn’t write the request down.
Paul knew the importance of strategic prayer in his own life and the lives of others. And he knew what to pray for. His prayers focused on spiritual issues. He knew that if those he was praying for were spiritually mature, they could handle anything.
