Peace and Thankfulness

"And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful." - Colossians 3:15

"This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him." - Psalm 18:30

"Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:5-7

Dear God, 

The more thankful I am, the more I'll be able to feel Your peace. And the more peaceful I am, the more thankful I'll be. Please guard my heart and mind with Your peace. It is very troubled right now. 

Thank You.

In Jesus' Name, 

Amen

Worship God in Spirit and Truth

Psalm 100:4 - Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!

John 4:23-24 - "But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."

Dear God, I have many reasons to thank You even when I feel like I am at my worst physically or emotionally or mentally. I have You to thank for providing for my family so far and for making it possible for me to have access to the same affordable healthcare as provided through real insurance as my non-disabled peers. I have You to thank ultimately for the fact that a long time ago a group of people decided we needed a new country where we could live and worship how we please. I have You to thank for the fact we have a president who cares about everyone and not just the rich who pad lawmakers pockets. I have You to thank for wisdom to know who not to vote for when it comes to the real heart of the issues. I have You to thank for bringing people in my life who have a vested insurance in me as a person and are not fakers like it turned out Tom might have been. Though I still pray for reconciliation with him, I have to trust You to bring that about in Your time. He is not ready for a real and a genuine and a caring friend like me. Most people are not ready. I have to thank You that even though I am sick right now that I have found a doctor who actually listens and doesn't pin everything on one insignificant thing. Thank You for everything. And thank You for hearing my voice among the angels. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Thank God for the Things That Are Troubling You

Psalm 116:17 - I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord.

Philippians 4:4-6 - Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer re and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Dear God, is it ever hard to thank You for the troubles on life! Another infection? Thanks. Financial stress? Thanks. Job loss? Thanks. Death? Thanks. Power outage? Thanks. I can definitely understand the struggle of thanking You for troubles. BUT, I can also see where You can come through those troubles to still bless and provide for someone. So I will continue to thank You whether I am in a troubled time or whether I am in a good time. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Trust and Thankfulness Keep You Safe

Psalm 141:8 - But my eyes are toward you, O God, my Lord; in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless! 

Colossians 2:6-7 - Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

I Peter 5:6-7 - Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 

Dear God, trust, the protection against worrying and obsessing. Thankfulness, the protection against criticizing and complaining. Sister sins waiting to entangle me. Keeping my eyes on You means I am trusting You. I choose to trust You. Right now. Right here. On this very day. In this very hour. I choose to trust You every day. For the rest of my life. Trust is hard. It is not easy. Especially after having it shattered by the ones who were supposed to be the most trustworthy. Abusive parent. Misleading pastor. But, God, as hard as it may be, I am trusting You. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Be Thankful

Psalm 100:4 - Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!

I Thessalonians 5:16-18 - Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Dear God, thank You for allowing me to have some freedom in how thankful I am to You. I can choose either to be thankful even in the hard times which shows greater trust in You or I can choose to continue to feel ungrateful which shows a wavering trust in You. Right now, I am having a hard feeling day, but thank You for what You will do today to protect me and to keep me from sinning. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

So Many Blessings

Psalm 119:105 - Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Hebrews 12:28-29 - Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

Hebrews 12:28 - Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful.

Dear God, Today many people are suffering as storms have struck and done damage to their property. In light of this, I have many reasons to be thankful. Thankful that the tree that suffered from its third storm didn't do any damage and that the city sanitation department timed just right so that the men could assist with its removal. Thankful that in spite of a horrible night with the weather and being sick because of it that I am doing better this morning (sore throat) and did get some sleep. Thankful that my furbabies are safe, even though they are both agitated. Thankful for life. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

A Mighty Fortress by Christy Nockels (YouTube)

Our God is a consuming fire

A burning Holy Flame with glory and freedom

Our God is the only righteous judge

Ruling over us with kindness and wisdom

We will keep our eyes on You

We will keep our eyes on You

A mighty fortress is our God

A sacred refuge is Your Name

Your Kingdom is unshakable

With You forever we will reign

Our God is jealous for His own

None could comprehend His love and His mercy

Our God is exalted on His throne

High above the heavens

Forever He's worthy...

A mighty fortress is our God

A sacred refuge is Your Name

Your Kingdom is unshakable

With You forever we will reign 

Forever we will reign

Forever we will reign 

Forever, forever we will reign

We will keep our eyes on You

We will keep our eyes on You

So we can set our hearts on You

Lord we can set our hearts on You!

A mighty fortress is our God

A sacred refuge is Your Name

Your Kingdom is unshakable

With You forever we will reign

A mighty fortress is our God

A sacred refuge is Your Name

Your Kingdom is unshakable

With you forever we will reign

With You forever we will reign

With You forever we will reign

Our God is a consuming fire

A burning Holy Flame with glory and freedom

It's Your Choice

Psalm 141:8 - But my eyes are toward you, O God, my Lord; in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless.

Colossians 2:6-7 - Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

Colossians 2:6-7 (ICB) - As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so continue to live in him. Keep your roots deep in him and have your lives built on him. Be strong in the faith, just as you were taught. And always be thankful.

I Peter 5:6-11 - Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Dear God, for me trust doesn't get any easier. I am trying to trust You right now with regard to the matter of Tom and what his church did wrong. I am trying to trust that I will hear something from the presbytery and trying to trust that You gave them wisdom to step in. But trust is so hard, especially when Tom reminded me of why I cannot seem to trust anyone. And I want to be thankful to You God, but it is so hard when everything around me seems to not be going quite the way I would hope. And some of those things are turning out to be a lot trickier than what they should be. But God, here is my heart today. Please answer my deepest prayers today. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

God's Not Dead by Newsboys (YouTube)

Let love explode and bring the dead to life

A love so bold

To see a revolution somehow

Let love explode and bring the dead to life

A love so bold 

To bring a revolution somehow

Now I'm lost in Your freedom

In this world I'll overcome

My God's not dead

He's surely alive

He's living on the inside

Roaring like a lion 

God's not dead 

He's surely alive

He's living on the inside

Roaring like a lion

He's roaring He's roaring He's roaring like a lion

Let hope arise and make the darkness hide

My faith is dead I need a resurrection somehow

Now I'm lost in Your freedom

In this world I'll overcome

My God's not dead 

He's surely alive 

He's living on the inside

Roaring like a lion 

God's not dead 

He's surely alive

He's living on the inside

Roaring like a lion

He's roaring He's roaring He's roaring like a lion

He's roaring He's roaring

Let Heaven roar and fire fall

Come shake the ground

With the sound of revival 

(x3)

My God's not dead

He's surely alive

He's living on the inside 

Roaring like a lion

God's not dead 

He's surely alive

He's living on the inside

Roaring like a lion

God's not dead

He's surely alive

He's living on the inside

Roaring like a lion

God's not dead

He's surely alive

He's living on the inside

Roaring like a lion

He's roaring He's roaring He's roaring like a lion (x2)

Roaring like a lion