Posted by vicki on Nov 24, 2009 in
Thanksgiving stuff It is Thanksgiving week, after all- so prayers of thankfulness are the just right thing to do.
A prayer of thanksgiving is simply saying thank you to God for the things He has done. That is just good manners…
One way to pray thanksgiving is to make a “gratitude list”. Write a list of things you are thankful for and read it to God. (This, by the way, is a very wise way to end your day- makes for better sleeping patterns.)
Another way to make a prayer of thanksgiving is to read to God some of the verses in the Bible that share thanks for what He has done. Offering up to God his own words is a powerful form of thanks. (Think about it- did you ever hear anyone quote something positive you had said? It feels awesome. That is how God must feel when we value His words enough to quote them to Him.)
Here are some thanksgiving verses from the Bible that you could read to him (thanks to Biblegateway.com):
Psalm 136:1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
Psalm 75:1 We give thanks to you, O God,
we give thanks, for your Name is near;
men tell of your wonderful deeds.
Psalm 105:1 Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.
I Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
II Corinthians 2:14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.
II Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
Ephesians 5:20 Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:12 Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you[a] to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.
Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
What are some ways that you have found to thank God for what He has done?
Posted by vicki on Nov 20, 2009 in
Stuff stuff
I remember my first day in my 3rd grade class at Sidney Lanier Elementary School. It was a dreary mid-February day. I arrived at my new classroom very early that morning and found my assigned seat. I sat statue-still, hands clinched and stared at the established groups of laughing kids running about the room. I felt like the outsider that each new kid is.
Over the weeks that followed, I learned how to communicate with my new peers- how to open up and when to shut up, how to encourage others and when to accept teasing. Pretty soon, I was part of the gang and loved it.
It sort of works that way when you start a prayer life. It is like arriving at a new classroom and trying to figure out how to strike up a conversation with the Alpha male of the whole place. You kind of feel awkward. (It doesn’t help that you can’t see the one you are talking to but He gets to see EVERYTHING you are doing- unusual rules of an unusual relationship.)
Yep, at first prayer is an awkward type of conversation. But, just like a new kid in the classroom, you have to keep at it. You practice and gain skill and comfort. After a while, you know when to speak, how to listen, when to praise, how to confess. You are one of the gang.
Because a mysterious thing happens- something deep inside your own spirit. God works in your heart. You are no longer an outsider, but one of the Holy Spirit’s gang of insiders.
Prayer surprisingly becomes engaging, relational, satisfying- something to look forward to.
Have you had your moment yet? The moment when prayer becomes you feel like part of God’s gang and prayer is awesome?
Posted by vicki on Nov 14, 2009 in
Praise stuff,
Scripture stuff BTW- I love to have comments. For those of us who are not digital natives, you make a comment by clicking on the little-itsy sticky note just above this writing. Give it a try (the comments are often better reading than the original thoughts).–V.
Today’s thoughts:
Remember when you fell in love?
The more you thought about your darlin’, the more your love grew. The more you appreciated each wonderful thing about your sweetheart, the more intense was your love.
Same goes for God. He calls Himself “Love”. So love is amazingly important to him.
To help your love for Him grow- during your Adoration time (ACTS prayer), try thinking about some of the names He calls Himself throughout the Bible. (He is way too big for one name- but that is not unusual. You probably have several names yourself- Mom, Dad, Daughter, Son, Disaster, Honey…)
Pick one of the names from the list. Think about it- why do you think that name is important to God Himself? Give a moment of appreciation for that part of who God is.
ACTS- Adoration
Here are a few of His names from the Old Testament:
Father of the Fatherless- Av (ps 68:5)
The First and the Last- Rishon A Haron
God- Elohim or Eloah or YAH
God Most High- El Elyon
God Almighty- El Shaddai
God My King- Elohim Melekh
God the Lord- El YHWH
God of Salvation- El Yeshua
God Who Brings to Quick Termination (He gets things done)- El Ghamer
Holy One- Qodosh
I AM- Hayah
Living God- Chay El YHWH
Lord God- Jehovah Elohim
Lord Has Heard- Jehovah Shamah
Lord of Hosts- Jehovah Tsavah
Lord Provider- Jehovah Jireh
Lord Our Righteousness- Jehovah Tsedeq
Maker- Asah
Mighty God- El Abyir
Lord Almighty- Adonai Shaddai
Lord God- Adonai
Redeemer- Gha-al
Here are some of Jesus’ names:
Jesus Lord- Iesous Kurios
Just One- Dikalos
The Alpha and Omega
The Apostle and High Priest of our Confession
The Author and Finisher of our Faith
God’s names in the New Testament:
Father (endearment)- Abba
Father- Pater
Holy- Hagiezmos
Mighty One- Dynatos