Thursday, March 2, 2017

No matter the language we need to say:

Thoughts for Cheri:
Prayer completed:
“Please Lord, deliver me and enable me to feel complete and content in every area.  I know I will not be perfectly complete or content until I’m with You but I long, as Paul, to be as complete and content as is possible while living this life on this earth.”
Thank You for all You have done in my life.  Thank You for loving me and saving me.  Thank You for hearing this prayer and for answering according to your will and purpose.”
“I love You!”
“I claim and ask all of this in the precious name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior.”“Amen”
There’s much I could talk about from this portion of my prayer but I want to focus on these 2 words today:  Thank You”. 
These words are important to say to anyone no matter who they are or what they do for you.  Expressing gratitude shows appreciation to others and it can make a big difference in someone’s life.  It doesn’t matter if it’s the person that picks up the trash or your boss, saying thank you matters.
If it matters to people how much more should I express my gratitude to the Giver of all good gifts?
Everything I am and have are gifts from my Creator.  First of all, He is my Creator.  I wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for Him.  Secondly, I have eternal life because He made provision for His Son to live, die, and live again to give me life with Him forever.  Thirdly, He loves me with an everlasting love.  If He never gave me anything else that would be more than I deserve.
He has however chosen to bestow on me gift after gift: peace, joy, mercy, grace are just a few of those gifts.  He’s given me relationships:  family and friends who have blessed my life in so many ways.  He’s given me nature through which He reveals Himself to me daily.  He’s given me pets over my lifetime who have made my days sweeter in so many ways.  He’s given more material possessions that I ever needed.  He’s answered prayers in the ways that have always been best for me even when I didn’t know it.  I could go on and on but hopefully you get my drift.  My Father loves to lavish His child with gifts.
I know that not every follower of Christ receives the same gifts.  In fact, many are suffering terribly around the world.  I don’t understand why some suffer persecution but sometimes I believe they are more blessed than I am because they are truly sharing in the suffering of our Savior and that’s a gift in itself.   Paul stated:
I guess what I’m trying to say is that as a Christian I am to be thankful and content whatever my circumstances.  God has a plan for each life and I am to live mine to the fullest each day.  I am to take nothing for granted but to be thankful in all things because that’s what He’s using to conform me to the image of Christ.  He’s a personal God who works personally in the life of each of His children to complete His will in Christ:
For this I am thankful!
Father,
You give me gifts that will make me more like Jesus.
You give me gifts that will help me serve like Jesus.
Thank You!
In His Name,
Amen.

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