Ephesians 5:20 -- Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
There seems to be a pattern that has developed this week in my daily quiet time with the Lord. That pattern ends up in a verse about thanksgiving or giving thanks as part of our everyday life in Christ Jesus. God had a good reason for that, which He showed me today.
It wasn't until this morning it really sunk in how much this has been missing from my own daily walk. It's so easy to get caught up in the rapids of life and even when being intentional about having a quiet time, praying, reading God's Word, walking with Him, there are things we just lose sight of. Things such as "giving thanks always and for everything".
It's usually about two to three days into November, after the Halloween sugar coma wears off, when that Thanksgiving Holiday feeling really kicks in. We often reflect upon what we're thankful for leading up to that fourth Thursday of the month. Then when Turkey Day arrives, we stuff ourselves with food, watch some football, and immediately begin browsing the doorbuster sales at best buy and walmart.
That's usually the extent of "thanksgiving" in any form for most people. Sure, we're thankful when something good happens, but this is the closest we come to having some type of thanksgiving in our lives daily. I know as I step back from my own life, I can see clearly it has not been a daily thing for me. It's usually FOR something good, not IN and FOR everything.
I am so grateful the Lord used this week to show me something missing from my daily life and walk with Him. He's also so completely amazing that in yesterday's quiet time recap, "How to Abound in Thanksgiving", He showed step by step how to implement it into daily life. When we walked through it yesterday, I was so excited, it was so detailed, so easily laid out. I couldn't wait to share it in my recap with everyone. Then today the Lord convicts me that I was the one who needed it. I had all the pieces laid out, what was missing was me being aware of and simply choosing to be thankful to Him, in each day.
Christian, it's so direly important you spend time with God every single day, in prayer, and in His Word. It took three days of dedicated quiet times, prayer, in the Word, art, and recaps for His message to get fully through to me. A message of something I was missing and needed to walk in fullness with Him. If you don't read His Word and talk with Him in prayer daily, how will you know His will, direction, and correction for you?
Well, I rambled quite a bit today as it was quite a personal time with God. A lot of talking with Him and getting in line with His Word in my own life. I think today's verse really doesn't need much breakdown as it's spelled out quite clearly:
GIVING
THANKS
ALWAYS
for EVERYTHING
to GOD the FATHER
in the name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST
Lord right here I pray and lift up thanks to You. Thank You, Oh Lord! Thank You so very much for every single thing in my life. I thank You for the good, which is far beyond what I deserve. I thank You for the bad, because it is an opportunity for me to trust and rely upon You and I know You are working in it and through it for Your glory and good will come from it whether I ever see it or not. I praise You and thank You. Lord give me a heart of thankfulness every single day. Never let me forget again to walk in thanksgiving. May it overflow to my family as well, Lord. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen!
Well, that's all folks. Thank you for allowing me to share my quiet time with you. I only do it because the Lord directed me to stop hiding and share openly my walk with Him every single day. Sometimes that gets personal and emotional and full of rambling. Yay! LOL...
You are loved. You are prayed over. You are not alone.
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