Wednesday, July 19, 2017 -- The Discipline of Celebration: Gratitude and Thanksgiving

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

The Discipline of Celebration: Gratitude and Thanksgiving

Scripture:

Psalm 100:4

Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name.

Psalm 9:1-2

I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart;
I will tell of all Your wonders.
² I will be glad and exult in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

Psalm 69:30

I will praise the name of God with song

And magnify Him with thanksgiving.

Isaiah 51:3

Indeed, the Lord will comfort Zion; He will comfort all her waste places. And her wilderness He will make like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the Lord; Joy and gladness will be found in her, Thanksgiving and sound of a melody.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 3:17

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Psalm 136:1

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.

James 1:17

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

Hebrews 12:28

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,

Colossians 3:15-17

¹⁵ And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Devotional:

It was so good to open up a refresher for myself and all of you about the disciplines of the faith. I want to marinate here for awhile, looking at some or all of the disciplines. I loved digging into the Word this morning about celebration. Sometimes it feels like walking through mud to turn my heart toward thanksgiving. As parents, we are tired much of the time. Finding time to sit and read the Word can sometimes be hard when we think of our task lists. When we discipline ourselves in the art of celebration and gratitude, our hearts begin to shift and our mindset changes. This is a pretty great place to be, and such a catalyst for joy…which is our strength.

God is so good, my sisters and brothers. Let’s pour a heart of thanksgiving out to him today. I think I am going to start a thanksgiving board with my family today. Will you join me?

Prayer:

Father, I enter into Your gates with thanksgiving. I am so grateful that I have access to Your great and wonderful Throne by the blood of Jesus Christ! Bless Your holy Name, Most High God. You are wonderful and mighty.

I give this day to You. I do not hold on to my fear, stresses, anxieties, or hurts from yesterday. I lay them at Your throne. Even if I am overwhelmed with them, I ask You to help me to find even one thing to be grateful for.

I thank You for my salvation.

I thank You for my family.

I thank You for our home.

I thank You for life and health.

I thank You for clothing to wear.

I thank You for freedom to worship You at will.

Intercession:

Spend time thanking God for your children. Point out those things which are praiseworthy. Intercede on their behalf in areas that are struggles and needs. Make note in your journal, if you wish.

I lift this day again to Your throne and declare You King of my heart and of my day.

In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.