Prayer to "Linger in Gratitude" Even During The Tough Times of the Pandemic
Sunday May 10, 2020
Let's take these few moments to settle into gratitude – to recall what God has done and all that He promises to do for us.
We want to come to You today with thanksgiving, God and praise You for all You are and all You are doing for us. There are lots of things in our circumstances that we would like to be different from what they are but we want to really see our circumstances with Your eyes today. You are good and You care for us. There’s nothing we need that You cannot provide. You’ve instructed us to:
Help us to find Your heart today. Show us how to rejoice in You when so many things around us and even inside us are unsettled. Help us to use the simple steps You’ve shown us to find our way through – to pray continually, to keep Your loving face before us, and to welcome Your sustaining presence to fill us and strengthen us.
We want to give thanks today because no matter how challenging our circumstances, we know that we belong to a good God who takes care of those He loves. Nothing can separate us from Your love today – certainly not the effects of this global pandemic. As hard as some things seem, we thank You God that Your love endures. As we keep our hearts focused on Your love You promise to rescue us and to protect us. What an encouragement that is during these difficult days and weeks.
We once again want to thank You for Jesus who walked this way before us and made a way for us to live through the toughest times, trusting in Your goodness and Your love. So many times we’ve lifted the bread and the cup in a communion service to remember Your death, Lord Jesus, and today we want to give thanks for how that all applies to our day even though we cannot gather together in church and do that in community.
You suffered and endured to the end, Jesus, and went through so much more for us than what it will cost us to remain true to You during these days of difficulty and uncertainty, these times of feeling cooped up in our places of social isolation. Thank You for the forgiveness of our sins and a new and living relationship with our Heavenly Father that will last forever. Thank You for the healing and grace You pour into our lives because You know us and understand what we are facing and feeling today. You endured suffering, Lord Jesus, so we could bring our suffering to You and find grace and help in our time of need. Thank you.
And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.
For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners,
so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1b-3
We want to join our hearts with those who are praising You God and giving thanks to You because You are ruling and reigning today God. We may not see the physical evidence of that in what’s before our eyes at the moment but You have great power and You are in control of everything that is going on in our world and in our hearts today. What security we have even though our emotions waver and our spirits lag.
We thank You God that we are not alone. In our neighbourhoods and around the world are so many brothers and sisters in Christ. We thank You for them and for their faith and endurance and the love that we’ve shared with those who are near to us. We thank you for the “saints who have gone before us” – so many folks who endured much harder lives and circumstances than what we currently face and yet they stayed committed to You and experienced Your faithful love bringing them through. The witness of their lives is so encouraging to us and we thank you for them.
We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters,
and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more,
and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.
2 Thessalonians 1:3
Whether there’s much food in the fridge or little; whether our bank balance is black or red, we want to bring what we have to You today, with thanksgiving as You brought that little boy’s lunch of 5 loaves and 2 fish to the Father with thanksgiving and then saw it multiplied to supply what was needed for thousands. You can do the same – in fact, You will do the same – as we offer who we are and what we have to You with thanksgiving. You will supply our need. Thank you for the hope and for the provision we can depend on You to send our way.
Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven,
he gave thanks and broke the loaves.
Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people.
He also divided the two fish among them all.
Mark 6:41
So today God, we want to “linger in gratitude.” With your help we will not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6
You are a good good father – that’s who you are. And we are loved by You – that’s who we are. Amen
We want to come to You today with thanksgiving, God and praise You for all You are and all You are doing for us. There are lots of things in our circumstances that we would like to be different from what they are but we want to really see our circumstances with Your eyes today. You are good and You care for us. There’s nothing we need that You cannot provide. You’ve instructed us to:
Help us to find Your heart today. Show us how to rejoice in You when so many things around us and even inside us are unsettled. Help us to use the simple steps You’ve shown us to find our way through – to pray continually, to keep Your loving face before us, and to welcome Your sustaining presence to fill us and strengthen us.
We want to give thanks today because no matter how challenging our circumstances, we know that we belong to a good God who takes care of those He loves. Nothing can separate us from Your love today – certainly not the effects of this global pandemic. As hard as some things seem, we thank You God that Your love endures. As we keep our hearts focused on Your love You promise to rescue us and to protect us. What an encouragement that is during these difficult days and weeks.
We once again want to thank You for Jesus who walked this way before us and made a way for us to live through the toughest times, trusting in Your goodness and Your love. So many times we’ve lifted the bread and the cup in a communion service to remember Your death, Lord Jesus, and today we want to give thanks for how that all applies to our day even though we cannot gather together in church and do that in community.
You suffered and endured to the end, Jesus, and went through so much more for us than what it will cost us to remain true to You during these days of difficulty and uncertainty, these times of feeling cooped up in our places of social isolation. Thank You for the forgiveness of our sins and a new and living relationship with our Heavenly Father that will last forever. Thank You for the healing and grace You pour into our lives because You know us and understand what we are facing and feeling today. You endured suffering, Lord Jesus, so we could bring our suffering to You and find grace and help in our time of need. Thank you.
And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.
For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners,
so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1b-3
We want to join our hearts with those who are praising You God and giving thanks to You because You are ruling and reigning today God. We may not see the physical evidence of that in what’s before our eyes at the moment but You have great power and You are in control of everything that is going on in our world and in our hearts today. What security we have even though our emotions waver and our spirits lag.
We thank You God that we are not alone. In our neighbourhoods and around the world are so many brothers and sisters in Christ. We thank You for them and for their faith and endurance and the love that we’ve shared with those who are near to us. We thank you for the “saints who have gone before us” – so many folks who endured much harder lives and circumstances than what we currently face and yet they stayed committed to You and experienced Your faithful love bringing them through. The witness of their lives is so encouraging to us and we thank you for them.
We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters,
and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more,
and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.
2 Thessalonians 1:3
Whether there’s much food in the fridge or little; whether our bank balance is black or red, we want to bring what we have to You today, with thanksgiving as You brought that little boy’s lunch of 5 loaves and 2 fish to the Father with thanksgiving and then saw it multiplied to supply what was needed for thousands. You can do the same – in fact, You will do the same – as we offer who we are and what we have to You with thanksgiving. You will supply our need. Thank you for the hope and for the provision we can depend on You to send our way.
Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven,
he gave thanks and broke the loaves.
Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people.
He also divided the two fish among them all.
Mark 6:41
So today God, we want to “linger in gratitude.” With your help we will not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6
You are a good good father – that’s who you are. And we are loved by You – that’s who we are. Amen
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