A Prayer To Express Gratitude Even Though Our Circumstances Aren't Perfect

If we are going to get through this “home stretch” of the pandemic season I think one of the key features for us will be to do what someone said in a meditation I read, “linger in gratitude.”  

The longer things aren’t settled and back to some sense of normalcy the harder it is to see all that we have to be grateful for and to be strengthened to persevere through what’s left.  And so today I thought we’d take these few moments to settle into gratitude – to recall what God has done and all that He promises to do for us. 

Let us come to him with thanksgiving.  Let us sing psalms of praise to him.   Psalm 95:2

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:

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

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. 

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.  1 Chronicles 16:34

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 with all it’s lockdowns, waves, and variants.  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. 

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;   I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.  Psalm 91:14

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 give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.  Revelation 11:17

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.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  Philippians 4:6

So today God, we want to “linger in gratitude.”  With your help we will not be anxious ….

You are a good good father – that’s who you are.  And we are loved by You – that’s who we are.  Amen