PM#0046 Thanksgiving and Blessing Psalms 18 vs 1

Praise-Thanksgiving Prayer  46

Martin Luther once said "In thanksgiving we recount blessings received, and thus strengthen our confidence and enable ourselves to wait trustingly for what we pray."

Praise and thanksgiving prayer is important.  It can be a simple affirmation of love to God.  Ps 18:1 gives an example:  "I will love you, O Lord, my salvation".  If you read the Psalms, you will be encouraged to be thankful, as you will see other times that thanksgiving was given to God.  They will help you as you pray.

Father, Thanksgiving is not always come easy, but your word was given to help us.  May we learn from your word so we can offer thanksgiving from our heart.

In Jesus Name, Amen.

Reflection: 

Take time to list a few blessings: __________________________________________

Search the Psalms for thankfulness given by the writers of the Psalms and write down how that thankfulness encouraged the Psalmist: ______________________________

Now look over your list of blessings, how being thankful encourage you?

Veterans

PM#0471

Veterans

John 15:13, Rom 12:14

Vietnam veterans were deeply hurt when protesters did not respect them. 

The protesters had forgotten that our freedoms come with a cost, one which we fought to preserve, and some gave their lives to protect those freedoms. The Bible says in John 15:13 that ‘Greater love hath no man than this that he lay down his life for his friends.”  

Yes, veterans have experienced a rejection of that love as a country. Turning to God’s way, we should forgive and find ways to bless.  Rom 12:14 says “Bless them that persecute you; bless, and curse not.”

Fortunately, our country is now honoring its veterans.  Still, all of us who are veterans should consider this prayer:

Father, help me to continually find ways to bless my country.  I forgive those who hurt us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Reflection:

Why is important to honor our veterans?

What happened to our country when we did not honor our veterans?

Take a moment and consider how blessing a veteran honors them.

PM#0511 Listenting to God Speaking through Others

PM#0511

Listing to God Speaking Through Others

I Cor 12 vs 14 and 18

What keeps us back from accepting the vision that God has given others?  Are we making our selves a judge of another person’s calling or dreams? Or is it that it does not fit our personal focus?

The Bible says in I Corinthians 12: 14.  For the body is not one member, but many…in verse 18 it says  … God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. 

Now consider that if someone who carries the gospel, or the foot, should to say to the eye—I do not need you—don’t you think it would stumble?  That is similar to not accepting a vision of someone else in the body of Christ.  

What should we do?  Here is a prayer to consider:  Father, I ask you to help me listen to you speaking through others who love you.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Reflection situation and questions:

The following situation is often true.  Years ago in College, one summer I sold Bible books, and occasionally I would ask others, what do you believe.  They stated that they would have to ask their minister.

So—it was the minister who told them what they believed—now lets take this further—when they hear someone share about what they heard from the Lord, and that person is not an ‘Ordained minister’ they may not accept  what is said as from the Lord.  That is something that may have been taught—teaching that only the preacher can do--not just little me or someone else--only the minister with a title.

The Lord does not speak just to ministers—He speaks to all who seek with pure and contrite heart.  When He speaks it may be something to guide us.  It may be like the eye which is there to guide us.

Have we really stopped to consider that when we do not listen—to others speaking about what they have learned from the Lord through God’s Word—that it could be like saying to the eye we do not need you?

How does this apply to us today? 

How can we encourage people to listen to others who spend time in God’s word?