As I present my prayers to you, O Lord, give me joy and thanksgiving at your answers, even when they are not the answers for which I prayed!
Prayer may not change things for you, but it sure changes you for things. [Samuel M. Shoemaker]
Forgive us, O Lord, and mend our wounded hearts. Repair our damaged lives and strengthen our troubled souls. May we abide in your peace, love and joy.
But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress. O my strength, to you I sing praises, for you, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love. [Psalm 59:16-17 (NLT)]O Lord, may I wake each morning with a song in my heart. Let me be like the mockingbird who greets the dawn singing with confidence and delight. May I face the day’s challenges with a positive attitude and praise for you. I don’t want to be like the fish crow who shares his pessimism with a nasal whine of “uh-uh.” He’s emphatic about saying “no” to the day’s possibilities while the mockingbird sings almost endlessly with enthusiasm and hope.
Oh God, giver of all good things, thank you for the gifts of laughter and joy. Thank you for all of those things that give us entertainment and pleasure. May we honor and glorify you in the way we use and enjoy these blessings of life.
Work hard and play hard! [Grandpa’s motto]
It isn’t difficult to have faith in times of happiness and abundance; the real challenge is to find faith and joy in the Lord in times of misfortune or need. Although our circumstances can change at a moment’s notice, we need to remember that God never changes. The same loving God sends both blessings and trials and He is directing events according to His purpose, not ours. We can be confident that He will do what is right and that He will give us the strength to meet our challenges.
Father in Heaven, keep us from letting events determine our faith. Instead of concentrating on our troubles, show us how to focus on you so that we will always have joy in the Lord.
Have you ever noticed how thanksgiving and joy seem to go hand in hand? It’s difficult to express gratitude for God’s blessings and still have a heart heavy with sorrow or disappointment. Perhaps it’s not so much that God wants thanks from us, rather it is the joy that comes from a thankful heart that He wants for us.
