Grateful - wk10

Hi everyone, it’s Tricia along with Daisy in another Alone With God journal guide. Let’s turn together to today’s page, which is Day 6 in your journal and says, “What Am I Grateful For This Week?”  The first section is titled Answered Prayers. It’s incredible that we have a record of God’s faithfulness throughout the Bible. Remember, in Joshua, we see God part the Jordan River, which was at flood stage. And the Israelites made their way across to the Promised Land. After they crossed the river, Joshua directed the Israelites to gather twelve stones as a memorial so that in the future, the Israelite descendants would ask what the stones represented, and then they could tell them about how God was faithful to help them cross the Jordan River. (You’ll find this story in Joshua Chapters 3 and 4.)

When we don’t write down the ways that he has walked with us, seen us through difficult times, answered our prayers, or delivered on his promises, it can cause us to forget. However, when we take the time to record how God is faithful in our lives and the lives of those we love, it can help our faith in hard times because we have a record we can look back on, and we can say, “God was faithful then, so we can trust God to be faithful today, because God never changes.” So, I encourage you to write down how God has answered your prayers in this section.

Below that is an area with empty lines. This is where we can write what we are grateful to God for. When we pay attention to God’s good gifts, our hearts are warmed with thankful love. And we don’t need just to write a list of “things,” right? These are small or large and can be about people, experiences, emotions, and even hard things. In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, God’s command is to give thanks IN everything, and then Ephesians 5:20 says to give thanks FOR everything. So, if we combine that, we can develop and maintain an attitude of gratitude because we are thankful in everything and for everything. This will change our hearts and focus our thoughts, almost imperceptibly, on joy. That then becomes a way of life, living life in gratefulness to God. So, I definitely encourage you to take your time here and really write down your thankful gratefulness to God.

Now, Daisy is going to read from Lamentations and then pray to close us out. Here’s Daisy.

Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV)
22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Lord, thank you so much for your mercies. Thank you that your mercies are new every single morning. Thank you that because of the sacrifice that Jesus made on that Cross, I am not consumed – that my sins are forgiven. Father, I pray that you will help me to extend grace, and forgiveness, and mercy to those who have hurt me, or abandoned me, or made me feel less than I am. I pray that I will love them with the love of Christ and that I will cherish the gift of your grace and your mercy in my own life. In Jesus’ name, amen.