Don't forget! Thanksgiving Eve Eve Taco Tuesday dinner and worship 6-7:30 tonight! Bring a friend!
Good Morning Thankful Friends and Persevering Followers of Jesus! Can we be both? We need to be! Yet sometimes we find little to be thankful about and loose our faith that leads us to persevere always in Christ. During the holidays, I used to get ugly. I hated, loathed Hallmark Holidays made up by man to sell cards and make us feel guilty for not blessing others or making us very sad for missing loved ones. God has delivered me from that the past few years as I prayed and asked Him to do so. I ask to see with His eyes and respond with His heart and mind. He has given me empathy and compassion for those who struggle with grief, loss, lack, and changed that to a desire to worship, enjoy, comfort and bless. How can we persevere in faith when we are in those darkest valleys? How can we be thankful IN all things as commanded. I pour my heart out to God for those who may be unable to so, that they would feel His loving presence, peace and deliverance through tough holidays. Join me in lifting those you know who are struggling in some way or another through these holidays. Father, come, comfort, deliver, provide as You promise. Lead me/us to be Your vessels to the hopeless and hurting this year. Help! Thanks! Amen!
Who just came to your mind as you prayed? What might God be leafing you to do in response to His nudges? Who might you team up with to go comfort and bless in the name of Jesus and with His help? There are many we know all around us, even in our fellowship that need a hug of comfort right now. Part of the idea behind our Christmas Giving Challenge is to gift you to go do something for those in need of a touch of Gods love and provision. Keep praying for wisdom and direction for that.
One of the directives God has given me is to prepare His people to be ready to endure and persevere in faith when the hard times come. We are promised that they will come and will increase in intensity as the end gets closer. Are you ready? Part of that is knowing in advance that Your God cares, knows, is able and allows things for His purposes. Things to deep for us to understand. He is God and we are not. Sometimes as part of life we experience deep loss and it is beyond reason or our control. Are you ready for those intensely hard and dark times? You can prepare to be able to redirect to God more quickly and in trust and faith that is able to even be thankful and choose joy always in all thing. Help us Lord! Prepare us to be able to stand firm in You no matter what comes. May we always remember you are sovereign and in control and allow things we can't understand to be part of Your good and perfect plans. Help us to memorize and be able to recall Your many promises of comfort, help, provision and deliverance and be able to stand on those as needed. Raise up Your army of comforters and peace bringers from our fellowship. Raise up people who see with Your eyes and respond with Your heart and mind to bring Your comfort alive. Thanks Lord! Prepare us. Send us. And may we always stand firm in You and go as Your vessels. Thank You for Your promises and to always be working things together for good. Help us to be able to stand firm and redirect to You quickly when these hard times come. Please comfort those who are hurting, grieving and lacking this holiday season. May Your promise of comfort and love, peace and joy come alive as we grow in trust and see You at work always. Come! Help! Comfort! Send me! Amen! Thank You!
Check out our devos today that speak into this and the faithfulness of God. Check the harvest prayer link for some Thanksgiving ideas. It will help you to redirect and to go comfort. Prepare your hearts to always stand firm in Christ, lift thanksgiving always and be His vessel. Amen! I'm praying for you and us! Build those gratitude lists too that will help when needed to refocus on God and things above. He really loves you and is always at work. He promises to comfort, help and provide. Worship and focus on that!
UR: Comfort in Grief
Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. - Psalm 139:16 (NIV)
I received news that no one ever wants to hear. My three-month prenatal ultrasound showed no signs of a heartbeat. I would never hold my precious baby in my arms. The sadness was overwhelming.
After the initial waves of sadness, I felt a sense of shame for my intense sorrow. My mind told me that I shouldn’t feel such anguish over an early pregnancy loss and that this amount of grief should be reserved for late miscarriages or for people who have lost loved ones after years together. I wanted to keep my grief a secret so that no one would think I was overreacting.
But these feelings of shame and embarrassment were quickly replaced with something God had written on my heart years ago. Psalm 139 reminded me that this child was lovingly created by God and that God treasured all of my baby’s days.
Remembering that God knows and values my baby has comforted me in my grief, and it has helped me to be open to God’s grace that transforms our pain.
Today's Prayer
Father God, thank you for comforting us when we mourn. Thank you for the gift of your word that offers peace during difficult times. Help us to be open to your transforming grace. Amen.
Sarah Young
Chuck Swindoll
TWFYT
Charles Stanley
Harvest Blog link for Thanksgiving ideas: https://www.harvestprayer.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Give-Thanks-with-a-Prayerful-Heart.pdf
