Making Time for God

8. Worship and Thanksgiving

It's me again God,

I can't imagine a day without You! Whether I wake up tired and weary or full of vigour for what lies ahead, You are the same yesterday, today and forever and I know I can rely on You!

I often lie and listen to the early morning bird calls and have noticed their song does not change from year to year, they never seem to be complaining or lacking joy for the new day! Lord this morning at this time, I will put aside all my cares and concerns, choosing instead to join the birds in worship of You:

"Shout for joy to the Lord,
all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us,
and we are his;
we are his people,
the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him
and praise his name.
For the Lord is good
and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues
through all generations."
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭100:1-5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Lord when I truly worship You, things change —I no longer feel the weight of my concerns because I have magnified You! It's amazing —You look so much bigger than the things I was stressing about! Your greatness has put everything into perspective!

"I will bless the LORD at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the LORD;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the LORD with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
I sought the LORD, and He heard me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces were not ashamed."
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭34:1-5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Lord I choose to enter Your gates with thanksgiving now, as I consider all that You have done for me in this past year. Your goodness toward me is never ending! Thank You for the health I have, the food I enjoy each day, the family and friends around me, the home that keeps me safe and Your Word so freely available. Thank You that I can go to church and hear about You and thank You for all the ways You step in and save me when things are not going how I planned they would. Most of all, thank You for loving me so much that You sent Your only Son to die for me! Thank You for raising Him to life so I could live with You forever! Thank You for adopting me as Your own child and for Your Holy Spirit who lives in me. I could go on and on! There are so many things I can be thankful for .........................................................

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:4-7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

So with thanksgiving, I now bring my requests to You, looking forward to that wonderful peace that only You can bring into my heart..................................

Lord protect me from being troubled by the frustrations and concerns of yesterday. Take from my memory the negative experiences and disappointments that could easily churn over and over in my mind. I leave all of these things at the foot of the Cross. Lord I can tend to take on so many burdens that do not belong to me! Instead I place my loved ones in Your Hands and ask that You will work things out for the best. Holy Spirit please give me increased patience and may I show Your care and compassion in every situation. May the fruit of the Spirit be so evident in everything I do today!

Thank You for meeting with me today Lord. I will not be anxious as I step out into the day but confidently leave everything in Your Hands, for Your faithfulness continues through all generations!

In Jesus' mighty Name,
Amen.