Promises for the Battle
Thanksgiving
Praise and Thanks for Grace to Serve
God is gracious to us in that he exerts himself on our behalf so that we have cause to enjoy more and more of the goodness he enjoys about himself. His grace is sufficient to effect a transformation in us that will enable us to be successful in all that he gives us to do. … Continue reading
Thanksgiving for Ministry
One of the graces God gives us is people whom we can serve in order to strengthen their confidence in and allegiance to Jesus (Romans 1:11–12). Regardless of how difficult and time-consuming this ministry can be, we can rejoice in our knowledge that the situation, the insight of what to do, and the ability to … Continue reading
Thanksgiving Sonnet 2019—Identified by Gratitude
This year’s sonnet prayer for Thanksgiving arose from my thinking about Colossians 3:15–17. As an added bonus there’s a threefold benediction that you can use at the end of your celebration of God’s grace. Colossians 3:15–17 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; … Continue reading
Thanksgiving Sonnet—A Day Is Not Enough
Always rejoice, constantly pray, in everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 O Lord, we set aside this day to say That we rejoice in all that you have done; With love and joy we’ve only just begun To celebrate your gracious resumé. Indeed, a day … Continue reading
I Was Just Thinking … about Conditions for Peace
Everyone wants to experience what Philippians 4:7 calls “the peace of God which passes understanding.” God’s peace “passes understanding” in that it keeps our hearts peaceful and calm even though we understand perfectly well that there is no human or natural way that we can be extricated from some difficulty that threatens our future. Philippians … Continue reading
Superlative Thanksgiving
It is good to give you thanks, O Yahweh; to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your extravagant kindness in the morning and your faithfulness by night. … For you, Yahweh, have made me happy by your work. I will sing for joy because of what you have done. Psalm 92:1–4 … Continue reading
Grateful Imitation
Just before the Passover feast, Jesus knew that his time had come to depart from this world to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now loved them to the very end. … Jesus knew that the Father had handed all things over to him, and that he had come … Continue reading
Wonderful Thanks
The final two months of the year in our culture seem to bear the general designation “The Holidays.” To be specific, this time of year is defined by Thanksgiving and Christmas. For the past 34 years I’ve been writing poetic prayers as a way of focusing my heart in celebration of these different expressions of … Continue reading
Thanksgiving Sonnet 2016
You are Yahweh, Most High over all the earth. You are exalted far above all gods. Hate evil, you who love Yahweh; for he preserves the souls of his kind ones by snatching them from the hand of the wicked. Light is shining for the righteous and gladness for the upright in heart. Be glad … Continue reading
Thanksgiving Prayer 2015 — Gratitude for Goodness
In preparation for this year’s Thanksgiving prayer sonnet, I thought some more about the last verse of last year’s text: 1 Chronicles 16:34 — “O give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good; for his extravagant kindness is everlasting.” Here are some of those thoughts and the prayer which followed. The term “good” indicates that some … Continue reading
Promises for the Battle 