Giving Thanks in All Seasons: Our Daily Bread Prayer Journal

Prayer Journal

Giving Thanks in All Seasons

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Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 THESSALONIANS 5:16–18 niv

Gratitude is the companion to worship. We turn our eyes to the Giver with worship, and we acknowledge His gifts to us, His favour on us, with gratitude. We may not see what we hope to see God doing, but we don’t want to miss all that He is doing.

FROM MAKING PEACE WITH CHANGE BY GINA BRENNA BUTZ

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

(Colossians 4:2 niv)

Be watchful and thankful. When we pray, we don’t fling requests up to heaven and forget them. Instead, God calls us to pray and watch for answers. And while we sow the seeds of prayer and wait for God to produce a harvest, we soften and till the ground with our expressions of thanksgiving.

It’s an awesome privilege to bring our requests before the King of kings and Lord of lords and know we’ll always have an audience. We can thank Him for responding to our prayers with wisdom and love, believing that His heart seeks only two things: our good and His glory. And finally (this takes mature faith), we thank Him for answering “no” to some of our prayers, trusting that He knows best.

FROM REFRESH YOUR FAITH BY LORI HATCHER

Today when you pray, set aside your lists and focus on God. Praise Him for His attributes. Thank Him for His work in your life. Reflect on His majesty. Enjoy His presence. Remember His history of faithfulness through the ages. Listen to Him speak to you through the voice of the Holy Spirit and His Word. Enter into the fellowship already taking place between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (from Refresh Your Prayers by Lori Hatcher)

ASPECTS OF GOD’S CHARACTER

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.

JAMES 5:13 nkjv

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 4:6–7 niv)

He says specifically to not be anxious about anything—our future, our concern, our habit. Nothing. When anxiety comes, we can do as Paul suggests: pray. And he says to pray with thanksgiving, remembering all we have to be thankful for. Paul’s prescription forces our minds off of our concerns and shifts them to all we have to be thankful for. It’s a mind change—an intentional decision to focus on what we have to be thankful for. . . . No, your situation may not change instantly, but you can change and allow peace and gratitude to calm your nerves and shift your focus.

FROM NAVIGATING THE BLUES BY KATARA WASHINGTON PATTON

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out!

I called for help, and you listened to my cry.

JONAH 2:2 niv

It was the last thing Monica expected after thirty-three years of marriage: her husband announced he was leaving. This threatened her home, her income, her future pension and, not least, the companionship of the man she loved. His rejection sowed feelings of deep inadequacy. Devastated, she feared the loss of friends, and her new identity as a divorcee filled her with shame.

For hours Monica sat with God as her world caved in, overwhelmed by grief and stress. But God’s Word still held true: He still had a plan for her. She was not in her husband’s hands: her changing times were in God’s hands. She could trust Him for help, comfort and provision, just like David had done in Psalm 31.

David felt hunted, rejected and isolated by the threats against him. In “soul and body” he was utterly drained by his distress. But his hope was in God: his “refuge” of righteousness, deliverance and guidance (Psalm 31:1–3). David could trust in God, despite his circumstances, because he knew “My times are in your hands” (v. 15).

“How abundant are the good things that [God] has stored up” for us (v. 19). As we wait for the fulfilment of this, we can take refuge “in the shelter of [His] presence” (v. 20). And as we affirm who God is, we are strengthened and encouraged for whatever we may face (vv. 21–24).

(Secure in God’s Hands by Anne Le Tissier)

WAYS GOD HAS BEEN FAITHFUL TO ME:

I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you— the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life;

the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. (Psalm 121 niv)

Psalm 121. The pilgrims look up at the hills of Jerusalem with anticipation, and they are reminded of the source of their help: “the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” (v. 2). How can we resist worshipping One who can fling the universe into existence with His voice yet still cares enough that He watches over us? “The Lord watches over you. . . . The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore” (vv. 5, 8). What else can we do but respond in awe?

FROM LIVING THE PSALMS LIFE BY DAVE BRANON

You are entirely faithful.

PSALM 89:8 nlt

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.

Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live.

PSALM 63:3–4 niv

Thanking our Saviour is the natural response to having been forgiven by our Saviour.

FROM THE PARABLES BY GARY INRIG

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! . . . Forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy.

PSALM 103:1–4 esv

As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways.

ISAIAH 55:9 nkjv

The Lord is my strength and my song.

EXODUS 15:2 nlt

What we have in God is far more significant than what we get from God. This is perhaps why so many of us struggle with the idea of contentment. Especially in western cultures, contentment is secured by accumulation of things—but there is never enough. Accumulation of things is like drinking salt water; it only leaves us thirsty for more. And more. And more.

Contentment for the child of God is not based on what we have but rather on whose we are and who He is. It is this fundamental reality that fuels how our hearts are to process life in an often unfair world. It is not simply about what He does or what He provides, it is about who He is.

Hebrews 13:5 says to be “content with what you have; for He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you’” (nasb).

FROM GOD OF SURPRISE BY BILL CROWDER

Can you recall a time when God answered a prayer completely differently than you’d hoped or considered, but He definitely answered? Write about it here. End your journaling with these words: “Give thanks to the Lord. His love endures forever.” (from Restore My Soul by Laura L. Smith)

GOD ANSWERED MY PRAYER BY . . .

SOURCES

Branon, Dave. Living the Psalms Life: 10 Guiding Principles for Fellowship with God. Grand Rapids, MI: Our Daily Bread Publishing, 2019.

Butz, Gina Brenna. Making Peace with Change: Navigating Life’s Messy Transitions with Honesty and Grace. Grand Rapids, MI: Our Daily Bread Publishing, 2020.

Crowder, Bill. God of Surprise: The Life-Changing, Unexpected Ways God Works for Our Good. Grand Rapids, MI: Our Daily Bread Publishing, 2020.

Hatcher, Lori. Refresh Your Faith: Uncommon Devotions from Every Book of the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Our Daily Bread Publishing, 2020.

. Refresh Your Prayers: Uncommon Devotions to Restore Power and Praise. Grand Rapids, MI: Our Daily Bread Publishing, 2022.

Inrig, Gary. The Parables: Understanding What Jesus Meant. Grand Rapids, MI: Our Daily Bread Publishing, 1991.

Patton, Katara Washington. Navigating the Blues: Where to Turn When Worry, Anxiety, or Depression Steal Your Hope. Grand Rapids, MI: Our Daily Bread Publishing, 2022.

Smith, Laura L. Restore My Soul: The Power and Promise of 30 Psalms. Grand Rapids, MI: Our Daily Bread Publishing, 2022.

PERMISSIONS AND CREDITS

Scripture quotations marked esv are taken from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked niv are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com.

Scripture quotations marked nkjv are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked nlt are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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