A Thanksgiving Prayer

Happy Thanksgiving! There is much to be thankful for today and everyday. No doubt you’ve been making plans for family gatherings, been preparing everything that will be needed and waited in anticipation for your family and guests to arrive. It’s a celebration of Thankfulness for the many blessings that we have.

I read a passage in Ephesians 1 from the Message translation that is a fitting reminder of the planning and preparing that God our Father has done for us and gives us a reason to celebrate and be thankful.

The passage reminds us that “long before God laid the foundations of the earth He had us in mind and He had settled on us as the focus of His love.” Isn’t that incredible! God was thinking of us before the world began and His desire was to pour out His love on us.

We think of our family and friends during this season and desire to gather together to love on each other.

To demonstrate His love for us, God decided to adopt us into His family through Jesus Christ. “He wanted us to enter into the celebration of His lavish gift-giving by the hand of His beloved Son. And because of the sacrifice of Christ’s blood poured out on the cross, we are free! Free from the penalties and punishments of all our sins and misdeeds. Not just barely free but Abundantly free!”

We all want to be a part of something and especially this time of year to be apart of a family whether that family is our biological family, church family or family of friends. Being included helps us feel valued and no matter where you are, You are highly valued to God and have been invited to be part of His family of believers.

“He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans He took such delight making. He set it all out before us in Christ. It is in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, He had His eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living.”

As you gather around the table with family and friends the conversations begin and fellowship starts. That is what God is offering to us, fellowship with God. A personal relationship with Him through the Holy Spirit that is in us.

“As believers we are mark in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit. It is through the power of the Holy Spirit in us that we come to know Him better and that our eyes of our hearts are enlightened so that we can know the hope we have in Christ, the inheritance that awaits us and the incomparably great power for us who believe.”

We get the privilege of knowing Him personally and in that personal relationship He will make it clear to us what He is calling us to do and He will guide us in the glorious way of life He has planned for us.

Paul ends the passage with a prayer that we would “choose the abundant freedom that was provided for us in Christ. He asked God to help us see our calling and grasp the immensity of the glorious way of life that God has for those who believe. The extravagance of His work in us who trust Him has endless energy and boundless strength.” I would say “Amen!” to Paul’s prayer.

Each year we go around the table and each person shares what they are thankful for. This year my answer will be, “I’m thankful that God loves me and has made a way for me to have a personal relationship with Him. He provides everything I need and has given me the opportunity to live an abundant life in Him.” Thank you Lord!

Happy Thanksgiving!