This week’s immersion material focuses solely on thankful hearts… and its not even the week of Thanksgiving! God encourages us – before we present our requests to Him – to approach with thanksgiving. So let’s have a “thanksgiving day” parade.

Ezra 3:11

With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the LORD...

What song of thanksgiving would you choose to sing in praise to the Lord? Who would you yearn to hear sing it for the Lord? Thank God for the writer of those song lyrics, the creator of the song’s tune, and the person you would love to have sing it to God in praise… and for God’s sake, sing it!

We step into this week celebrating You, Father, who loved us first;

We celebrate You, Jesus, for giving Your life in our stead on the cross;

We celebrate You, Holy Spirit,  for opening our eyes to true life in Jesus Christ our Lord;

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Philippians 1:3

I thank my God every time I remember you.

Those are stirring, heartening, and encouraging words to hear from someone. Thankful memories; are they more a reflection on the person(s) being remembered or the one doing the remembering? With exception of God, for whom are you most thankful? Does your attitude of thanksgiving match up with your memory of people?

Lord, I pray [insert your prayer here]

Amen.

2 Corinthians 9:11

... your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

This brings up an interesting thought: Who is thanking God for you – particularly for your generosity? While we aren’t taught to give in order to receive from others, it is good to know that people are thankful to God for blessing received through others.

Lord, like a conduit for blessings, let us funnel Your love with generosity.

Amen.

2 Chronicles 20:21

Give thanks to the LORD, for His love endures forever.

Thank you, Lord God, for Your love that has sustained me through the years, including yesterday. Thank You for Your love that blesses and fills this day, and for each tomorrow that I experience before coming home to You; I know that You leave no day untouched by Your eternal love.

Amen.

1 Timothy 4:4

Everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.

OK, so here we go: Thank you Lord for… mosquitoes and cockroaches, leeks and lizards, onions and okra, I-4 traffic… (wait, you didn’t create that, we did!). Actually Paul was upset that people were creating all kinds of unnecessary rules about following God, even calling the good things of God untouchable. Let God set the standards. Ask God to help you to see this world from His view, and to receive His world with thanksgiving.

Lord, I pray [insert your prayer here]

Amen

Philippians 4:6

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

The fact that Paul tells us not to be anxious belies the reality that we often are anxious. The question is what to do about it. Do not be anxious about any one thing – he shares – but keep it within the perspective of everything else going on. See the anxiety-producing issue in relation to the big picture and then, with prayer, petition, and thanks for your overall circumstance – share your request with God about your issue.

Lord, I pray [insert your prayer here]

Amen.

1 Corinthians 15:57

Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Victory and defeat are often associated with games – and great building blocks for life. In war, these ideas carry much deeper and harsher impact – both for victors and victims. Even more so, the concepts of victory and defeat carry great weight with our souls. Being victimized by our sin is a terrible, soul-destroying notion. But in Christ becoming the victim who dies for our sins, we are given victory over sin and a blessed (not cursed) relationship with God.

Lord, lead me to a deep appreciation of Jesus’ victory over my sin.

Amen.