Prayer is our special time with God. It is a time when we can take time out of our busy lives, a time to shut out all life’s distractions, daily worries and the busyness of the week.
Being able to find a quiet corner, to shut my eyes, shutting out the distractions just for a few moments is something to be so thankful for.
I always try to allow time each morning, before I rush into the day to have that time with God. Just the two of us together, often with a cup of coffee in my hand. Then again last thing at night before going to sleep I reflect on the day and give thanks for all that the day has brought. Also during the day, when an opportunity arises I will take time out randomly to give thanks to God.
If you are like me, life often takes some unexpected twists and turns and I sometimes find myself unexpectedly facing situations where I feel ill-equipped and out of my depth, and at these times it isn’t easy to thank God. But without God challenging us, and taking us out of our comfort zone, we would not grow, as Christians. God never promised us an easy route to Him.
When we are challenged, and we then achieve do we always remember to go back to Him to say thank you? Probably not. It is easy to move on, forgetting that without God we wouldn’t have even attempted the challenge in the first place!
How reassuring is it to know that God will provide all that we need to achieve these challenges. The least we can do is to remember to go back to Him to thank Him.
Bringing the good things in our life to Him in thanks, helps us to recognise and appreciate, even the smallest of things. I’m often guilty of not always remembering to do that. I move on to the next thing, the next task, forgetting that without God I wouldn’t have anything to be thankful for.
Recently I had the pleasure of attending an awards ceremony, where one of my closest friends was being presented with a long service award to the Girl Guide movement and the young people she works with. It was lovely to see her efforts recognised, and to meet with other Guiding friends who I hadn’t seen for a long time. Thanking God for that opportunity was high on my agenda that night when I began to pray.
So, as we approach the season of Advent, remember to take the time to think about everything that you have in your life to be thankful for.
Dear Lord, so often I forget to come to you to say thank you, choosing instead to ignore all that you have done. Help me to appreciate even the smallest of things in my life. Help me to come to you, not only when I have problems, but when things are going well in my life.
Help me to come to you, in whatever way I can, whether that be in prayer, or just a conversation like I have with friends. I ask that you remind me, when I forget, to thank you for so much in my life. Give me a shake when I forget, and direct me when I am not sure what to do,
Guide my mind and my thoughts so that when I come to you, I hold a ‘thankful place’ in my heart. Remind me to take each day as it comes, to start the day afresh, and to not only seek the things that you have provided, but to come to you in prayer to give thanks afterwards, for you are my all in all. Amen.
Kathy Shaw
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