Pray and Give Thanks

You wake up. 

You open your eyes. 

You take a deep breath. 

You move your body so that you are sitting on the side of the bed. 

You see the sun rise that is causing beautiful colors in the sky. 

And then...

You stop and say, 

"Good morning, Father. Thank you."

I have to admit that I do not always remember to do that. It seems that there are a few mornings out of my week, that are occupied by someone else. Then, I will sit down to breakfast and while I am saying my thanks for the food, I will try to say the thanks for waking me up, and so on. However, here again, I have a few mornings each week that are occupied by someone else.

This week's prayers are here to help in your efforts to give thanks. Giving the Lord thanks for all that He does is a great way to start your day.

First, let's refresh our memories on the when, the where and the what to pray. 

The When, Where, and What

God is not concerned with what time of day it is. He is more concerned about having a relationship with you. So open your mouth and share your concerns. 

If you like the idea, and you have the space, create a prayer closet for yourself. If you do not have that kind of space, do not worry, you can pray wherever you are. You can walk outside and pray. You can walk your neighborhood and pray. You can pray while you are in your car driving to drop off or pick up the kids. God is not concerned with the where as long as you find time to focus on Him.

If you have an urgent need, open your mouth and talk to God. He is there listening to you as you pray. Remember, conversations are two way, so take time to listen to what He has to say in return.

Hold Tightly To the Lord 

This week has been about being grateful and thankful. Giving thanks for everything and giving thanks no matter what situation you may be facing. So when the dog climbs on your chest, in the middle of the night, and just sits there... give thanks to the Lord that He has brought such a blessing into your life :). When the bottom falls out from underneath you, hold on tightly to the Lord, and thank Him for being Your strength, your rock, your fortress (Ps. 18:1-2).

I have taken a few of the verses, that I listed earlier in the week, and have written out prayers to go with them. Below that, close to the bottom, I compiled all of the prayers into one prayer. 

And Give Him Thanks 

 James 1:17 ESV 

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 

Prayer:

Thank You for every good and perfect gift. I know that they come from You, the Father of Lights.

2 Corinthians 9:15 NIV 

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

Prayer:

Father,  I give thanks to You for Your indescribable gift to me!

John 3:16 ESV 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for loving me so much that You sent Your only Son to save me and give me eternal life.

Ephesians 2:8 NLT

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.

Prayer:

Father, once I believed in You, I was saved by Your grace. Thank You for this gift.

~~ The next prayer is just a rearranged compilation of the prayers listed above. Just wanted you to see that you can pray your verses by themselves, but you can also put them together. ~~

Compilation Prayer:

Father, thank You for loving me so much that You sent Your only Son to save me and give me eternal life. Once I believed in You, I was saved by Your grace. I give thanks to You for Your indescribable gift to me! Thank You for every good and perfect gift. I know that they come from You, the Father of Lights. In Jesus' name, Amen. 

Blessings, 

Leigha 

Photo credit: Zandria Ross from Pixabay

Stop and Give Thanks

One word. It is just one word. My one word for the year, last year, was grateful. Have you ever spent any amount of time being focused on giving thanks? Have you ever chosen one word to help keep you focused on the Lord throughout your year?

I look back over the past year and see so many things that the Lord has done for me. Things that I just cannot help but to stop and thank the Lord and to offer Him praise.

Stop and Be Thankful 

At the end of May, T moved back home. I spent so much time crying and praying that the Lord would reconcile our relationship and that He would bring T home. And He did!

Thank You For Nurses!

In June, I had my pituitary tumor removed. I prayed over the surgery, over the surgeons, the nurses, the anesthesiologists and technical team. I had so much peace going in to that surgery. The Lord was with me the whole time. And T, who had not planned on doing so, stayed with me the whole time I was in the hospital. BTW, I love nurses! I am so thankful for the ones that helped me.

Thank You For Medicines to Heal My Body

In July, I developed bacterial meningitis from the surgery that I had in June. I went back to the hospital and was put on all kinds of meds. I then had another surgery in the same exact location as the last one. This one, however, was just an exploratory surgery to check on the healing process on the incision leading into my brain. Everything looked great! I am going to say this again... I love nurses! So thankful for the help they offered me.

Then, because my body was going through so much during that whole time, I started spotting. Sorry don't mean to gross anyone out. In November, I had a d&c done. What I learned from that is that everything I experienced in the hospital after meningitis, was just a fluke thing. My pituitary had been aggravated a lot and so, I spotted a few days.

Thank You For No More Level 20 Pain!

Ok, from my time in the hospital with meningitis, the only thing that would even touch my headache at all was magnesium. And, if I am honest, I would have given that pain a level 20. Level 10 as the worst pain ever? My head laughed at a level 10 (haha). One thing that has inspired in my constant search to help with my headaches has been to try chelated magnesium. I read great reviews about it and thought I would give it a try. Within a month of using it..... my headaches are now few and far between. Praise the Lord!

Do you choose a word to focus on each year? I have seen where some do one word for 3 or 4 months and then another word for the next 3 or 4 months and so on. I have even seen where some do one word each month. In other words, they have 12 focus words. Shoot, I have just recently seen something about doing a different word for each day of the year.

Have you spent any amount of time being thankful? I do so highly recommend that you do.

Be Grateful and Give Thanks 

Below are verses about being grateful and giving thanks to the Lord. 

Hebrews 12:28 NLT

Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 

Philippians 4:6 NIV

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

Ephesians 2:8 NLT

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.

Psalm 118:1 ESV 

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!

Psalm 7:17 ESV 

I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.

James 1:17 ESV 

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 

2 Corinthians 9:15 NIV 

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

John 3:16 ESV 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Psalm 107:1 ESV 

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!

1 Chronicles 16:8 NLT 

Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done.

Philippians 1:3-4 NIV 

I thank God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy.

Psalm 100:4-5 NIV

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Ephesians 1:3 ESV 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,

John 1:16 NLT 

From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.

Ephesians 5:20 ESV 

Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Colossians 2:7 NIV 

Rooted and built up in Christ, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Psalm 103:1-5 NLT

Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!

Colossians 3:17 ESV 

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Revelation 11:17 NIV 

We give thanks to you, Lord God almighty, the One who is and who was…

Colossians 3:15-16 ESV 

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Psalm 147:7-9 NIV 

Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp. He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call.

Psalm 139:14 ESV 

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

Ephesians 5:20 ESV

 Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Chronicles 29:13 ESV 

And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.

Psalm 118:28 ESV 

You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you.

Blessings, 

Leigha 

Photo by noname_13 of pixabay.com 

Begin Your Year With Prayer

 Prayers? Is there a certain time of day that you need to pray? Morning, noon, bedtime? Is there a specific place that you need to pray? What do you pray?

When to Pray?

God is not concerned with what time of day it might be. If you have a need that is weighing heavy on your heart, open your mouth and tell Him about it. Shoot, be like me and walk around throughout your day, continually talking with Him. He wants a relationship with you and talking with Him in prayer will bring you closer to Him.

Where to pray?

I have a prayer closet. I love it! I know that I can sneak off in there any time that I just need to be alone with the Lord. However, if I am being honest, here, I hardly ever use the space anymore. I "try" once a week, but I have so many pains now that getting up from my "Big Joe" bean bag chair is not easy to do. Anyway, I do want to mention that you do not neccessary need a prayer closet (unless you have a house full). You can just walk outside and have alone time with the Lord as you spend time absorbing the beauty of nature that He has provided. 

What to pray?

As for what to pray, again, I will say that if you have a need that is weighing heavy on your heart, open your mouth and talk. Just remember that as He wants to hear from you, He also wants for you to hear Him.  When you talk to Him, practice allowing time for yourself to listen.

Prayers to Begin Your Year 

I have taken a few of the verses that I provided earlier in the week  and made prayers with them. There is something wonderful about taking His Word and praying it back to Him.

Psalm 65:11 NIV

You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.

Father, I thank You for blessing this new year with Your harvest and for the promise of ending this year with an overflow of abundance. In Jesus' name, Amen. - Psalm 65:11

Psalm 29:11 NIV

The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.

Father, thank You for increasing my strength and for blessing me with peace. Whenever I face something new, I hesitate because of uncertainty. Please forgive me. Thank You for being my source of strength. In Jesus' name, Amen. - Psalm 29:11

Psalm 16:5-6 ESV

The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

Father, thank You for being everything that I need. Thank You for making my life, and my future secure. I am so thankful for all that You have given me and for all that I have received from You. In Jesus' name, Amen. - Psalm 16:5-6

Leviticus 26:10 NLT

You will have such a surplus of crops that you will need to clear out the old grain to make room for the new harvest!

Father, I thank You for being Jehovah Jireh  - The God Who Provides. Thank You for providing everything that I will need as I go throughout this year. Thank You for not only meeting my needs, but also for providing such an overflow that I will need to clear out the old to make room for the new. In Jesus' name, Amen. - Leviticus 26:10

Isaiah 46:4 NIV

Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

Even to my old age and my gray hairs, You are the One, You are the One Who will sustain me. You made me and You will carry me; You will sustain me and You will rescue me. - Isaiah 46:4

~~ The next prayer is just a rearranged compilation of the prayers listed above. Just wanted you to see that you can pray your verses by themselves, but you can also put them together. ~~






Father, I thank You for being Jehovah Jireh  - The God Who Provides. Thank You for providing everything that I will need as I go throughout this year. Thank You for not only meeting my needs, but also for providing such an overflow that I will need to clear out the old to make room for the new. I thank You for blessing this new year with Your harvest and for the promise of ending this year with an overflow of abundance. Thank You for increasing my strength and for blessing me with peace. Whenever I face something new, I hesitate because of uncertainty. Please forgive me. Thank You for being my source of strength. Even to my old age and my gray hairs, You are the One, You are the One Who will sustain me. You made me and You will carry me; You will sustain me and You will rescue me. Father, thank You for being everything that I need. Thank You for making my life, and my future secure. I am so thankful for all that You have given me and for all that I have received from You. In Jesus' name, Amen. - Leviticus 26:10 - Psalm 65:11 - Psalm 29:11 - Isaiah 46:4 - Psalm 16:5-6

What's next? 

Verses on being thankful/grateful.

Blessings, 

Leigha 

Encouraging Verses For the Year

 I have to admit that I have never really been big into setting goals each new year. How about you? Do you set goals for yourself? Do you stick with them?

Now to be honest, I have set goals, in the past. However, I either will not stick with the goal, or I will go in the opposite direction. Meaning that I will get so obsessed with the goal that nobody is happy, especially me.

Just know that if you do set goals, I am here cheering you along your journey 👏.

I am including some verses to help encourage you as you go throughout the year. 

Bible Verses to Begin Your Year 

Psalm 65:11 NIV 

You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.

John 1:16 ESV 

And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

 

Psalm 29:11 NIV 

The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.

 

Psalm 20:4 ESV 

May he grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans!

 

Psalm 16:5-6 ESV 

The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

 

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Isaiah 43:18-19 ESV 

Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

Jeremiah 29:11 NLT

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Leviticus 26:10 NLT

You will have such a surplus of crops that you will need to clear out the old grain to make room for the new harvest!

Deuteronomy 7:13 NLT

He will love you and bless you, and he will give you many children. He will give fertility to your land and your animals. When you arrive in the land he swore to give your ancestors, you will have large harvests of grain, new wine, and olive oil, and great herds of cattle, sheep, and goats.

Proverbs 23:18 NIV

There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.

1 Peter 1:3 NIV

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

Zephaniah 3:17 NLT

For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”

Isaiah 54:1-3 NLT

“Sing, O childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into loud and joyful song, O Jerusalem, you who have never been in labor. For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband,” says the Lord. “Enlarge your house; build an addition. Spread out your home, and spare no expense! For you will soon be bursting at the seams. Your descendants will occupy other nations and resettle the ruined cities.

Isaiah 54:4-5 NLT

“Fear not; you will no longer live in shame. Don’t be afraid; there is no more disgrace for you. You will no longer remember the shame of your youth and the sorrows of widowhood. For your Creator will be your husband; the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is his name! He is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the earth.

Malachi 4:2 NLT

“But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.

Revelation 21:5 NLT

And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.”



Philippians 1:6 NIV  

“being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

Isaiah 46:4 NIV 

Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

Psalm 121:3 NIV

He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber.

** Bonus **

I came across this verse and just had to share it with you. May you receive many blessings throughout this year.

Deuteronomy 28:6 NLT 

Wherever you go and whatever you do, you will be blessed.

Blessings, 

Leigha 

Gerd Altmann of pixabay.com