Count Your Blessings. Literally!November 1st, 2015

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.               (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Before you know it … the Holidays will be upon us and most likely we will be caught up in the frenzy and busyness of preparing for Thanksgiving Day, quickly following by the Season of Advent and the celebration of Christmas.  No doubt, it will be a joyous time … a frustrating time … an exhausting time … and for some, even a time of sadness … and we’ll likely experience EACH of these emotions over the coming 8 weeks.

It’s early enough … to challenge ourselves to carve out times of quiet with The Lord, and offer Him our THANKS! … our GRATITUDE for all He is doing in our lives. They say … “Count Your Blessings”! … well, let’s LITERALLY count them and give thanks this entire month!

So here’s a prayer activity for the month of November and what you’ll need to get started:

1. Something to write in … Your Sacred Intercession Prayer Journal … or any writing journal
2. Colored Pens … or just standard (color is more fun)
3. Your bible … or favorite Bible App
4. Include the whole family!

Here’s what you do:
1. Set aside 15 minutes each day

2. Before you begin, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and speak to your heart.

3. Search the Psalms, Old Testament and New Testament for a verses that speak about giving thanks. It’s easy to search “thanks” or “thanksgiving” on your bible app

4. Choose one for each day and pray it – it’s okay to repeat any of them throughout the month

5. Use your journal to write a daily prayer either based on the scripture verse, or a prayer from your heart

Here are some thought starters to get you going…

WHO ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR?

Write a prayer of thanks for each of your family members. Choose a different family member each day. Include a prayer of blessing for them.  If they are out of town – send them a card and tell them how thankful you are.

WHAT ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR?
The Lord’s provisions are plentiful … thank Him for them.  Even the trials and challenges – for they bring growth and can bear much fruit.

HOW ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR GOD HIMSELF?
Praise and thank Your Abba, His Son and the Holy Spirit … just for who they are.

Be Encouraged:

As the month goes by … you will likely have to dig deep for all that you are thankful for … and that’s good! Digging deep helps us get underneath the surface and the obvious.

Ideas for Families:
1. Create family book of Thanksgiving …. Use it all year!
2. Setup a basket and each day … write a prayer on a card and put it in the basket.
3. Thanksgiving Day … read some of them. Lift them up and offer them to God in thanksgiving.

I’ll be posting on my Facebook page all month! Pray along with me!!