Your Daily Devotion for April 20, 2009

Pray in Thanks

by Dr. Paul Chappell

 

 

“Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.”

 

1 Chronicles 16:8–11

 

 

God’s goodness does not depend on your outward circumstances but on your position as one of His children.

 

William Bradford, the governor of Plymouth Colony and a devout believer, made this proclamation to the early settlers of America:

 

“To All Ye Pilgrims: Inasmuch as the great Father has given us this year an abundant harvest of Indian corn, wheat, beans, squashes, and garden vegetables, and has made the forests to abound with game and the sea with fish and clams, and inasmuch as He has protected us from the ravages of the savages, has spared us from pestilence and disease, has granted us freedom to worship God according to the dictates of our own conscience; now, I, your magistrate, do proclaim that all ye Pilgrims, with your wives and little ones, do gather at ye meeting house, on ye hill, between the hours of 9 and 12 in the day time, on Thursday, November ye 29th of the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and twenty-three, and third year since ye Pilgrims landed on ye Pilgrim Rock, there to listen to ye pastor, and render thanksgiving to ye Almighty God for all His blessings. “

 

Governor Bradford realized the reason they were alive was a result of the protective hand of God. He ordered that everyone show God their thanks through gathering together and lifting up their voices to Heaven in praise.

 

If the Pilgrims—who faced religious persecution in England, storms and sickness on the Mayflower, and bitter cold and death during the first winter—could praise God for His goodness, we should so much the more!

 

God’s goodness does not depend on your outward circumstances but on your position as one of His children. If you are saved, you have been blessed with eternal life. No storm of life or trial can ever take that away. You should thank and praise God each day for salvation alone.

 

You have so much to be thankful for, and God wants to hear you thank Him. Each time you meet with Him in prayer, He desires that you would take time to praise and thank Him for His goodness. Rather than always asking from Him, why not give praise to Him?

 

How is the “thanksgiving” part of your prayer life? Do you daily spend time reflecting on His goodness and praising Him for it? God has been so good. Take time to look around and reflect back on what He’s done for you. Spend time in prayer right now simply thanking God for all He’s done. When you’re focused on how good He’s been to you, you’ll find that life’s trials do not compare to His goodness.

 

 

To find out more about Pastor Paul Chappell visit his blog or follow him on twitter.

 

To hear Daily in the Word, the daily radio broadcast of Dr. Paul Chappell, or to subscribe to the daily podcast, please visit dailyintheword.org.

 

 

 

 

Daily Bible Reading

2 Samuel 9-11 • Luke 15:11-32

 

 

 

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