Pray with Thanksgiving!

On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” — Zephaniah 3:16–17

Dear brothers and sisters, God’s love is calling us to the joys of eternal happiness for the salvation of our soul. “Rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4). The “joys” of this world lead to eternal misery, but the joys willed for us by the Lord are enduring and everlasting if we persevere. The Apostle therefore says, “Again I say: rejoice” (Philippians 4:4).

He urges us to find ever-increasing joy in God and in keeping His commandments.

The more we give ourselves to God by obeying His commands, the greater our happiness in the life to come will be, and the greater the glory that we will share in the presence of God.

“The Lord is near; have no anxiety” (Philippians 4:5–6). The Lord is always near to all who call upon His help with sincerity, true faith, sure hope, and perfect love. He knows what you need, even before you ask Him. He is always ready to come to the aid of His faithful servants, whatever their need. There is no reason for us to worry when evils threaten us; we must remember that God is very near to us always as our protector.

“But in every prayer and supplication let your petitions be made known to God, with thanksgiving” (Philippians 4:6).

In time of trouble we must not grumble or be downhearted; God forbid! We must rather be patient and cheerful, “giving thanks to God always in everything” (Ephesians 5:20).

~Ambrose

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Your Turn

Are you reminding yourself to rejoice this Thanksgiving no matter what your current circumstances? “Always in everything”? Some of us are in a season of joy and plenty — life is good, business is thriving, marriage is happy, kids are healthy, and the outlook is sunny. Some of us are in a season of grief and need — life is filled with pain, money disappeared, marriage is rocky or broken, kids are sick or have gone off the rails, and tomorrow looks like more of the same, hopefully not worse. No matter what life looks like today, your Mighty Warrior is with you and rejoices over you with singing. Talk to Him. He’s waiting to hear from you! What are you praying for with thanksgiving? We would love to hear from you! Please, join the conversation on our blog! ~ Devotionals Daily