A Prayer of Praise and Thanksgiving for God’s Faithfulness
By Kristine Brown
Bible Reading
“The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.” (Psalm 28:7 NLT)
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Many of us will gather around a table this season to celebrate, give thanks, and enjoy our favorite foods. We will appreciate the cooler weather, the fall harvest, and all it represents in our lives. We will spend hours in the kitchen and maybe even hours traveling to see relatives. Yet, there are others who won’t feel much like celebrating. Instead of a table full of favorite foods, some will see scarcity. Instead of a gathering of family members, some will see empty chairs. While people everywhere will rejoice in all God has done, others may think about what used to be and question why a good God would allow this painful season.
The apostle Paul said, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want” (Philippians 4:12). In times of want, contentment is hard to find, but I’ve discovered two things that bring contentment back to my heart when I’m not seeing God’s abundance in my circumstances—praise and thanksgiving.
The psalmist David wrote, “The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.” I turn to this verse when I’m not feeling much like praising and giving thanks. David’s words offer an inspiring message about God filling our hearts with joy through our praise and gratitude. However, if we simply take this one verse without seeing the entire psalm, we will miss a powerful truth about praise and thanksgiving and its greater purpose in our lives.
David began the psalm with this declaration, “I pray to you, O Lord, my rock. For if you are silent, I might as well give up and die” (Psalm 28:1). David didn’t approach God from a place of abundance and joy. In fact, he sounded as if he was about ready to give up if God didn’t do something. He even went on to say about the wicked, “Give them the punishment they so richly deserve.” He revealed his feelings toward those who prospered in spite of their wrongdoing. But notice what happened only two short verses later. David sang, “Praise the Lord!” He poured out his hurt, then almost instantly shifted to words of praise and a song of thanksgiving. Psalm 28 offers hope to us today, both in times of plenty and in times when hopelessness threatens to steal our joy. God is always, always faithful.
The sobering reality is that you may be experiencing your own difficult season right now. You may also be thinking it’s easier to proclaim God’s faithfulness when your people are healthy, the chairs are filled, and there is food on the table. But therein lies the lesson our hearts need, dear friend-in-the-faith. Praise and thanksgiving are choices we make. We’ve all enjoyed seasons when we felt God’s blessings showering down on us like refreshing rains of spring, but if those seasons are a distant memory for you, remember this promise. God was faithful then; he is faithful now. So, let’s choose praise. Let’s choose thanksgiving. Like David, I believe we will sense a radical shift in our perspective as we cling to God’s character, whatever our current season.
Let’s Pray:
Dear God,
We praise you today! Thank you for being the solid Rock we can always count on. You are faithful, and your Word is true. Thank you for reminding us of the power of our praise and gratitude. Your Word says you are our “strength and shield.” We are thankful for your protection over us. Even when our circumstances seem overwhelming, your lovingkindness never ends. We thank you for the abundant seasons, and also for being present through our difficulties. We know you are always with us—guiding, comforting, and helping. We remember days past when you heard our prayers, and we know your faithfulness never changes. You are with us today, just like you were then. Fill our hearts with joy as we give thanks to you, God.
In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.
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