🍂Prayer🍂

Father,

As September comes to a close, I have one big prayer.

Would You awaken thanksgiving, gratitude, and an awareness of Your blessing across this world?

From east to west, would You meet people in ordinary places and ordinary moments with such a deep awareness of Your goodness that they stop and wonder, What is this I’m feeling? Why does my heart suddenly feel full?

Open our eyes to what we have stopped seeing.

Remind us of the breath in our lungs, the food before us, the people beside us, the provision we overlook, the prayers You have answered, and even the ways You have cared for us that we have never recognized.

And Father, begin with me. Forgive me for the times I have received Your goodness without gratitude. Forgive me for entitlement. Forgive me for the times I have wanted more without stopping to thank You for what is already in my hands.

Forgive me for the ways comfort, possessions, success, status, or selfish ambition have ever become more important to me than loving You and loving people well.

Search my heart and show me what I cannot see for myself. Nudge me toward gratitude today, tomorrow, and every day after that.

And God, I ask for Your mercy over my family, my community, my nation, and this world. Where we have become consumed with ourselves, turn our hearts toward You and toward one another. Teach us generosity. Teach us contentment. Teach us to recognize enough. Teach us to receive blessing with open hands so that what You give us can also become blessing to someone else.

Restore what is crooked in me. Lead me back into right relationship with You wherever I wander.

And when I fail, remind me that You are not standing far away waiting for me to somehow find my way back.

You are the God who walks with me.

You listen.   You speak.   You gently correct me.   You completely forgive me. 

You love me.      Oh how you love me...

You invite me to share my life with You. Jesus, thank You for the cross. Thank You for taking my sin upon Yourself and making a way for me to know the Father. Thank You that because of You, faith is not simply something I practice. I get to know You.

And that may be one of the greatest blessings I will ever spend my life learning to count.

I'm willing and thankful... I'm willing and grateful...

Let my life bless you and be a blessing to others... may it all point back to you...

In Jesus’ name,

Amen. 🤎