On the Sunday before Thanksgiving, we are going to have a prayer service. The service will be a little like our Good Friday Tenebrae service, where we have several readings followed by a short message and a prayer. Each section would be focused on thanking God for something specific He has done or a specific part of our lives.
Terrell had a great idea that we could have volunteers for both the readings and the prayers. I’d like to ask each of you to consider volunteering for one of the prayers. The prayers can be done individually or as a team.
You would be able to pray on the theme of your section and include any personal prayers of praise and thanksgiving. If you would like help with what to say for the prayer, I would be more than happy to help.
Below are the verses and themes for the prayers.
Chronicles 16:23-26 – Thanksgiving for Forgiveness and Salvation
Luke: 4:18-19; 1 Peter 2:16-17 – Thanksgiving for Freedom, Peace, Our Nation, etc.
Psalm 23 – Thanksgiving for Health and wellbeing
Psalm 145:15-19 – Thanksgiving for Provision, Home, Food, Work, etc.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-11 – Thanksgiving for Family and friends
Philippians 4:6-7 – Thanksgiving for Peace and comfort
Colossians 3:15-17 – Thanksgiving for Prayer, God’s Word, Church, etc.
Please select which you would like to do and let me know or go to our signup genius list and sign up for one of the prayers.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” – Psalm 119:105
Have you ever walked through the woods at night?
Our passage from yesterday told us that God’s Word is truth and that it sanctifies us (makes us holy). God’s Word also directs, protects, and guides us as we walk through our lives.
God’s Word Directs
Should I turn left or right?
Should I take this job or that?
Should I spend time doing one thing or the other?
How close of a friend should I be with this person?
Life presents us with a lot of questions and God’s Word can direct us in many of these questions. Through God’s Word, we can become wise. This starts with faith but extends to many areas of life. The books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job, and Psalms contain a great deal of wisdom that pertains to many areas of life. As we study God’s Words and put those words into practice, we grow in wisdom.
This doesn’t mean every step is directed. You won’t find a passage that tells you to park in one parking spot vs another or which mutual fund to invest in, but God’s Word will give you principles that can help you to know that whether you step to the right or left, you are stepping on solid ground.
God’s Word Protects The other day I was walking my dog when I stepped in the wrong place and rolled my ankle. It hurt and I had to wear a brace for a few days. It’s good to see where you are stepping to so you can avoid things like that.
God’s Words can protect you from rolling your proverbial ankle.
There are countless warnings in the Bible about the damaging effects of sin and foolishness. The Bible gets pretty specific about many of these things as well.
Pride comes before the fall.
The love of money leads to all kinds of evil.
Like a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool returns to his folly.
There are many more…
The Bible doesn’t just protect us from worldly harm, though. God’s promises protect us from hopelessness and despair. His Gospel even protects us from eternal death!
God’s Word Guides Ultimately, God’s Word is the light that guides us to eternal life.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” – John 1:1-5
God’s Word is the light of the world which leads us out of darkness into His marvelous light. It guides us not only in our actions but our faith. It guides us to life, itself.
Heavenly Father,
Jesus is the light of the world. Guide me by the light of Your Word into faith and, by faith, into eternal life with You. Protect me from the dangers that lie all around me. Guide me on my path that in this life, that I would walk in your ways to the glory of Your holy Name.