1 Samuel 7:12 NIV
“Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”
INSIGHT
-Ebenezer is a Hebrew word that means “stone of help.” The Hebrew transliteration shows the pronunciation as ‘ebhen ha ‘azer. Before Samuel sets up his stone of remembrance, the Israelites are set to fight the Philistines once again. After two prior defeats, we can surmise that the morale of the soldiers was down. As the battle begins, Scripture says “The Lord thundered loudly against the Philistines that day and threw them into such confusion that they were defeated by the Israelites.” At this point in Scripture, Ebenezer becomes the name of an altar. The meaning does not change but the power in it is brought to light. Samuel has been praying for his people to let go of their idols and immoral ways. Once his prayers are answered with the defeat of the Philistines, the land is restored to the Israelites, and there was peace between the Israelites and the Amorites. All these blessings deserved an act of remembrance. It is vital to give thanks to God for He has been a Stone of help to us. He has brought us this far. It is the last month of the year and we need to give our gratitude to God our Sustainer. Despite to difficulties and challenges that we have experienced in our personal lives, families, economy etc, the Lord has been our Ebenezer. We have not been consumed but we have experienced His mercy and grace. We need to give thanks for what we have already achieved and whatever we have not yet achieved knowing that God is in control and He is going to respond to all our needs according to His plan and purpose. Let us keep away all idols in our lives and keep praying and trusting in God and all things will be accomplished according to the plan and mercies of God.
PRAYER
Dear Almighty Father, we come before Your throne of mercy today with thanksgiving in our hearts. Because of Your great love we are not consumed, for Your compassions never fail. We thank You Lord for Your love, goodness, kindness and mercy that are new every morning. Thank You Father for this far that You have brought us and the far that You are taking us. Thank You for all Your spiritual blessings and the benefits that You have bestowed in our lives. We bless Your name for creating us, protecting us, providing for us and above all saving us by Your saving Grace through Your precious Son Jesus Christ. We thank You for the finished work of the cross and for the blood that You shed and Your body that You gave for us. Thank You for Your redemption power upon us and redeeming us from the grave. Thank You for healing our diseases whenever we got unwell. Thank You Lord for providing us and sustaining us. We love and appreciate You. We adore You and bless You with all our souls. Thank You for all the prayers You have answered this year and for all of us who are still waiting on You in some areas, we thank You for all Your good plans for us. We thank You for Your word and favor in our lives. We pray that You will forgive our sins and wash us with Your precious blood and purify us. We surrender the rest of the 26 days of this year to You that You may reign and fulfill all Your promises and great miraculous works. We thank You because we know that You have heard us. We pray that in Jesus’ Mighty Name. Amen
Further reading: Lamentations 3:22-25, Psalm 103:1-5
Psalm 107:8-9
“Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.”
INSIGHT
-Jehovah-Jireh means God our Provider. He gives us and has surely given us what we need for our lives and wellbeing and this is reason enough to give Him thanks and praise. Whatever we need may not arrive when one desires or needs it, but whatever we are in need of, God always gives in His perfect time. We are called to praise the Lord for His providential goodness. Even for the basic requirements of food, shelter and clothing as we pray for those who lack and support them. He brings us out of a wilderness state and condition, and supplies everything that we need for the glory and honor of His name. In Philippians 4:19-20, apostle Paul prays for God divine provision saying, “my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
PRAYER
Lord You are our Strength and Shield; our hearts trust You. Our hearts leap for joy, and with song we will praise You forever. You are our Provider Jehovah Jireh we thank You and exult Your holy name. You have surely provided and we have never lacked any good thing. Thank You for Your love and care for us. Even when we are faced with difficult economic times You have provided for us and sustained us. We have not been smitten by the sun during the day and the moon during the night, but You have held our hands with sure love. We love You Lord, thank You for loving us first. Thank for loving all mankind, may You provide for all those who lack. May You restore all the street children and families dear Jesus. May You revive our economy Almighty Father. May Your name be praised and exulted in all situations Abba Father. All glory, honor and praise belongs to You Jesus now and forever. Amen
Further reading: Psalms 121:3-6
Jeremiah 5:24 NKJV
“They do not say in their heart, “Let us now fear the Lord our God, Who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season. He reserves for us the appointed weeks of the harvest.”
INSIGHT
-God is the Author of times and seasons. God’s Power and Sovereignty is evident through the creation of the heavens, earth and everything that is in them. God’s magnificence in creation and design of His work displays His splendor and glory, and emanates need for glorification and thanksgiving. God makes the rains to come down and dry land He forms. He authors temperate climate and productivity of the land. God has ordained all these times and seasons this year and even before time. Our God is Great and greatly to be praised and exulted. Let us continually give Him praise despite our shortcomings. The Lord created us and Has kept us alive. He have given us all spiritual gifts in glory.
PRAYER
You alone are our Lord and God, Maker of the heavens and the earth. You made the heavens, the heaven of heavens with all their host. You made the earth and all that is on it. You made the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all of them and the heavenly host bows down before You Abba Father. Thank You Abba Father for the gift of life. Thank You for the gift of salvation through Your Beloved Son Jesus Christ. Thank You for the rains that You have given us to consume the previous ravaging drought. Thank You for the temperate climatic conditions that You have given us. Thank You for the productive land and fruitfulness that we enjoy. May You have mercy on those who perishing through floods. May You save our nation from drought prophesied to come for the next two years. May You save our nation from corruption, poor governance, discrimination, blood shed, ethnic politics, and other vices. May You change the hearts of our leaders to hearken to Your voice or give us new leaders who will serve Your people better. May You save our nation dear Lord Jesus. May You save our economy and give us remnants who will serve in every sector of our economy. May You revive our churches and deliver them from the love of money and favoritism. May You save us dear Lord. May You bless all those who are undertaking exams and grant them good success. May Your favor go with us this day and grant us all our hearts desires and protect us from all evil. Amen
Further reading: Hosea 6:1-3
1 Thessalonians 5:18 NKJV
“in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
INSIGHT
-Thanksgiving aligns us to the will of God. The will of God is supreme above our own personal will, and it is His purpose that prevails (Proverbs 19:21). When we pray, we are called to always consider the will of God for our lives. 1 John 5:14 tells us that, “this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us”. It is the will of God that we give thanks in everything disregarding the outcome. We are called to put on faith believing that God has the best plans and interests for our lives, far above what we can think of or imagine.
PRAYER
Let all the people praise You, let all the people praise You Oh Lord. Many are the plans in our hearts but it is Your will Lord that prevails. May You help us to know and follow Your will precious Holy Spirit. May You teach us to do Your will. Many are the plans that You have enabled us to achieve this year, we say thank You dear Jesus. For all the plans which are underway and the projects that will come in future we say thank You. Thank You Lord for the plans that You have for us, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give us a future and hope. Lord You are not a man that You should lie or a son of man that You should repent, for everything that You have promised will come to pass. Your promises are yes and amen, we believe in You dear Jesus. We put all our hope and trust in You dear Lord Jesus for Your plans are marvelous in our lives and every promise will come to pass at Your appointed time. Our Father who art in heaven; hallowed be Your name; Your Kingdom come; Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptations but deliver us from evil; for thine is the Kingdom the power and the glory; forever and ever. Amen
Further reading: Philippians 2:13, Ephesians 3:20-21
Psalms 103:1-6 NKJV
“Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord executes righteousness And justice for all who are oppressed.”
INSIGHT
-Thanksgiving is a response of awe to God, while reflecting on what He has done in the past, present and future. We give thanks as we reflect on the goodness of God and on the blessings that He has accorded us. More significantly, Jesus has forgiven us and redeemed us with His blood through His sacrifice on the cross. God has clothed us with diadems of lovingkindness and tender mercies, delivering us from former, current and later destruction. God has healed our diseases and delivered us from pain and shame. God calls us to hope in Him and He will renew our strength, He enables us to soar on wings like eagles, run and not grow weary, walk and not be faint (Isaiah 40:31)
SUMMARY
Thanksgiving in Hebrew is written as todah and it means to give praise or thanks offering to God. Few of us are strangers to anxiety. It creeps in over big and little things, gnawing away at our insides. Anxiety is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind and distracts the heart from the promises of God. Sometimes we are anxious about our finances thinking; how can we make this month’s bills? What if I lose my job? How will we put the kids through college? How can we meet our medical bills? How will we ever save enough for retirement? What if the economy fails? Other times we are anxious about our health especially as we grow older thinking, if I get cancer? What if I’m disabled or have to go into a nursing home? If we’re younger, we may have these same anxieties concerning our aging parents. Some youth are anxious about their future thinking; will I ever get a well paying job? Will I ever get married? Will I ever get children? What if I fail in life? Others are anxious about their children thinking, will they turn out okay? Will they avoid drugs and sexual immorality? Will they be caught up in LGBTQA+ issues? Will they be able to get into college and then get a decent-paying job? Will they marry a godly person and have a happy home? What kind of world will their children have to live in? These are some of the anxieties that go through our minds but it is not a conclusive list. We are called to pray so as to experience God’s peace in His presence through thanksgiving. We are called to give thanks to the Lord in all circumstances for this is God’s will in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:17). During lack and plenty, sickness and health, brokenness and wholeness, despair and satisfaction, poverty and wealth, delay and prosperity, joy and sorrow, heartbreak and hope, and we will receive our breakthroughs at God’s perfect time.
PRAYER
God of love, source of all life, giver of all grace, restorer of all peace, Who sits on the throne high above all created things, all authority and power belongs to You. We humbly come before Your throne of grace with thanksgiving in our hearts, thanking You Father, for Your unfailing love and wonderful deeds upon our lives. Many are our plans, needs, desires and petitions, may You ordain our steps and answer us according to Your will. You are good Father and Your righteousness, mercy and love endures forever. Have mercy on us Lord and cleanse us from all unrighteousness by Your precious blood. May You deliver us from all forms of anxiety and evil, and grant us peace. May Your peace Father that surpasses all understanding guard our hearts and minds always in You Christ Jesus. May You bless us and keep us. May You shine Your face towards us and be gracious unto us. May You show Your countenance unto us and give us peace. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now and forevermore. Amen
Further reading: Philippians 4:6-7