1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
Psalm 34:8
"Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him."
Today's Prayer Focus
- Today let’s take time to rejoice in God’s love and his power to answer our prayers.
- Let’s give thanks to God that we can trust him for the future answers to our prayers.
- Take some moments to give thanks in the midst of your circumstances, knowing that we can trust that our lives are part of his larger story.
- Let’s thank God in advance for all that he will do in the months to come.
"Taste and See That the Lord is Good"
Mike Tilley
This is our last day of the prayer initiative. Thank you for being one of 83 people who signed up to pray daily for the work of the church in the coming months. Today we simply want to offer thanksgiving to God, as an expression of our faith in him.
A number of times in Scripture, prayer seems to be associated with both spiritual alertness and giving thanks. It seems that God wants all of our prayers to be accompanied by an attitude of thanksgiving. It is a wonderful habit, to give thanks as we pray. With thanksgiving, we trust God for answers that we do not yet see, while expressing gratitude for his presence and for the blessings that he has already given.
For all of us, my guess is that our daily prayers this month have often been a kind of discipline, a laboring in prayer. Don’t be discouraged when your prayers have grown faint, or when you’ve forgotten to pray. Let’s thank God that he is a loving Father, who does not upbraid us for our failings in prayer, but who welcomes our prayers with the delight of a Father. For some, perhaps your love for prayer has been nurtured, as an acquired taste. Let’s continue our fellowship with him. “Oh taste and see that the Lord is good!” (Psalm 34:8)
Mike Tilley is the senior pastor of Lake Baldwin Church, and has lived in Orlando since 1994. He and his wife, Molly, worked with a core group from the Baldwin Park community to plant Lake Baldwin Church in 2006. Mike loves teaching the Bible in a way that relates to real life. In his spare time, Mike enjoys good movies, long dinner with friends, snow skiing, hanging out with his kids and two granddaughters, and travel.