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Respite For the Weary
Thanksgiving week is just around the corner. It's time to gather together!
As we start our holiday lists that can get rather long and stress-filled, let's remember that fellowship is our main focus. The people in our homes are more important than the four walls of our homes. The decorative table is the mere backdrop to the conversation around it. We want the food to taste delicious, but we want the laughter and love to be just as rich! It's embedded in us to desire unity in our family, but how do we gain this gift? I want to suggest a key ingredient is prayer. The Lord reminds me often that prayer is the "secret sauce" to any gathering.
So, as we start our lists this week, as we go to the grocery store, as we lay out our meal plans and clean our bedrooms, etc, let's decide to use this time in quiet prayer, thanking God for each individual that will enter our homes during the holiday season. Name them out loud as you lift them to the Lord.
Thank God for the opportunity to gather!
Ask Him to be present in every conversation and every interaction.
Ask Him to be the strongest voice and the greatest love and the sweetest blessing in the midst of your family.
Ask Him to bless your home with both his presence and his peace.
Our homes are our a gift from the Lord. I've never been without one, and I would imagine, the majority of you have been blessed in this way as well. Our hospitality is our gift back to God. He delights to see us gather together!
"How good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity." Psalm 133:1
So let's trim down our to-do lists and beef up our prayer lists. In doing so, we will be more eager to open up our doors with warm and thankful hearts.
Dear Lord,
Thank you for the gift of our homes. We take for granted the pleasures of kitchens and bathrooms, comfortable beds and cozy dens. Again, we praise you for your tangible goodness to us! As a gift back to you, help us to prepare our hearts for this upcoming holiday. As you know, where people gather, so do potential problems. Relationships are hard to navigate at times! We ask for your mercy and your grace even now. Please Lord, bless us richly with your unifying love. Amen.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor... Isaiah 6:9
Dear Lord,
You are all wise. You know exactly what we need. You want to direct us onto the right paths--every day, every decision. Forgive us when don't seek you first, but rather seek counsel elsewhere. Help us to be rooted in your word as well as receive wise instruction from those who walk with you. In Jesus' Name, Amen.