My Thanksgiving Prayer

LORD, when I measure my life by the things that are of eternal worth, my heart explodes with gratitude. I thank you LORD for the magnificence of Your power and grace which overflow in our church family transforming us into a people . . .

Who love You with all their being
Who adore their Savior
Who worship You with gladness
Who sing praises to You from pure hearts
Who honor You on the Lord's Day
Who walk in the light of Your Word
Who turn to You for guidance
Who are filled with the Holy Spirit
Who believe You alone are worthy of trust
Who cling to Your promises
Who look into Your Word for strength
Who are humbled by sinfulness
Who are fearful of selfish pride
Who die daily to the world, the flesh and the devil
Who stand with a bold humility on the truth of the Word
Who are discerning of sin and error
Who have an insatiable appetite for sound doctrine
Who persevere under trial
Who see the glimmer of God's grace in the darkest hours
Who uphold one another in prayer
Who exhort one another to holiness
Who give to one another with amazing generosity
Who speak the truth to one another in love
Who cry and laugh with one another
Who share their burdens with one another
Who sacrifice for one another
Who risk together
Who seek to raise up the next generation of godliness
Who are models of faith to the young
Who assist one another in spiritual education of children
Who battle unbelief daily
Who live out the gospel before their neighbors
Who share Christ's redeeming love with others
Who give aid to the widow, orphan and poor
LORD, Your mercies are new every morning. I am humbled by Your goodness which has guarded our church--our family of families--from being a people . . .

Who are self absorbed
Who look to gratify selfish interests before looking to the needs of others
Who fight and bicker over petty differences
Who are demanding and controlling
Who wilt under the pressure of spiritual opposition
Who look to get rather than look to give
Who return evil for evil
Who slander and gossip about others
Who lie by twisting the truth or by exaggeration
Who are more loyal to a man than faithful to God
Who fear pain more than they love righteousness
Who are abundant in criticism and slight in praise
Who sweat to gain an abundance of worldly things
Who have a greater taste for the riches of earth than the riches of heaven
Who see wrong and remain silent
Who cherish the opportunity to hear an evil report
Who rejoice when injury comes to others
Who look with envy when others are praised
Who plot to get even
Who refuse to forgive
Who express forgiveness but hold a grudge
Who are unmoved by the temporal needs of others
Who are cold in heart to judgment of eternal death resting upon the lost
Who are skeptical of spiritual leadership
Who are distrusting of one another
Who evaluate everything by the question, "What do I get out of this?"
Who give only when there is the prospect of recognition
Who grumble and grumble and grumble
Who look at the Scriptures through pragmatic lens
Who obey the Bible when they see advantage but ignore it otherwise
Who look to God to endorse their fleshly interests
Who take their knowledge as a way to be superior to others
Who boast in their holiness
Who are legalistic
Who are uninterested in the history of the saints who lived before them
Who see no value in traditions
Who confuse traditions with commands

LORD, our boast, our brag, our glory, our hope, our strength, and our joy, is You.
AMEN.