A Prayer to Thank God for the Earth - Your Daily Prayer - April 22
A Prayer to Thank God for the Earth
By Lynette Kittle
Bible Reading:
“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone—while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?” - Job 38:4-7
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Where were we when God laid the earth’s foundations? What a sight it would have been to see Him mark off its dimensions and stretch a measuring line across it.
What must it have been like to hear the morning stars singing together and all the angels shouting for joy? We can try to imagine it, but any picture we form is sure to fall short of the glory and magnificence of God creating the earth in all its splendor.
Yet many of us take the earth for granted, overlooking how remarkably God formed it; so perfectly designed to sustain life.
A New Look at Earth Day
Earth Day began in 1970 as an observance organized by Wisconsin U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson, often called “The Father of Earth Day.” He planned a national demonstration to raise awareness about environmental issues.
By 1990, Earth Day had spread to 140 countries worldwide and served as a catalyst for the United States government to establish the Environmental Protection Agency.
Tom DeRosa, founder of the Creation Studies Institute in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and a former evolutionist and atheist, believes Christians can approach Earth Day differently by viewing the earth as a gift from God, specially designed to support life.
As DeRosa explains, “Celebrating Earth Day in a Biblical context can be a fantastic event to honor our Creator, not the Earth or any other idol. The secular origins of Earth Day celebrations, along with their apocalyptic evolutionary themes, imply that humanity's attempts to cause its demise are a futile effort to alter human behavior. A more optimistic perspective is that we should be good stewards of the planet God created for us; He granted us life because of His incredible love, and we will be blessed in return.”
Genesis 1:1 tells us, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
As Christians, we have every reason to celebrate the earth as God’s creation. As Jeremiah 10:12 says, “But God made the earth by His power; He founded the world by His wisdom and stretched out the heavens by His understanding.”
God has also given us the responsibility to care for it as Genesis 1:26 explains: “Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’”
DeRosa believes, “Mankind needs to be diligent in taking care of the planet environmentally because God has given man a dominion mandate in Genesis 1:26, where man is responsible for managing living things on the earth.”
Through his own conversion to Christianity, DeRosa understands how recognizing God’s hand in creation can draw people to faith in Jesus Christ, as we see in Romans 1:20: “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”
Let’s Pray:
Dear Father,
Thank You for Your magnificent creation of the earth, designed in countless ways that bless and sustain our lives, many of which we have yet to discover.
Help us to celebrate Earth Day in ways that honor You and glorify Your name.
Lead us in sharing the truth, wonder, and beauty of Your creation with those who have not yet heard how lovingly You made it. Use our words to soften hearts and open minds, drawing others to faith in Jesus Christ.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
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Photo Credit: © Getty Images/pcess609
Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, StartMarriageRight.com, and more. She has a M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as associate producer for Soul Check TV.
Related Resource: A Prayer for When You Feel Spiritually Tired
There is a particular kind of exhaustion that has nothing to do with how much sleep you got last night. It's the weariness that settles into your soul when you've been going hard for a long time — when prayer feels hollow, worship feels distant, and you find yourself sitting in church thinking about everything except what's being said. If that's where you are tonight, this episode was written for you. If you like what you hear, follow Your Nightly Prayer on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
