A Prayer to Find Joy and Gratitude in Everyday Moments - Your Daily Prayer - September 4

A Prayer to Find Joy and Gratitude in Everyday Moments
By Christine F. Perry

Bible Reading
"A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones." Proverbs 17:22 NKJV 

Life has numerous ups and downs. In a span of two weeks, I'd lost my job for reasons that were never disclosed and a close relationship. I felt crushed. If I am being honest, I felt like I deserved both things. I didn't realize how deeply rooted my entitlement was. The Lord used the loss of those two things to bring me to my knees. I felt the weight of my sin and saw the gruesome and devastating damage it was having on my soul. I repented. I asked God daily to help me. I had to ask Him daily to provide because if He didn't show up, I was going to be in bad shape. I felt utterly broken and helpless. During that season, I found a quote by Charles Spurgeon that I still refer to from time to time. He said, "If you are not content with what you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled." 

When I saw that quote for the first time, I stopped and began to give thanks for the things in my life. I began thanking God for every freelance project I was hired to do. I thanked him for the time that I had to focus on writing. I thanked him for my family. I thanked him for my friends. I thanked him for never leaving me when I felt so heartbroken over the dreams I had envisioned for my life. Every day, I learned to thank Him for having what I needed for that day. I was at a point where I literally only had enough money for that day. When bills would arrive, I would pray for enough projects to cover them. Every time, exactly when I needed them to be, the bills were covered. I always had just enough. 

During that season, I also had to go to the doctor for two separate issues. I wasn't sure how I was going to pay for the visits, but I knew I needed to go. The Lord delayed the payments long enough so that when the bills came, the money was there. Although I never want to go through a season like that again, it taught me to give thanks for everything (and I know I will need to learn this lesson again). The more I give thanks, the more I find things to be grateful for.

Let's pray:

Dear Lord,
Thank you for the season you have us in right now and for being with us in it. Thank you for another day of life, for the breaths in our lungs and the beats in our hearts. Thank you for knowing us better than we know ourselves and for knowing what is absolutely best for us. Lord, please forgive us for our lack of gratitude and trust. Forgive us for our entitlement. Forgive us for thinking we deserve anything but your wrath. Lord, we are unworthy of you and unworthy of even communicating with you. But Lord, because of your sacrifice, you allow us not only to live but also to talk with you and be your friend. Lord, we are so unworthy, but we are thankful. You give us so much more than we deserve, and if you gave us nothing more, you have already given us more than enough. Lord, we are selfish beings and we need your help. Can you please help us to have hearts of gratitude? Help us to live for you and not for ourselves. We need you. Thank you so much for sending Jesus to save us. We love you. Help us to love you more.
Amen

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Christine is just a lady who was given the gift of being raised in an incredible family. For reasons unknown to her, God has blessed her with an amazing life full of beautiful friendships, remarkable experiences, and a love from Him that is completely underserved. She desires to encourage others and share hope as we journey through the highs and lows of life. Christine is the author of How I Met Peace and For the Weary Life Traveler, a 31-day devotional. Check out more of Christine's work at her website:  Learning to be fearless and her Patreon.

Editor's Note: We're proud to announce we've just launched a new nighttime companion to Your Daily Prayer: the Your Nightly Prayer devotional. You'll soon be able to subscribe to receive Your Nightly Prayer via email, or as a podcast, but for now you can find it on the website at crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer. We hope it's a relaxing and soothing way to wind down your day with rich meditations on who God is.

Related Resource: Jesus Calling - Stories of Faith

Kerry Washington. Andrea Bocelli. Reba McEntire. Mark Wahlberg. Tony Dungy. Matthew McConaughey, What do all of these people have in common? They are all people of faith who have leaned on God in both the good and challenging times—and they’ve shown up to tell their story of faith on The Jesus Calling Podcast. The Jesus Calling Podcast provides a place for people from all walks of life to share the heartaches, joys, and divine moments that keep them going. 

Inspired by Sarah Young's classic devotional book, the Jesus Calling podcast has brought encouragement and peace to millions. New episodes drop every Thursday! Listen today on LifeAudio.com or wherever you find your podcasts.

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