Evangelist & Revivalist Steve Hill once shared with me a peculiar habit he had when it came to his morning prayer routine. He would often rise early in the morning, long before the first member of the family would even think of stirring.
He would go downstairs, pour a cup of coffee and then begin to thank the Lord for everything his eyes fell upon.
“I thank you Lord, for this home. I thank you for the heating and air conditioning that has kept my family comfortable through the night. I thank you for this kitchen. Thank you for food in the cupboard and for the appliances to prepare food. Thank you for this clock, and the furniture…”
As he moved about the house, he praised God for everything he saw. He took nothing for granted and expressed his gratefulness for the even the smallest of things. I understand how many might view such an exercise to be somewhat extreme. I for one was challenged by it as it reminds me to view everything we currently possess to be a gift from the Lord. Steve was simply following the psalmist’s advice to enter the courts of the Lord with thanksgiving.
Psalm 100 says;
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
Come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
And his courts with praise;
Give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
His faithfulness continues through all generations.
As we enter into this Thanksgiving week, stop for a moment and consider just how blessed you truly are. Come Thursday most of us will find plenty of food on the table (if your home is like mine, you’ll be feasting on turkey for the next week). I trust you will find yourself in a home filled with family and friends. I hope your heart will be warmed with love and laughter. Surely each of us can give thanks to the Lord for another year of life and the memories that it brought. My point is, everyone of us has something to be thankful for.
Let me challenge you to follow the advice of a revivalist and do something that may be a little out of your ordinary routine this week. Take a moment to move throughout your home and begin to praise the Lord for everything you see. In the end they are all gifts that came from his hands. Praise him for them and see if the Lord doesn’t visit your home with his presence this holiday.
Jenna and I are thankful for the opportunity to be a part of your life! We are praying for you and believe God for another blessed holiday season!
