As a child, do you remember asking for the “secret password” when your sibling or parent knocked on the door to come into your room, or watching children’s shows and the characters had a “clubhouse” that they would require a secret password to be allowed in?

That is in some ways how I read Psalm 100:4, speaking about God, it says, “enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise.”

The secret password for gaining entry into God’s gates and court are thanks and praise. Before our prayers and petitions are allowed in God’s presence, we need to give him thanks and praise.

Dear Lord, we come to you with our thanks for giving us our savior Jesus Christ and for the important things in our lives, our families, friends, our health. We recognize all that we have is just on loan from you. We praise you for your awesome power and love for us. Help us remember to come to you with our thanks and praise first. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

You may have read or heard the words of 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” It is often misunderstood as to say give thanks “for” all circumstances, which has a significantly different meaning.

We all experience things we wish would not have happened, accidents, tragedies, etc. and although sometimes God gives us these things to help us grow, it would be a strange to be thankful for something terrible that happens to us. We can, however, be thankful “in all circumstances.” so when good things or bad things are happening, we live with a thankful heart; Thankful for being saved through Jesus and given eternal life, and thankful that God is there with us through all our circumstances.

Dear Lord, thank you for being with us in all that we face giving us the strength to handle anything we encounter. Help us show that strength in our lives to bring glory to you and show others the joy of being Christian. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

There is a popular author whose thesis is that in order to achieve things in life, we need to make ourselves vulnerable. We have to put our ideas out in public and risk being criticized. For most people, this is a frightening idea, and experience.

In a similar way, to grow and be everything God wants us to be as Christians, we need to do the same thing; to live our lives openly as Christians without excuse or apology. The difference is that we know God is there supporting us when we make ourselves vulnerable for him.

Psalm 25:3 says, “No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced, but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others.”

Dear Lord, Thank you for the assurance that you, the most powerful force in existence, are there to support us when we honor you. Help us trust in you and live our lives as Christian examples, glorifying you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

“Praise the Lord, Let all that I am praise the Lord.” Psalm 146

Many places in the bible we are told to “Praise the Lord,” but what does that really mean? It means acknowledging that God is, well, God. He is all powerful, all knowing, the creator of everything.

Being written two or three thousand years ago, the examples used in the bible describing the amazing things for which to praise God seem a bit simple to us now.

A psalm written about praising God today might be more like this:

Praise God for making the laws of physics that allow us to travel around the world in hours.
Praise Him for the elegant design of the atom that allows us to transmit information around the world in seconds.

Praise God for the amazing balance in molecules, and elements, that maintain stability of the chemistry in our environment.
Praise Him for the balance of earth’s cycle of life that maintains stability in the earth’s biology.

Praise God for the astonishing sophistication of the human body that can do wonderful and beautiful things, a body that can be changed and strengthened, and heals itself.
Praise Him for the amazing creation of the human brain that allows us to learn about these amazing creations and use them to improve the quality of life for all people.

For these and marvels of Your power yet to be discovered, we Praise you Lord. Amen.

How do we define life?  It can be defined in many ways, our physical life, beating heart and active brain waves; our consciousness and awareness of ourselves and our existence; but more individually, our lives and our relationships, our interests and activities, our strengths and weaknesses, our skills and talents.

Jesus says in Matthew 10:39 “If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.”

I think Jesus is referring to the entire variety of life definitions.  If we surrender to God,  those things that make up our life, he will give us, as He describes in John 10:10, “an abundant life,” not only in our eternal life, but in our life on earth, as well. 

Dear Lord, thank you for the promise of eternal life most of all, but also thank you for the promise of an abundant life on earth, abounding in peace, hope, and joy. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.