Daily Bread

Praise the Lord!
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
Great are the works of the Lord,
studied by all who delight in them.
Full of honor and majesty is his work,
and his righteousness endures forever.
He has gained renown by his wonderful deeds;
the Lord is gracious and merciful.
He provides food for those who fear him;
he is ever mindful of his covenant.
He has shown his people the power of his works,
in giving them the heritage of the nations.
The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy.
They are established forever and ever,
to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
He sent redemption to his people;
he has commanded his covenant forever.
Holy and awesome is his name.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all those who practice it have a good understanding.
His praise endures forever.

In Sunday school, I remember being taught the four kinds of prayer using the acronym ACTS.

A is for Adoration
C is for Confession
T is for Thanksgiving
S is for Supplication (a posh word for asking for things for ourselves or others)

In congregational worship, we do all four. We sing songs of adoration, have a time of confession, often have a thanksgiving of some kind, and have spoken prayers of supplication (called intercessions), however, if I'm honest, when I pray on my own, I tend to focus on my own needs and favour confession and supplication — often struggling or forgetting to give adoration and thanks.

Psalm 111 is a song of adoration and thanksgiving — thanksgiving for God's works, righteousness, grace, mercy, provision, providence, laws, faithfulness, and redemption. Yep, there's a lot packed into just ten verses!

God is always worthy of adoration and we have so much for which to be thankful. When building this FAB Church platform I made an area for Members to be able to offer their own prayers of Thanksgiving, and for me, it has forced me to think more about giving thanks, if not on a daily basis, at least weekly.

Today, if you are able, spend just a few moments in an attitude of gratitude, presenting to God your own psalm of adoration and thanks, praising God and giving thanks for:

1. Who God is - God's grace, mercy, and faithfulness.
2. God's creation - the majesty and splendour of our world.
3. God's provision - for the good things and people in your life.
4. God's redemption - God's love for you through Jesus Christ.

Holy God
You are worthy to be praised,
and today, I give you thanks
for who you are, the wonderful world
in which I live and have my being,
all the good things you have given me,
and for your Son, my Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Holy and awesome is your name.
Amen.