A Thanksgiving prayer into evil times

Father,

It’s a week of thanksgiving, but many of us feel so wearied by evil. What can we do but turn to You and Your Word? David’s words to evil enemies become our words, when we ache over pervasive evil around us. We too see the lying work of Your enemy, the father of lies, and we can easily become upset when we see so much of the accusor’s work.

Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? (Ps. 52:1) Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit (Ps 52:2). You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue (Ps. 52:4). You love evil more than good, and lying more than speaking what is right. Selah (Ps. 52:3)

But what is also true in this week of thanksgiving, even in these evil times? We can give thanks to You for the redeeming work You’re doing right now. In Your love for us, help us to calm this week and to…

give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thess. 5:18 ESV, emphasis added).

Thank You for Your steadfast love

Thank You that, no matter what I see, experience, or feel…

the steadfast love of God endures all the day (Ps. 52:1 ESV, emphasis added).

But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever (Ps. 52:8 ESV).

O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure —
The saints’ and angels’ song!

Thank You for the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Through Jesus’ perfectly holy life of obedience,

His willingly experiencing…all Your deserved punishment for my sin,

and His victorious resurrection, 

conquering all sin, death, and evil,

I know Your glorious covenant love story for a believer in Christ!

The wand’ring child is reconciled
by God’s beloved Son.
The aching soul again made whole,
and priceless pardon won.

(“The Love of God,” Lehman, F. M., 1917)

The love of God is greater far
than tongue or pen can ever tell;
it goes beyond the highest star,
and reaches to the lowest hell.

Thank You for the end of Your love story

As believers, we can rejoice with hope in the end that is to come, when You will judge and completely eradicate sin and evil forever!

Then comes the end, when [Jesus] delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For God has put all things in subjection under his feet (1 Cor. 15:24-27 ESV).

When years of time shall pass away
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race —
The saints’ and angels’ song.

Thank You for Your love as we wait

Could we with ink the ocean fill
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Tho’ stretched from sky to sky.

So, this is an urgent time to love, into the evil of this fallen world, isn’t it? For God, You

so loved the world

that You gave Your only Son, that

whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (Jn. 3:16).

It’s a time of thanksgiving for the gospel! It’s a time of sharing Your gospel love story!

It’s a time for hope, because this evil time…is the time of Your redemption!

Thank You, thank You, loving God. Please help us to focus on Your love as we thank You this week.

Father, we will continue to pray and love. In Your redeeming love for Your children who do not yet trust in Jesus Christ for salvation, please…

open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in [Christ] (Acts 16:18 ESV).

A prayer for you, beloved in Christ

May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance (2 Thess. 3:5 ESV)

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 

may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep

is the love of Christ,

and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (Eph. 3:17-19 ESV).

In the name of love incarnated, Jesus Christ, in Whom we give thanks and for Whom we wait with hope, amen.

Resources as we suffer

This week’s playlist is filled with songs of thanksgiving to our great God, focusing on His love for us as His believing children. In my personal suffering, recent grief, and intense upset over evil around me, singing the gospel of Jesus Christ has been His great gift of love.

Maybe our suffering becomes our “all circumstances” context for thankfully responding to God’s love, as we more and more fully grasp and cling to His love. Because then? We can share His love story shown to us in the gospel with others who suffer in this fallen world, especially in these increasingly evil times.

So, maybe this week’s Thanksgiving playlist gift could be one to play with family and friends this week, gently sharing and discussing His gospel love story!

If this or any of these resources would bless you, click the links below as we both thank our God of perfect, steadfast, redeeming, covenant love. Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends!