Thanksgiving prayers: Ending the week in prayer.

It was a hectic week but we have survived by the grace of God. Personally, I have been feeling tired and unwell for the better part of this week. During the week, as I was falling behind on my work deadlines due to a throbbing headache and fatigue, I took some time to ask God for strength to complete the work I had set out to do and I also prayed for the capacity to do it well. In the mornings, I could barely get down on my knees as I normally would, but I continued to pray as I lay on my bed. Mumbling a few words of prayer whenever I could, half asleep and half awake. By Wednesday, midday, I had completely recovered and I managed to get a few tasks done.

As I reflect upon the turn of events this week, I realize that the life of a believer is never smooth sailing but it is always riddled with so many challenges. Psalm 91 summarizes some of the unseen forces that we wrestle with in the spiritual realm. For example, in verse 3 to 6 the Psalmist talks about the fowlers snare, deadly pestilences, terrors of the night, arrows that fly by day, and plagues that destroy at noon-day. Our loving Father protects us from them all. I believe that if God, would open our spiritual eyes to see the entities that He protects us from, we would be too traumatized to leave our houses. Dear reader, I do not know what God saved you from this week or what might have possibly gone wrong in the process. You might be hurting, grieving, facing eviction, bankruptcy or on your death bed. Let us offer a thanksgiving prayer to the God, Almighty, for the breathe of life regardless of the situation knowing that, there is still hope as long as we live.

Read Psalm 91 and Psalm 121 for scriptural understanding.

Prayer.

My dearest Father in heaven, thank you for providing healing and divine protection throughout this week. Under your shadow I found rest this week. The sun could not smite me during the day and the moon did not smite me at night. In you, I was a able to find refuge and strength from the perils of this life both seen and unseen. You saved me from the fowler's snare and from all deadly pestilences. Under your wings and feathers I was able to find refuge. My eyes may have not seen the terror that came at night or the arrows that flew past me during the day. Neither have I been able to comprehend the kind of pestilences that stalk in darkness. Your word speaks of their existence and I am grateful that you have preserved my life from all these things. You have not saved me because of my own deeds but you have saved me because you are merciful. As long as I live, I will still praise you because you are faithful, merciful and compassionate.

As long as I have breath in my lungs, I can still call you my city of refuge and I can still make you my dwelling place. While you are with me, no harm can overtake me and no disaster can come near me. I am grateful for the angels whom you have given charge to guard me in all my ways and to lift me up so that I may not dash my foot against a stone. You have given those that love you the power to tread on lions and the cobra. You have empowered us to tread on the great lion and serpent because we have made you our place of safety. A thousand may have fallen by my side, ten thousand by my right hand but none of them have come near me. Thank you for rescuing me from these dark forces both seen and unseen. I can confidently approach your throne of grace with boldness, knowing that I will receive mercy and find grace as well as help in times of need.

You hand, loving father has never been so short that you can not save your people, neither has you ear ever been so deaf that you cannot hear. You have proven this many times over by answering whenever I called upon you. Some times your responses have come when I least expected it. For a day to you is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day to you. The concept of time to you is fluid, without a beginning or an end. You are the beginning and the end. In spite of the amount of time that may have passed, your word never fails. You have spared me in the same way that a father spares a daughter that serves him. Your mercies are new every morning of each passing day. In times of trouble you have been with me. You have delivered me and honored me. As high as the heavens are above the earth, that is how great your display of fatherly love is to me.

May your name be glorified and exalted as I give thanks for the long life and salvation that you have given me.

In Jesus mighty name. I pray.

Amen.