Thanksgiving Prayer When You Don’t Feel Thankful

Is it possible to express gratitude when you don’t feel very thankful?  I believe so.  There are many times when we are grieving a loss or have deep concerns for the future and our anxiety weighs down very heavy on our hearts. Our Pastor stated that “feelings can be very powerful and wrong when we lose our focus.”  Feelings are not always based on facts.  Our emotions can run amuck when we are sick, tired or genuinely sad. Getting into God’s Word can give us the proper perspective.

JOB

We learn a lot about praising God despite hard circumstances in the bible. Job lost his wealth, his family and his health. He still held on in hope and faith even when his wife and friends weren’t supportive.

Job 19:25–26 (ESV)
For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God,

David

David was a shepherd, poet, musician, warrior and King.  His life was filled with hardship as well as blessings. He gave us some of our greatest psalms of prayer and praise. Psalm 100 praises God for all His blessings and is often read at Thanksgiving.

Psalm 100:1–5 
Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!
Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!
For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

The Prophets

Habakkuk

Little is known about Habakkuk but he prophesied just before the nebuchadnezzar first invaded Judah. He asks good questions like, why does God allow evil? Why does God use wicked people to accomplish His will? Habakkuk praises the Person of God, His Power and His Purposes because of faith in God. His prayer was sung to music.  I will praise God despite all circumstances.

Habakkuk 3:17–19 
Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls,yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.   (To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.)

Jeremiah was a priest and prophet with a very tough assignment from God.  He told the people to repent and he warned of coming disaster. Even when Judah was under invasion from the Babylonians they would not listen.  They prefered the lies from false prophets telling them everything would be fine. Jeremiah was put into stocks and beaten, imprisoned but continued declaring God’s word. He gives praise and acknowledement that God will answer our prayers.

Jeremiah 32:17 
Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm!   Nothing is too hard for you.

Jeremiah 33:3  Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.

Lamentations 3:21–23
But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

We have much to be thankful for despite our current circumstances.   It often is a matter of changing our perspective and attitude.  God is Sovereign and in control. Our earliest forefathers sailed disasterously late in September of 1620 for land in America and the freedom to worship God without government interference.  102 people squeezed into a small ship with bare necessities and provisions. They landed in December 16,1620 after a rough voyage. Only half survived the winter due to bitter cold, illness, lack of adequate food and shelter. Yet in the fall after a good harvest they stopped to celebrate with a feast and thank God for what they did have.

So I challenge you dear readers, whatever your circumstances whether good or difficult, stop and make a list of things you are grateful for and praise God from Whom all blessings flow.  I hope you have a blessed Thanksgiving.