By Rev. Stephen G. Williams, Pastor, Springfield Grace Community Baptist Church ● (Reprinted from November 2015)

This is the time of year that we all love so well! There is just a great excitement that comes with seeing family and friends that you haven’t seen in quite some time. This is the season that we will gather around the dinner table and the table will have a huge spread…I’m talking not of the canned foods and boxed products, but this is the time that Grandma’s handed-down, sumptuous recipes are used. It’s the time when we break out the (Royal Dalton) “fine china” and the gold silverware that mama saved up for what seems like a lifetime. Oh, and the plastic or paper table cloths and napkins suddenly go from plastic/paper to linen. Nothing, not a single detail is overlooked.
Let us not forget the most important part of all the festivities. Folks all over will gather around their tables, join hands, and bow their heads in harmonious thanksgiving to the Almighty One who has brought all of us from a mighty long way, through dangers seen and unseen. We have come this far by faith. This is the time we thank the Lord honestly and publicly for His mercy, His grace and His overflowing love.
Thanksgiving is a time when prayer is taken out of the war room and spoken aloud. Too many of us want to keep our prayers private. I want you to know that family prayer is a critical part of our exercise of faith. It truly is not meant to be a once-a-year show for our relatives and friends.
If we were to take a close look at David’s prayer in 1 Chronicles 29:10-13, first we see it is a public prayer. The scripture says, “David blessed the LORD before the entire congregation.” You see, David gathered his people together for public prayer. We should always be giving thanks to God publicly. If we don’t, how will unbelievers know of the goodness of God unless we tell them? How will believers be strengthened by our God-granted victories if we do not profess them with our mouths? We ought to bless the Lord before all of our family, friends, acquaintances, and those that we don’t know. Second, David’s prayer is a prayer of confession. He declares the greatness of God. He declares the glory of God. He declares the victory and majesty of God and, oh, the sovereignty of God. David acknowledges that God ”reignest over all.” He declares the power of God.
Thirdly, it is a prayer of thanksgiving. David says, “Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.” David knows the value of a grateful heart. There is a song that says, “Count your blessings, name them one by one; count your blessings, see what God has done.” Don’t let the stress and strains of life get in the way of our gratitude. We become so oppressed by the weight of our “LITTLE” worries that we forget to thank God for the “BIG” blessings.
From this time forth, let us offer our prayer of thanksgiving! Always remembering those that are less fortunate. ■
TO GOD BE THE GLORY!