Thanksgiving for the church

Thanksgiving for the church

Recently I penned this prayer during my devotional time. If it conveys your heart—and I hope it does—feel free to use it to assist you as you pray for Dawson Baptist.

Lord,

I thank you for our church. I thank you for the leaders and the followers, the old and the young, the mature and the immature. I accept that each member is an essential component in the body of Christ. I thank you for putting us all together as a unit and I look forward to growing with them into greater maturity in Christ.

I accept my fellow brothers and sisters as members of your eternal family and I cherish the thought that we will enjoy eternity together.

I am especially grateful for the unity we enjoy. We are united because we are one body, joined together by one Spirit, called to one hope at our calling, and blessed with “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father” (Ephesians 4:4-5). That’s unity at the deepest level! Thank you so much for that. You deserve endless praise for your work to destroy all our divisions and to make us one body in Christ. We stand as a living testimony to the world of your power to break down barriers and bring about true unity.

But I also thank you for our diversity. You’ve made us different so that by working in harmony we can better convey how outstanding you are. We magnify you because although we come from such assorted backgrounds and have such varied life experiences, talents, spiritual gifts, interests, and personalities, we come together to proclaim the good news of salvation through Christ and to live out the transformed life that he gives to all his chosen ones.

I know we’re not perfect. We’re far from it. Some of us aren’t very committed yet. Some of us still think and act more like the world than like a follower of Christ. But we are sure of this; you’re not going to give up on us because you have made promises to us. You have promised that the work you started in us you will carry “on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).  You have promised to never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). You have assured us that you have given us eternal life and no one will snatch us from your hand (John 10:28-29). And you have promised to dwell with us forever (Revelation 21:3-4). You’ve placed your integrity on the line in the giving of these promises. If you fail to fulfill them then you are a liar. Yet you do not lie or change your mind, for you are not a man (1 Samuel 15:29). 

I am so thankful that we are not now what we once were. Christ has transformed us. We are new creations in him (2 Corinthians 5:17). You have set us apart as a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for your own possession, so that we may proclaim your praises (1 Peter 2:9).

You have done such good and wonderful things in us. Thank you for all you have done. And thank you for what you will do from this day forward. Our future will be better than our past because you have saved us. What a blessing it is to know that.

Thank you for your grace. Thank you for your love. Thank you for your forgiveness. Thank you for your patience. Thank you for not giving up on us. Thank you for giving us your Holy Spirit. Thank you for your inspired, inerrant word. And thank you for putting us together in your family, the church. We need a place where we belong. You are so good to give that to us. Thank you. Thank you for the church.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.