Give Thanks, by CindyGirl

Give Thanks
Lesson Plan

Introduction:

Today’s lesson focuses on being thankful to the Father for the many promises he has given and the many gifts he gives us everyday that we may even take for granted sometimes. We want to take this time to just be thankful and to think of the things that he has done and just thank Him for those things. We serve a generous and loving Father and we want to give him the thanks and praise that is due to him that is righteous and holy. Thank You LORD!

Handout: Give Thanks

I sit this evening pondering on what the LORD would have me write about this week. What thought would He have me write more about? I began to just think about his goodness and all the things he has done for me. I began to think about all the little things that sometimes are taken for granted that we would surely miss so much if they were taken away.

Of course I am thankful for the big things he has done. He healed my twin brother of hydrocephalus when we were first born. That was a miracle. I’m thankful for salvation and for my Christian family and I’m thankful that God healed me from chronic, horrible back pain. I had this pain for the past three years and I could not even walk. I had pain every day I lived with this. I called out to the LORD and he healed me. I thank him and praise him that he can do all things. When the doctors can’t even help, God likes to work when nothing else will Hallelujah! There are so many things that are big that I am thankful for. Today, I want to look at the big and small things to be thankful for as well. As we go along think of the small things that you have in your life from God that you would really miss if they were taken away.

I’m thankful for laughter and the sound of rain. I’m thankful for music, tasting my food. I’m thankful for the sound of the ocean and the feel of the wind on my face. I’m thankful for the sound of babies laughing and children playing. I’m thankful for the way the grass, sand, ground feels beneath my bare feet. I’m thankful for the warmth of the sunshine on me. I’m thankful for the night sounds here in the country side. I’m thankful for the sky full of stars that I see at night and the moons beams down on earth. The way flowers smell. There are so many things, little gifts that God lavish us with each and everyday and we have always had them and sometimes we get so busy in our lives that we overlook them. How they make our lives better. I’m thankful to see the way the leaves turn colors in the fall season. I’m sure wherever you are there are things that you see in nature that amaze you.

We should have close relationship and intimacy with our Father. We should pour our hearts out to him and ask for his guidance and for the things we need to obey him. We can tell him our problems and ask for help. However, there are times that we just need to go to Him with a thankful heart not asking for a thing, but instead just go to him and thank him for the big and small things in our life that he gives to us everyday.

1Chronicles 16:29 “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of his holiness.”

1Chronicles 16:34 “O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth forever.

What if you had to life the rest of your life and could never sing or hear music ever again? How much would you miss a hug from your parents or from friends? What if you could never see another sunrise or sunset?

2. 1Chronicles 16:8 “Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.”

2 Samuel 22:50 “Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name.”

Psalm 35:18 “I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.”

We need to understand and remember where God brought us from, saved us from, and has kept us from as his children. We are saved from a life of sin, Satan, and hell. We are kept from them. Thank you LORD. We are brought from no hope to a life of joy and peace everlasting. Thank you Father. Jesus gave himself so that we could have life and have it more abundantly. Thank you Jesus. We need to thank him everyday for all the many, many gifts we are given. We also should be thankful for all the many promises God gave to us. He promised us everlasting life if we accepted Jesus as our savior.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Matthew 28:20 “I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

Hebrews 13:5 “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

John 14:2 “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”

John 14:3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

John 14:13 “An whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

John 14:14 “If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.” 15. “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

John 14:16 “and I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

John 14:17 “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”

Those are a few of the promises that Jesus gave. Thank you LORD. His promises are true. We need to live a life of thanksgiving and praise.

This next chapter is always a blessing to me and makes me thank the LORD. Just take a moment to read these words. From the heart of Jesus to the Father, he prayed for us. There is none any greater. What an honor and what love when he prayed. Read his words and understand that he is speaking of us now too. Thank you LORD.

Jesus Prays for Himself

17Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: "Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 2 as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

Jesus Prays for His Disciples

6 "I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7 Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. 8 For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.
9 "I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. 10 And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. 12While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

Jesus Prays for All Believers

20 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
24 "Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it,that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."

I am so thankful that Jesus thought ahead in time and prayed for you and I. What a wonderful Savior is he. Thank you LORD.

Dear Righteous Heavenly Father.
We come to you today not asking for anything. We just want to thank you for watching over us this week and for protecting us and our friends and family. We thank you for the many promises you have given to us in your word. We thank you for the many gifts you give to us everyday that we life. Thank you for the greatest gift you gave in your only begotten Son Jesus and thank you for making us sons and daughters. We love you and praise you; we worship you and thank you for all things. We know that your ways are the best ways and we will always be thankful to you for who you are, how you are and for what you will always be. Thank you Father for all you have done, for all you do now, and for what you will do. In JESUS name we pray. AMEN!

God Bless you…

~*Cindygirl*~
November 24,2013

Outline:

1. I sit this evening pondering on what the LORD would have me write about this week. What thought would He have me write more about? I began to just think about his goodness and all the things he has done for me. I began to think about all the little things that sometimes are taken for granted that we would surely miss so much if they were taken away.