Christian Living

Prayer of Thanksgiving and Praise

by Thomas Kirkpatrick
08/24/21
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“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” (1 Peter 1:18-23)

Does anyone remember their birthday? I do not, and I doubt anyone does. I don’t remember the pain of leaving a warm and peaceful place, traveling down a narrow birth canal, taking the first breath of air, that smack on my backside, and not the beautiful face of my mother. That was the day I entered the world, and perhaps it is a blessing I don’t recall it. Neither do I remember the moment my spirit entered this body, nor do I remember any time before that moment. But I believe there was time before my memories and time started before I entered my mother’s womb. In my youth, an extended time was before me, and I thought it would never end. I suspect it is because God had placed eternity into my heart. “He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11)

During the summer, when I grew tall, I began to doubt if I could compete with my peers in this world. I have never been the sharpest knife in the drawer, and for a piece of my life, I wasn’t in the drawer. One Sunday at my father’s Church, I heard him read these verses from the Bible. “For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.” (Psalm 119:13-14) God made me, and God made you, and we are God’s very good work set to glorify Him and living to please Him. I don’t always do that, but it is my mission. God made me, and I have a purpose in this world.

The Apostle Paul begins his prayer wanting our hearts to be enlightened by the truth of God’s Word so that we have the hope of our calling from the Lord. How many times I sat waiting by the door for my father to come home. I often asked him how I could help him, what could I do to make him happy that he would be pleased? While some friends were watching Buffalo Bob and Howdy Doody or wearing capes like Superman, I sat on the couch with my dad listening to Bible stories. Abraham, Joseph, Moses, and Joshua. Great men who lived marvelous adventures following God’s commands in faith. These great men accomplished impossible things by doing what God told them. Early I wanted to be like them. Not too long ago, these stories and much more enlightened my heart with the truth of Jesus and his mighty works and signs. The Apostles turned the world right-side-up with a faith in God’s Word. I was ready to have an adventure with Jesus calling me to cross the water with Him. “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” (John 8:12)

How could I passably do the mighty works of my bible heroes? How can I walk on water or even think of parting it? I learned I didn’t have to do anything but be willing to follow Jesus. “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19) Since then, I have been empowered by His grace and Spirit. The grace of God works to regenerate and sanctify the heart for God’s glory. Life has become virtuous, and I find the strength to endure the trials of this world. I can cause the Devil to flee when he tempts me to step off the path of righteousness. His grace inspires thoughts of Divine origin and guides my deliberations. Once a hopeless sinner, now a freed servant of Christ. His righteousness is the goal of the prize. “As sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 5:21)

Since the day of your sinful act against God’s Word, you have been under the judgment of death. Not only physical death but also spiritual death. There is no way around it and no way to avoid it, as God’s Word endures eternally and is unchangeable. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) Since mankind fell to sin, God has been working His plan for redemption in His love for man. Jesus, born of a virgin with God’s holy sinless blood, lived a righteous life. Taught His disciples to found His Church, went to the cross, and sacrificed Himself. He shed His Holy blood for the redemption of the world’s sin, rose from the grave to defeat Satan and death, and ascended to Heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father as humanity’s advocate.

God, in His love for humanity, sends no one to hell. He offers salvation as a free gift by His grace through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. If anyone goes to hell with Satan and his demons, they chose to. Those who accept Jesus’ work on the cross are atoned for their sins, receive forgiveness of their sins, His perfect righteousness, and eternal life in the Kingdom of God. The power of Jesus’ blood is this. “Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you.” (1 Peter 1:18-20)

The follower of Jesus is endowed with the Holy Spirit, who guides us to all truth and reveals His truth to us in times of need. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” (John 14:26) He sends us the Holy Spirit to live within us, His pledge that the promises of God secure our inheritance. “Who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.” (Ephesians 1:14)

Paul finishes by giving thanks to God for his readers and his prayer asking they receive wisdom and knowledge. In times like these, our greatest asset is the knowledge God has given us and the wisdom to apply it to our lives. Our God is sovereign, all-powerful over HIs creation. God is in control and working towards His purpose and will. His power was magnified when He raised our Christ from the dead and placed Him at His right hand. From there, all things under HIs subjection, both in the heavens, on earth, and beneath the earth. Jesus is the head of His Church, His body of believers. He is the bridegroom, and His Church is the bride He is coming soon to take out of this world.

On this Resurrection Sunday, we have much to praise and give thanksgiving to our Lord and Savior. He loves you with a love that surpasses any love ever known. He has sacrificed His all that you may have life, life abundant, and live eternally. “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” (Jude 1:24-25)

Thomas Kirkpatrick

First Baptist Church of Durant, April 8, 2020