Saturday 10th November 2018 Morning Prayer Devotion
Scripture Reading:- Jonah 4:1-11
Topic:- Thank You God For Everything
Text:- Jonah 4:3
One day, a man decided to travel by ship with his friends. While in the middle of their journey, the boat began to sink. Everyone tried to escape by swimming but it was all in vain, all drowned except this man who succeeds in clinging to a floating object. With the effect of the strong winds, this thing brought him very far, to a small island where there were no men or animals, just a few insects.
With the sweat of his brow, he managed to build a small box entirely made of straw. He stayed there for several days eating fruit and began to get used to his new life of suffering even if we do not get used to it. He had already lost all hope of seeing his family again one day.
Every night he lit a fire in front of his house to warm himself. One evening, as usual, he lit the fire. He stayed there for a long time until he dozed off. Late in the night, he was awakened by an overwhelming heat: It was his straw hut that caught fire. He cried, cursing God, shouting, “Oh God, what have I done to you to hurt me so? You separated me from my family to bring me to this deserted island, then you killed all my friends and now you let my hut burn. Why are you so mean? It is better to die because I am tired of living in this suffering!
But at dawn, he saw a small boat coming towards him. When the boat landed, he ran straight for the captain and said to him in astonishment, “Captain, how did you get here?” No boat can get there unless he gets lost. ” He replied, “In the night we saw a fire and we thought it was a burning boat, and if we did not arrive immediately it was because the journey was long. He used the fire for us to find you. “The man cried, fell on his knees and asked God for forgiveness, and he got into the boat and went home.
Note: God has many ways to solve our problems. You can lose a job and think that God has left you when He wants to give you a better job. Your friends can leave you, do not believe that the LORD has rejected you, He wants to keep you away from bad companies. Do not curse your God even if you suffer, keep faith and hope, He will act.
Another Story:
There was a bird who lived in a desert, very sick, no feathers, nothing to eat and drink, no shelter to live in. One day a dove was passing by, so the sick unhappy bird stopped the dove and inquired “where are you going?” it replied ” I am going to heaven”.
So the sick bird said “please find out for me, when my suffering will come to an end?” The dove said, “sure, I will.” and bid a good bye to the sick bird. The dove reached heaven and shared the message of the sick bird with the angel in charge at the entrance gate.
The angel said, “For the next seven years of its life the bird has to suffer like this, no happiness till then.” The dove said, “When the sick bird hears this he will get disheartened. could you suggest any solution for this.”
The Angel replied, “Tell him to recite this verse *”Thank You God for everything.”* The dove on meeting the sick bird again, delivered the message of the angel to it.
After seven days the dove was passing again passing by and saw that bird was very happy, feathers grew on his body, a small plant grew up in the desert area, a small pond of water was also there, the bird was singing and dancing cheerfully. The dove was astonished. The Angel had said that there would be no happiness for the bird for the next seven years. With this question in mind the dove went to visit the angel at heaven’s gate.
The dove put forth his query to the Angel. The Angel replied, “yes it is true there was no happiness for the bird for seven years but because the bird was reciting the verse “Thank You God for everything.”
In every situation, his life changed. When the bird fell down on the hot sand it said, “Thank You God for everything.” When it could not fly it said, “Thank You God for everything.” When it was thirsty and there was no water around, it said, “Thank You God for everything.”
Whatever the situation, the bird kept on repeating, “Thank You God for everything.” And therefore, the seven years got dissolved in seven days.
Prayer Points:-
1. Oh Lord God, I just want to thank You God for everything, in the name of Jesus Christ.
2. I pray oh God, that the spirit of praise and worship will never depart from me henceforth, in the name of Jesus Christ.
3. I declared that power of thanksgiving will fall upon me more than before so that my life will be full of appreciation unto God always, in the name of Jesus Christ.
