Dear Friends,
Thanksgiving Day has been celebrated as a national holiday ever since 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of “Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens,” to be celebrated on the last Thursday in November.” But thanksgiving and praise seem to have been lost somewhere along the way. Churches, for the most part, have abandoned Thanksgiving Day services. Other than a quick grace before the meal, praise for our beneficent Father has been abandoned. Sadly, the fourth Thursday in November has truly become “Turkey Day.”
The Bible tells us that every day is a great day to give thanks and praise to God.
I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. Psalm 69:30 (NIV)
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. Psalm 100:4
This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 (NLT)
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you. Colossians 1:3
This year we hope to do something a little different. We are sending a copy of the Saddleback Church prayer guide My Gratitude Reminder to our grandchildren and guests, asking them to be ready to share with us the things they are thankful for. We hope you, too, will find ways to make this Thanksgiving Day a day to offer praise and thanks to God. (If you’d like a copy of the prayer guide, send us an email at don.sennott@sbcglobal.net
Blessings,
Your Friends in Christ.
Because He Loves Us Press 