" Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." ( Phil 4:6; NKJV) It is so important to pray but in all the asking do we remember to thank God? We don't need to think long to recall all the blessings of God; His love, mercy and forgiveness, salvation, protection and provision, to mention just a few. Our thanksgiving is to be a sacrifice (Ps 116:17), and we are to offer thanks to God in all circumstances good or bad (1 Thess 5:18). "Enter His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise."

(Ps100:4; NKJV) Just as Israel entered into God's temple and presence with thanksgiving and praise so our thanks and praise will draw us close to God. Lord God, help us always to have thankful hearts.

Rejoice Christians, Jesus lives on the inside of us (Gal 2:20), we have been made new (2 Cor 5:17), our spirits born again (John 3:1-7). God's desire for us is to grow in our knowledge of Him, to walk in all He has for us (John 10:10) and to be His ambassadors to the world around us (2 Cor 5:20).

We should desire to be more like Jesus each day (Rom 8:29). We need to renew our minds with God's Word (Rom 12:2) and discipline our bodies to be obedient to Him (1 Cor 9:27). How do we do this? Well, as the apostle Paul taught, we need to press in to God: "I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me" (Phil 3:12; NKJV). Lets humble ourselves, pray and ask God to work in our lives. We need to immerse ourselves in the Word and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal it to us (John 14:26). All of us need to be open to allow the Holy Spirit to change, mold and mature us (2 Cor 3:18); He will if we allow and the walk will be amazing, fulfilling, truly meaningful!

“He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges Him— the word that I have spoken will judge Him in the last day” John 12:48; NKJV. I love God’s Word and we need to be saturating in the Word so that we can understand all God has for us and walk in it. In God’s Word He makes it clear that His Word is truth and life (John 17:17; John 6:63) and that His word will make us free (John 8:32). Free from what? Free from all the evil that sin brought into our lives, freedom to enjoy all of the blessings of God and to be His ambassadors on this earth (2 Cor 5:20). God tells us that if we truly love Him, we will keep His Word (John 14:21). God wants to do amazing things through all of our lives. We are not waiting on Him but He is waiting on us! As I was studying recently the verse above in John 12:48, struck me. Jesus was addressing many who would not receive His Words but as Christians this verse can still speak to us. At the end of our race God won’t ask us how it was with our plans and programs but simply judge our lives against His Word! Were we open to His whole Word or just our favorite parts, did we embrace it all or skirt around the challenging bits, did we have some convenient blind spots, were we His sold-out ambassadors? Praise God for His unconditional love and forgiveness. Let our lives be truly focused on being all He wants us to be, a truly amazing and fulfilling life. Wow, I preached myself happy.