Giving Thanks in Uncertain Times

Photo by Aron Visuals on Unsplash

This is a time of prayer I led for She Loves Out Loud’s nightly prayer on Facebook Live. You can read here, and/or listen to the video at the end.

David the psalmist calls us to an attitude of gratitude.

Psalm 95

1 Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.

3 For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. 4 In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. 5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.

6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; 7 for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.

 Not a Time for Easy Gratitude

Our current situation with the impact of the corona virus is not a time for easy gratitude. Who is grateful for losing control of time and freedom? Of being at risk for illness and death? For losing a job and income? For uncertainty? Personally I prefer to be in control of my life.

It’s at times like this that God’s admonition to give thanks is hard to follow, but so important to follow.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:18 we are told: … “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Seriously? All?

Philippians 4:6 reminds us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Don’t worry, give thanks?

Look for the Good 

I asked my friends on Facebook what, in this uncertain time, they have been thankful for, blessed by. I find choosing to look for the good rather than complaining about what I don’t like changes my whole attitude. It enables me to trust God and His love, mercy, grace—and sovereignty. Then I often begin to see the good He is doing.

So even as we ask for God’s protection, provision and intervention, we also give him thanks for the gifts we discover in this scary time. 

The things my friends named fell into approximately seven categories. Join with me as I name each category and thank God for what He has given to us.

Family: The most-mentioned new reality to be thankful for is our families. Lord, thank You for more time with our families, to be able to focus on each other, demonstrate care, have in-depth conversations, and yes, lots of fun.

Rest: Most of us are weary. God has made rest possible. Lord, thank You that we have had to slow down. We are grateful for sleep, time to reflect, to read, to take walks, to appreciate your creation. Thank You for  Sabbath.

Community: We all live in communities, but do we experience community? Thanks, Lord, for neighbors, for opportunities to serve those with greater needs, for staying put to protect others, for “social distance” that is closer than we have usually been to our neighbors.

Sacrifices: We may be greatly inconvenienced for our new normal, but some are paying a greater price. Lord, we thank You for medical personnel risking their lives, scientists looking for help and cures, first responders, delivery people, others with essential jobs giving more than we can imagine. For us.

Time with the Lord:  Lord, we are grateful for time to Worship You, to be in the Word, to pray, to read helpful books. To grow deeper in our relationship with You.

Hurting, hungry hearts: People are afraid, angry, anxious. Lord, thank You that we can be Your means of giving them hope. Remind us to be alert and sensitive to needs, even at social distance. To listen, encourage, help. Give us courage to share how You have met our needs, to talk about Jesus and his love, mercy, and grace.

Technology: So many of these gifts come from our remarkable access to technology that connects us in so many ways.  Father, in the past we had snail mail and dial phone. Now we have instant mail and instant messaging, FaceTime; streaming for church; music and messages and podcasts. Thank You for these gifts and those who make them work.

Most of all we are grateful for you, Lord, who cares for us and provides and heals and opens doors and surprises and rescues. You are our Rock, our Defense, our Shepherd, the one who loves us forever.

Watch the video of our prayer time.

What about you? What have you been grateful for in these uncertain times?

c2020 Judy Douglass