Thanksgiving 2026

 

“I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of Your wonderful deeds.” Psalm 9:1(ESV)

Did you ever have a need so great that you prayed day and night? Deep needs result in deep, heartfelt prayers.

When God answers our prayers, we thank Him. But are our prayers of thanksgiving expressed as earnestly as our prayers of request?

Often, I am like the little boy whose mother whispers to him “say thank you” to the lady who gave him candy. The boy says a quick “thank you” and runs off to play. How often I say a quick obligatory thank you to God, then rush off to live my life.

In Psalm 9:1, David determined to thank God with his “whole heart.” God is worthy of our wholehearted praise and thanksgiving.

In our country, the last Thursday of November is set aside as Thanksgiving Day. It is a day to pause and thank God for His blessings.

I like to think of November as a month of thanksgiving. In recent years I have kept a gratitude journal during November. Each day I write down 5 things that I am thankful for. This year I am asking God to create in me a deeper wholehearted sense of gratitude for the gifts He has given me.

I invite you, my readers, to join me in writing a gratitude list each day during November. There are so many things to thank God for. Write them on the list and thank God for them. And as Thanksgiving Day comes around, may your heart truly overflow with thankfulness.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Word of the Year 2026

  

“Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to You I entrust my life.” Psalm 143:8 (NIV)

I love early morning. The world is quiet. Darkness slowly turns to light. The sun rises with all its majesty. A new day begins. New possibilities. New hopes. New beginnings. A new opportunity to meet with God.

In Psalm 143:8 David gives us a model for a morning prayer.

David’s prayer begins by asking the Lord to remind him of His unfailing love. David then tells God that he trusts Him for the day ahead. He asks the Lord to show him the way that he should go. He concludes his prayer by once more entrusting His life to the Lord.

What a perfect prayer to begin the day! My desire is to begin each morning of 2026 with this prayer.

My practice in recent years has been to choose a word of the year and a verse of the year. I print out the word and the verse and tape it to my bathroom mirror where I read it each morning. This year my word is Morning, and my verse is Psalm 143:8.

I encourage you, my readers, to choose a word and a verse for 2026. If you do, I would love for you to share it with me. Happy New Year. May the Lord bless you richly in 2026!

What Do We Pray For?

  

“If anyone of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5 (ESV)

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27 (NIV)

Life can be hard. Problems can seem insurmountable. We want to pray but don’t know how. What do we pray for?

The Bible says that if we ask for anything according to God’s will that He will hear us. (1 John 5:14). But what is God’s will? What should we ask Him for?

The Bible is full of many promises. Two of them come to mind.

James 1:5 promises that He will give wisdom to those who ask for it. And He gives generously. When life is hard and we don’t know what to do, we can ask God for wisdom. God promises to give wisdom to those who ask.

God also desires to give His children peace. On the night before He died, Jesus said to his followers: “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you.”  Inner peace in the middle of problems is a gift that He wants to give.

Get out your prayer list. For those who have big needs, pray for God to give wisdom and peace. For those whose needs seem to be small, pray for God to give wisdom and peace. There is no one who does not needs God’s wisdom and peace. Ask Him. He delights to give good gifts to His children.

 

Be Thankful

  

“Enter His gate with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him; bless His name! For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations.” Psalm 100:4-5 (ESV)

How should we enter God’s presence? With praise and thanksgiving!

Why should we thank God? Psalm 100 gives us three reasons. God is good. God’s love is steadfast. God is faithful.

The evidence of His goodness, love and faithfulness is on display every day. Often, we are too busy to notice it.

During November, let’s ask God to make us aware of His blessings.

I like to keep a gratitude list during the month of November. Every day I write down what I am thankful for. Then, I thank God the gifts He has given me.

Will you join me in making a gratitude list this November?

Let’s make this month a special time of noticing God’s gifts and of thanking Him for them.

When Thanksgiving Day arrives, may we overflow with thankfulness to our great God.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Faith the Size of a Poppy Seed

 

 

“If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain ‘move from here,’ and it will move.” Matthew 17:20 (NIV)

Did you ever bite into a warm poppy seed bagel covered with cream cheese? Delicious. If you are like me, a few poppy seeds always get stuck in your teeth. Think about how small a poppy seed is. That is the size of a mustard seed.

Now imagine Mount McKinley, the tallest mountain in the US. It stands 20,310 feet above sea level. Imagine faith the size of a poppy seed moving Mount McKinley. What a ridiculous thought!

Yet, this is exactly what Jesus said in Matthew 17:20.

Do your problems seem as big as mountains?

Do your doubts seem large and your faith seem small?

Do you feel like you must wait until your faith is stronger before you start praying?

It is never too soon to pray. Do not wait until your faith is stronger. Remember the tiny little poppy seed. God hears prayers even when our faith is small. So, start praying! Then, watch the mountains start to move.                                               

 

 

 

 

 

 

In God We Trust

  

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.”            Proverbs 3: 4-5(NKJV)

What is the motto of the United States? The answer can be found on any coin or bill. “In God We Trust.” In 1955 Congress passed a bill to put these words on all US currency. The bill passed with bipartisan support and was signed into law by President Eisenhower.

We live in a wonderful country. But it is a country which is plagued with many complex problems. What is the answer? Who can we trust? Our motto says that we can trust God.

The Bible describes God as all wise, all powerful, all knowing, and abounding in love. God is faithful, and He hears our prayers. Our God is trustworthy.

I can’t tell you the answer to our country’s problems. But I would like to suggest a first step. Prayer.

The Fourth of July is approaching and we are ready for fireworks, parades, and hots dogs. Let’s add one more tradition to our Fourth of July celebration. Let’s take time to pray for our nation.

In 1955 the members of Congress put aside their differences and agreed on one thing: In God We trust. In 2025, let us do the same thing.

Happy Fourth of July!

Like a Hen Gathers Her Chicks

  

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem…How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.” Matthew 23:37(NKJV)

The hen spreads her wings to gather her baby chicks. The rain comes and pounds relentlessly. The chicks are safe and warm nestled beneath her wings.

This is the image that Jesus used as He wept over the city of Jerusalem, saddened at their reluctance to come to Him.

The heart of Jesus is loving and kind and tender. Like the hen, He longs to keep His children close to Him, safe and secure. He extended an invitation to them, but they were not willing. So, Jesus wept.

Why would anyone be unwilling to come to Jesus? Why am I so often unwilling to turn to Him? We are all sinners, inclined to want our own way. A relationship with Jesus means acknowledging that He is Lord and King.

The cost of having a relationship with Jesus is total surrender. The cost is high. But the benefits are higher! Jesus loves us more than we can imagine. He loved us enough to lay down His life for us. Imagine being as close to Jesus as those little chicks are to their mother!

Jesus is calling. The invitation is open. Will you say yes?