1 Chronicles 16:34-36
Give thanks to the Lord, who is good,
whose love endures forever.
And say, “Save us, O God, our savior,
gather us and deliver us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in praising you."
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting!
Let all the people say,
"Amen Hallelujah."
Reflect
What is the craziest thing you've ever done? After graduating college I traveled to Ireland. I climbed a mountain and carried down from the summit an 11 ½ pound rock. And yes, that rock still sits on my patio at my apartment to this day. My friends and the priest we were traveling with thought I was completely nuts. What fool wants to bring home a big rock from Ireland?! This girl did!
In this snippet of Scripture, King David offers a song of thanksgiving to the Lord. He is singing and dancing in the streets of Jerusalem. He made himself a fool before the Lord. I have to chuckle a bit imaging what David must have looked like with tambourine in hand! The Ark of the Covenant had just been brought home to Jerusalem and the Ark was placed in a special tent, as the Temple had not yet been built. David expresses his heartfelt gratitude in this hymn of thanksgiving. He uses his voice, his body, to express his thanksgiving to God. His entire being was consumed in expressing gratitude to God.
There are many ways each of us can express our thanksgiving to God: voices raised in song, bodies dancing, pen in hand writing, hands raised in praise, arms open ready to receive, and so on.
Act
Spend some time praying over David’s song of thanksgiving (1 Chronicles 16:8-36). Soak in the words. As a response, write your own hymn of thanksgiving to God.
Let Us Pray
Jesus, we know You are not a distant God. We thank you for Your goodness and faithfulness. Help us use our human bodies to express our love and gratitude to You for all we have and all You have done in our lives. Amen.
For Your Inspiration
Each week, we will have a special download for each form of prayer: Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving, and Supplication (ACTS). Download this week's printable below.
Prayer Pledge 2018: Thanksgiving Day 4 #BISblog #prayerpledge //Click to tweet
Patty Breen is midwestern gal from the Mitten state who finds joy in running, Ignatian spirituality, and reading lots of books. She’s a fulltime youth minister whose learning how to find grace in all things. She is passionate about ministry to divorced Catholics and those battling sexual addiction. You can find out more about her here.
Walk with Us this Advent
Get Your Prayerful Planner
