Family Time…Show God your thanks and praise!
The focus in the Sky Ranch Family Devotional’s March Family Times is still on God’s preservation and rule of all creation. God the Father is so amazing and has created such a beautiful world for you and me. He shares His creation with us generously. And what does He ask for in return? He wants recognition. He wants you and I to say thank you! He wants to be recognized and praised for all He has done for you! It really is pretty simple and no different than how you feel when you have shown kindness to another. What is your response to God for His blessings in your life? Scripture tells you to worship God. Worship can look very different to each person and there is no limit, but true worship is Holy Spirit inspired. Worship can be spending time with God reading His Word, singing and praying. Worship can be serving God as He asks, sharing about Him or admiring all that He is. Worship recognizes God and keeps your focus on Him.
I am on a personal quest to stay more positive. Sometimes, I go in cycles with being positive and negative. There are times in my life when I have found it hard to praise and thank God for all He has done. Other times, it is easier. Unfortunately, my circumstances can alter my attitude, sound familiar? When I am struggling with feeling thankful or praising God, I have found it helps me to start reading a “Psalm a day” during my personal devotional time. Not all the Psalms are praising God, but many of the Psalms are and it really helps set a positive pace to read them. Another helpful exercise that I do in my prayer time is give two examples of people, life situations or events to praise God for in my life. I can usually come up with at least two. God’s Holy Spirit uses those simple practices to help me start with a right attitude for the day.
This week in your family time, I would encourage you to prepare by praying for your family and asking God if anyone struggles with thanking or praising Him. Does anyone struggle with recognizing the gifts that God has given to them personally? Encourage your family to write down 5 things that God has given to them and discuss them. Then, ask …did anyone list thanking God for forgiving them for their sins? What about thanking God for sending Jesus to save you so that you can have an abundant life and live eternally with God? Thanking God for salvation is so important but often overlooked. God did this especially for YOU! He loves you so much! Give other examples of ways to thank God. A fun family outing this week could be to find a particularly beautiful park or nature preserve to visit with your family. Ask your family to share how God made all that they see and teach your kids “God appreciation!” God appreciation is noticing areas of God’s kindness and spontaneously thanking Him for it. Overtime, you will see thankful hearts developing in you and your family!
Do you need help or prayer for your family time? Email me at SkyMoms@skyranch.org.
I will be praying for you!
Stacy
Stacy A. Davis
Teach Intentionally
This week we are in the 7th Month Topic and 2nd Family Time (or page 62) of the Sky Ranch Devotional “Open Your Eyes”…
Family Time 2:
Month 7 Topic: God works to preserve and rule all of creation…Worship
Talk with God: Read…Nehemiah 9:6, Hebrews 1:3
~ Nehemiah 9:6 You alone are the Lord; You have made the heavens, the Heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all that is on it, the seas, and all that is in them, and You give life to them all; and the host of Heaven bow down before You.
- In Neh 9:6, God alone made all things. What is He doing for them?
~ Hebrews 1:3 (About Jesus)…And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the Word of His power.
- In Heb 1:3, what is God upholding by His power?
Walk with God: Discuss… The powerful God that created the world is the same God that lives in us. He can create the world and forgives our sins. No sin is too big to forgive for the Creator of the universe. Have you asked God to forgive you? Do you worship God for forgiving you? All the host of Heaven bow before Him (worship Him). What does worship look like to you? What do you think the host of heaven worship looks like?
Prayer suggestion… God made Heaven and earth but He also made YOU. The Bible says if you do not praise Him, the rocks will cry out. Pray that you will praise Him for all He has done.
Family Time 2:
Leader Answers:
- He gives life to them all
- All things
- Discussion ideas: God, the Creator, designed the world and a way of life that we are to follow. When we do not follow His way of life, and create our own way, we offend Him and this offense separates us from Him. We stay separated until we ask for forgiveness and change to follow His way. The way of life is laid out for us in the Bible, His Scripture. We worship because we are thankful for His forgiveness. Worship can look like singing praises out loud or in your heart, praying, serving, anything that praises Him.
© 2011 Stacy A. Davis, Inc. All rights reserved.
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