{ David’s Prayer of Gratitude }

Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?  And yet this was a small thing in Your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken also of Your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God!  And what more can David say to You? For You know Your servant, O Lord God!  Because of Your promise, and according to Your own heart, You have brought about all this greatness, to make Your servant know it.  Therefore You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You, and there is no God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

 2 Samuel 7:18-22

I feel stuck.  Sometimes I feel that I have not really grown spiritually as much as I want to.  I play my past over and over feeling inadequate.  But then I step back at and really look at where I have been…and where I am now…and how in love I am with my God more and more each day.  And I see how far He has brought me.  I am like David and I am celebrating the progress I have made with the One Who brought me here.

David responded to God’s goodness and we see the reasons why he was ‘a man after God’s own heart’.

But now your kingdom shall not continue.
The Lord has sought out a man after His own heart
and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over His people
because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.

1 Samuel 13:14

David surrendered his heart to God.  When we do the same, we will see how far we have come and we, too, will respond like David.  For instance, we will have intimacy with our Creator: David sought no other audience.  He left Nathan’s presence and went and sat with God.  And before we can really embrace and celebrate God’s amazing and unexpected gifts with other believers, we have to seek Him first…always.  We must stay humble in that we need not take credit for our progress.  David always gave credit to His Maker and made known to all that he was humbled by God’s goodness.  He celebrated every time he came into the presence of God.  We must be careful not to flaunt our gains to those who don’t have them yet, for this is prideful.  We will delight in our Lord.  He loves our gratitude and it blesses His heart when we are grateful and awestruck at His goodness.  I imagine it makes Him want to bless us more, knowing how much joy it brings us, each blessing being named and thanking Him for all of them.  And last, we acknowledge God, as David did. I imagine that God loves when we sing loudly the hymn “How Great Thou Art”…don’t you?  He also loves when we list His good qualities and when we shout to all who will listen,”How great is our God!!”  There really is no one like Him!

Look back for a minute to where you have been. Only when you have been in a valley, can you really appreciate coming out. Only when you have been in bondage, do you really understand the amazing feeling of freedom. And when you see that God has been there all along and He keeps loving you and He keeps cheering you on and He never fails you, you will see that you have come a really long way and that God has brought you here. Why don’t you celebrate, my friend!  You are His heart…

Do you know this amazing God?  He knows you and He has been waiting your whole life for the moment that you surrender to Him and accept Him into your life.  Are you ready?  If so, then pray this prayer with me:

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Dear God, I know that I am a sinner.  I need forgiveness.  I believe that You alone are God.  And that You have a Son, Jesus.  He came and walked this earth as a man, suffered the same things that I do, and ultimately He laid down His life for me on the Cross.  You sent Him to be my Savior, and I am asking Jesus to come into my heart today.  Please walk with me and help me to know more about You.  I love You.  Thank You for loving me.  In Jesus name, amen.