A Devotional Guide to Pray With Gratitude During the Thanksgiving SeasonSample

THANK YOU, GOD, FOR CREATING ANIMALS AND MAN!

• On the sixth day, animals that live on the land and finally humans, made in the image of God, were created.

Growing up, I had a dog named Trigger. We named our Golden Retriever after Roy Rogers' horse from a popular western. When I got married and the children were old enough, we had different pets through the years: cats (Facey and Peanut), dogs (Friendly and Freeway), parakeets, a cockatiel, goldfish, gerbils, baby chicks, and a turtle. I think this is common for a typical family today. Pets are a big part of family life.

"And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” Genesis 1:24-26 NIV

I wonder if God smiles at family pets. When He created animals, they lived in the wild or served a purpose working under the rule of man. Even today, some are used for agriculture, some for transportation, and others in war. Many animals are used as a source of food. For the Israelites, some of the animals were used for sacrificial offerings. Thank God that Jesus became the sacrifice.

When God created the first man, God created Adam in His own likeness. Thank God He created humankind to tend the Earth. It amazes me how man was one of the last things God created. Have you ever thought about that? In Genesis, God created the Earth for man to inhabit. He formed all that man would need to survive before He created man. In John 14, Jesus told the disciples where He was going. He promised to prepare a place for us. As God prepared the Earth for our arrival, so shall it be in heaven!

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:1-3 NIV

Today when you pray, thank God for:

• the many species of animals that He created. Why are you thankful?

• your life and the lives of others; tell Him in your own words what life means to you.

Dear Father in Heaven,

You know my heart, and I can’t hide from You that I don’t like the creepy crawly things. You know I enjoy seeing a horse in a pasture wagging its tail with not a care in the world. You know that meat is not one of my favorite foods, but I do eat it from time to time for protein. I am thankful, Lord, that You were so creative that You thought of each resource that man would need to survive before You created Adam. I am thankful, Lord, that You are our Father, our Provider, our Savior, and our All in All. In Jesus' Name, Amen.