A Devotional Guide to Pray With Gratitude During the Thanksgiving SeasonSample

THANK YOU, GOD, FOR CREATION - THE FIRST DAY!

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.”  Genesis 1:1-2 NIV

Today, thank God for what happened on the first day of creation!

• The first day, God created light.

"And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.  God called the light ‘day,’ and the darkness he called ‘night.’ And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day."  Genesis 1: 3-5 NIV

Oh, people, what would we do without light? We could not exist because it takes light to grow crops and gardens and trees. I do not know about you, but I much prefer the day to nighttime! On gloomy, rainy days, I turn the lights on in my house to make it seem brighter! There is something about sunlight that boosts our moods, gives us motivation, and makes us smile! Do you think it is because Jesus is the Light of the World?  

"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.'” John 8:12 NIV

Our first thought at an electric power outage is to grab flashlights, candles, and oil lamps. Today, in your own way, pause and take time to thank God for Light.

• Light dispels darkness.

• Light gives the ability to see.

• Light helps keep the earth warm.

• Light helps things grow.

• Light travels at 186,000 miles (300,000 km) per second, so the light you see now was still tucked away in the Sun about eight minutes ago. (Information from Explain That Stuff)

Father God,

Today, I want to thank You for being the Light of the World! Thank You for creation and for always having been. Thank You for Your perfect plan. You organize the days and choose how to bring things into existence. It is no wonder that light was created on the first day, for You, God, are Light, and You knew that to live, man would need light; not only in the world, but Light in our souls to live eternally! May we be reflections of Your Light in a dark world, Lord! In Jesus' Name, Amen.