Father God, we come before you today with thanksgiving in our hearts and with the assurance that even though the grass withers and the flowers fall, your word, Lord, stands forever and will never fail us.

We thank you Lord that you are the same God today who parted the red sea so many years ago, who protected Daniel in the Lion’s den and who healed the sick and raised the dead.

We thank you Lord that “it is by grace we have been saved, through faith and not from ourselves.  Our salvation is a gift from you and we are your workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which you have prepared in advance for us to do.

We thank you Lord that even though the world around us is in turmoil.  Even though there are famines and floods, fighting and killing, we can hold onto these words written in Deuteronomy:

Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commands.

Lord, our hearts grieve for the families who have lost their loved ones at the hands of  ISIS, cancer, AIDS, accidents, illness but we give thanks, Lord, that we have the assurance that they are now with you.  We hold onto the words of comfort found in Romans:

Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We thank you Lord that you said:

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

So Lord, we pray  for this peace to fill our hearts, minds and souls and ask, Lord, that the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts will be acceptable in your sight.

Amen