Thursday - enter into the Temple with thanksgiving

Prayer:  Holy God,  we will serve You with gladness and come before You today with joyful songs.  We know that You are our God.  You have made us as we are and we are Your people… the sheep of Your pasture.  For You are good and Your love endures for ever.   Amen.

Read  Psalm 100 (especially verse 4)

This Psalm was sung at the entry into the Temple.  This is definitely a Psalm that we should memorize as it keeps us rejoicing and living in thanksgiving.   The main message of the Psalm is that joy and thanksgiving in God lifts up the hearts of all.  It is in the presence of God that the worshippers find themselves united in one great faith.  

And what are we to do?  Verse 2 states that we are to serve the Lord with gladness.   Serve the Lord.   We do this by the example we set each day in our lives.   We do this through our times of prayer and meditation and readings.  

In this Psalm, the worshippers (and us) find life giving joy and thanksgiving in the love of the Lord.  

Verse 4 was possibly sung by the Levites before the congregation passed through the gates of the Temple.  The Levites begin with a call for everyone to enter the sanctuary of God.  As the congregation entered,  they were to give thanks to God and come in with joyful and greatful hearts.

How do we enter our times of worship and prayer?  Do we come first asking for requests or do we first begin with thanking God?  

Today  begin memorizing this Psalm so that you can pull it up from the recesses of your mind each time you begin a time of prayer and each time you enter a Church.

Today,  the three things that I am thankful for are:

 

Prayer:  Almighty God,  Your love endures for ever.  From the rising of the sun until it’s setting.  We will lift our hearts and voices in thanksgiving to You today and always.  For we know that Your love endures for ever.  Amen.