“Steadfast love comes from the Hebrew word “hessed” (hay-said) which comes from the idea of being faithful to a covenant, such as marriage vows. God is faithful to his promises. Do you believe that right now? Are you living as if you believe it? I know these are difficult times and I admit that I am feeling the stress of current circumstances, but trusting that God is faithful to his promises brings such a wonderful peace and we should give thanks for it.”
Family Worship
Family Worship Devotional Download
Open in Prayer
• What is something you are thankful right now? As you pray, give God thanks for it.
Worship
• Give Thanks (with a thankful heart) – look it up on YouTube if you aren’t familiar with this classic song!
• Jesus, Thank You
Icebreaker Questions:
• What is the gift or present you’ve been the most thankful for? Why were you so thankful for it?
• What is something that you are taking for granted right now? It could be something material like money or something someone does for you like preparing dinner or cleaning the house. Why do you think you don’t give thanks for it?
Read Psalm 136 out loud
Write Your Own Psalm
• Get a piece of paper, your journal or your phone and make a list of things you should be giving thanks to the Lord for.
• Now write out a Psalm modeled after Psalm 136, incorporating the things in your list.
For example:
o To him who has provided my daily bread today and every day, For his steadfast love endures forever;
o To him who has provided shelter for my family, For his steadfast love endures forever;
o To him who knows my struggles and the fears I face, For his steadfast love endures forever;
o To him who gives me grace to face these struggles in a way that honors him; For his steadfast love endures forever;
Discussion Questions:
1. What is one area that you would really like to grow in giving thanks to the Lord? What can you do to make this happen? (Is there a particular passage you would like to meditate on? How would journaling about this help you grow? Can an accountability partner ask you about it regularly?)
2. What holds you back from giving thanks to the Lord in this area? Is there a particular sin such as envy that causes discontentment so you aren’t thankful when you should be?
Prayer Focuses:
1. Ask God to give you a thankful heart. Ask God to constantly remind you that everything we have or that we don’t have is part of his plan.
2. Consider the areas you are struggling in right now such as anxiety, finances, depression over “the new normal” or not being able to worship in person. Ask God to show you how giving thanks in these areas will honor God and bring joy and peace that can only come from him.
3. Give thanks to the Lord!
