In the morning, O Lord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait in expectation. But let all who take refuge in You be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread Your protection over them that those who love Your name may rejoice in You. For surely, O Lord, You bless the righteous; You surround them with Your favor as with a shield. Those who know Your name will trust in You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You. You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. [Psalms 5:3; Psalms 5:11&12; Psalm 9:10; Psalms 16:7&8]
Heavenly Father I praise You for blessing me with children, grandchildren and a very good wife and companion. I praise You for allowing me to work for the past 34 years without being on unemployment or out of a job. I praise You for opportunities to work with Youth for 14 years and for a few years of speaking to the traditional service on Sunday nights. I praise You for the years that I was able to fill in for pastors, be a speaker at a Youth Camp, get to play harmonica with the worship team and sing with others over the years. I praise You for the people You have brought into my life and those who have supported me in prayer. I praise You for the close friends I have and the fact I can vent to them without worry of any of it going anywhere.
I thank my God for every reminder of you. In every prayer of mine for you all, I have always made requests with joy, due to your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ…..you all are fellow partakers of my grace. For God is my witness, how I long after you all with the affection of Jesus Christ. And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all discernment, that you may approve things that are excellent so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, being, filled with the fruit of righteousness, which comes through Jesus Christ, for the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:3-6, 7b-11) In Jesus’ name, Amen.