September 2, 2017: Day Twenty-seven
After four weeks of studying prayer, I hope you have discovered or been reminded that God does some wonderful things in our lives through prayer.  One of the things that prayer should do is make us thankful for all that God has done for us.

Think about the nation of Israel in the Old Testament.  God had delivered them from slavery and provided for them step by step, even providing them with a land to possess.  Surely they were thankful for all that God had done, right?  Not exactly.

Nehemiah 9:15-17 says:
"You provided bread from heaven for their hunger; You brought them water from the rock for their thirst.  You told them to go in and possess the land You had sworn to give them.  But our ancestors acted arrogantly; they became stiff-necked and did not listen to Your commands.  They refused to listen and did not remember Your wonders You performed among them.  They became stiff-necked and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt.  But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in faithful love, and You did not abandon them." 

We should make a really big deal thanking God each morning for just allowing us to wake up, not to mention all of the other things that only He can do!  But today's verses remind us how tempting it is to turn back to our old ways rather than bowing down in a prayer of thanksgiving.  

The moment you forget what God has done, you start going backwards.  I've found this to be true in my own life and I've seen it countless times with church members over the years.  God delivers us from a habit and we go back to them.  We don't spend time in God's Word and we think He isn't speaking to us.  We miss a couple of weeks at church and we think no one cares and we forget the loving family God has given us.  

This happened with the Israelites and they got stuck in the wilderness for forty years.  But God continued to do good things for them because He is "slow to anger and rich in faithful love."  Tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. we will close out our 28 Days to Pray emphasis with an incredible time of worship.  Perhaps at some point before the service begins or even during the service, you should make an appointment with God at the altar and bow down with a grateful heart thanking Him for what He has done and what He is going to do.  The 28 Days is coming to a close.  Praying is not.  And what God wants to do in your life and our church is just getting revved up!

Thank you for joining me in this journey.  I truly hope that each of these devotions has taught you, encouraged you, and helped you in your own journey of prayer.  Have a great Saturday! Enjoy football!  Enjoy family!  Enjoy friends!  I will see you in the morning!

I love you.  Randy 
 
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