Saturday, April 2

Jeremiah 13:1-11

Psalms 87, 90, 136

Romans 6:12-23

John 8:47-59

O give thanks to the Lord, for his is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Ps 136, verse 1, New RSV

Thank God! He deserves your thanks. His love never quits.

Ps. 136, verse 1, The Message

The Psalms are an excellent and sometimes overlooked source for prayer. In the sixth century Benedict considered them so important that his Rule for Monasteries prescribed that all one hundred and fifty of them be chanted each week as part of daily prayer. They contain prayer for virtually every occasion. Some praise God, some give thanks, some are laments, and some are very angry. Whatever your mood, you can find a Psalm to fit.

Psalm 136 is a litany of thanksgiving for things that God has done for his people, many of which are ancient history to us today. But the mantra “His steadfast love endures forever” or simply “His love never quits” as The Message puts it, is as real for us today as the day it was penned by the psalmist and repeated twenty-six times.

So my suggestion for today is this: right now as you are reading this write down a list of at least five things that you are thankful for today, make it ten if you can, longer is better. Then, as soon as you’re finished, prayerfully read the list and follow each item with either “His steadfast love endures forever” or “His love never quits.” Now you have made a direct connection between those things you are thankful for, those gifts from God, and your thanks to God for them.

So often our prayers are petitions to God for help for ourselves or others and we forget about thanksgiving. Psalm 136 is a wonderful reminder to include prayers of thanksgiving in our daily visits with God.

Bob Lowe