Giving Thanks ~ Day Seventeen

The small group I am in has some pretty mighty prayer warriors. Not that every prayer we pray gets answered exactly as we would want or in the exact timing we would prefer, but we have a pretty decent track record of seeing God do some amazing and remarkable things.

But as much as we are prayer warriors for each other, we all have a prayer warrior that surpasses any flesh we will ever know.....Jesus.

On the cross, Jesus says, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34) That is a loaded request. And that prayer transcends those who put him there physcially and applies to us, every single day.

Jesus' intercession on our behalf includes the things that we don't yet understand the consequences of our actions.

It includes the things we don't know are wrong because the area is gray and the Holy Spirit hasn't fully convicted us, yet.

It includes the things that we don't even realize we are doing because they've become so habitual we don't even think about the fact that they're happening.

And it includes all the things we do to in our heart to harm ourselves like holding on to anger, resentment, and bitterness that cause us deep grief, pain, and sorrow. The things we don't even realize are still affecting us and manifesting themselves in untold ways.

This all encompassing prayer should result in our highest form of praise and thanksgiving simply because it covers us from head to toe, heart to soul, and mind to body, of everything. Why? Because our flesh simply can never fully get it and Jesus not only knows that, He has compassion on us for it. We might get better, but perfection is reserved for Him alone, and we are incapable of truly understanding everything we do from His perspective.

As we go through this week which is often marked by higher than normal stress levels that typically result in hangry-type outbursts, let's remember that we have a Savior that is interceding on our behalf constantly because we don't always realize what we're doing. And when we sit down at the table on Thursday amid perfectly browned turkeys, delicately whipped potatoes, and sweet pumpkin pie, let's give thanks for the One who saw us, loved us, and prayed for us as things burned, tempers flared, and voices bit those closest to us.  And instead of beating ourselves up, let's rest in the truth that even when we don't know what we're doing, He always knows exactly what He's doing: interceding on our behalf.