I choose to Praise Him today: My Thanksgiving Prayer

My Thanksgiving Prayer Today

The Oak Tree



by Johnny Ray Ryder Jr



A mighty wind blew night and day

It stole the oak tree's leaves away

Then snapped its boughs and pulled its bark

Until the oak was tired and stark



But still the oak tree held its ground

While other trees fell all around

The weary wind gave up and spoke.

How can you still be standing Oak?



The oak tree said, I know that you

Can break each branch of mine in two

Carry every leaf away

Shake my limbs, and make me sway



But I have roots stretched in the earth

Growing stronger since my birth

You'll never touch them, for you see

They are the deepest part of me



Until today, I wasn't sure

Of just how much I could endure

But now I've found, with thanks to you

I'm stronger than I ever knew





On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, in sickness and in health, He is my Strong Tower, my Truth, my All in All. Praise be to the Lord of Heaven and Earth, to the One Who was, and is, and is to come! He maintains the roots of my soul that I may enter His courts with Thanksgiving, and praise Him all the days of my life. I praise Him for His strength and for His Faithfulness. When I am weak, He proves Himself Strong. I will sing of His Love forever and rely upon His Strength for all of my days. My God is a God of Love, the God of the impossible, and in Him I stand, though weak in body, strong in His enduring, endearing, ever merciful and COMPLETE Love today.





This Thanksgiving I choose to praise Him, for though I may have mono, though I feel the worst I may have ever physically felt, though I may not be able to taste my turkey, I HAVE turkey, and I have friends and family and a God who loves me so, loves me when I'm whiny and cranky and sick, and loves me when I am dancing, and hiking, and writing, and playing in the sunshine with my son. Though I may have sadness in my heart, in Him I am FREE, I am LOVED, and I am EVER grateful! This too He will overcome, if I stand still, in the arms of His Love. Here's to a quick and happy HEALING, for He is the God of healing. Thank you, Jesus, thank you for this, snowy Thanksgiving Wednesday! Happy Turkey, Happy Shopping, Happy cheesy movies and Happy Family and Friends to you! Blessings, His Princess Becca...





2 Samuel 22: NLV (It's NOT Just for David...His Word is for Me and for You)



"The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;

3 my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.

He is my shield, the power that saves me,

and my place of safety.

He is my refuge, my savior,

the one who saves me from violence.

4 I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise,

and he saved me from my enemies.



5 "The waves of death overwhelmed me;

floods of destruction swept over me.

6 The grave[a] wrapped its ropes around me;

death laid a trap in my path.

7 But in my distress I cried out to the Lord;

yes, I cried to my God for help.

He heard me from his sanctuary;

my cry reached his ears.



8 "Then the earth quaked and trembled.

The foundations of the heavens shook;

they quaked because of his anger.

9 Smoke poured from his nostrils;

fierce flames leaped from his mouth.

Glowing coals blazed forth from him.

10 He opened the heavens and came down;

dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.

11 Mounted on a mighty angelic being,[b] he flew,

soaring[c] on the wings of the wind.

12 He shrouded himself in darkness,

veiling his approach with dense rain clouds.

13 A great brightness shone around him,

and burning coals[d] blazed forth.

14 The Lord thundered from heaven;

the voice of the Most High resounded.

15 He shot arrows and scattered his enemies;

his lightning flashed, and they were confused.

16 Then at the command of the Lord,

at the blast of his breath,

the bottom of the sea could be seen,

and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.



17 "He reached down from heaven and rescued me;

he drew me out of deep waters.

18 He rescued me from my powerful enemies,

from those who hated me and were too strong for me.

19 They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress,

but the Lord supported me.

20 He led me to a place of safety;

he rescued me because he delights in me.

21 The Lord rewarded me for doing right;

he restored me because of my innocence.

22 For I have kept the ways of the Lord;

I have not turned from my God to follow evil.

23 I have followed all his regulations;

I have never abandoned his decrees.

24 I am blameless before God;

I have kept myself from sin.

25 The Lord rewarded me for doing right.

He has seen my innocence.



26 "To the faithful you show yourself faithful;

to those with integrity you show integrity.

27 To the pure you show yourself pure,

but to the wicked you show yourself hostile.

28 You rescue the humble,

but your eyes watch the proud and humiliate them.

29 O Lord, you are my lamp.

The Lord lights up my darkness.

30 In your strength I can crush an army;

with my God I can scale any wall.



31 "God's way is perfect.

All the Lord's promises prove true.

He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.

32 For who is God except the Lord?

Who but our God is a solid rock?

33 God is my strong fortress,

and he makes my way perfect.

34 He makes me as surefooted as a deer,

enabling me to stand on mountain heights.

35 He trains my hands for battle;

he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.

36 You have given me your shield of victory;

your help[e] has made me great.

37 You have made a wide path for my feet

to keep them from slipping.



38 "I chased my enemies and destroyed them;

I did not stop until they were conquered.

39 I consumed them;

I struck them down so they did not get up;

they fell beneath my feet.

40 You have armed me with strength for the battle;

you have subdued my enemies under my feet.

41 You placed my foot on their necks.

I have destroyed all who hated me.

42 They looked for help, but no one came to their rescue.

They even cried to the Lord, but he refused to answer.

43 I ground them as fine as the dust of the earth;

I trampled them[f] in the gutter like dirt.



44 "You gave me victory over my accusers.

You preserved me as the ruler over nations;

people I don't even know now serve me.

45 Foreign nations cringe before me;

as soon as they hear of me, they submit.

46 They all lose their courage

and come trembling[g] from their strongholds.



47 "The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock!

May God, the Rock of my salvation, be exalted!

48 He is the God who pays back those who harm me;

he brings down the nations under me

49 and delivers me from my enemies.

You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies;

you save me from violent opponents.

50 For this, O Lord, I will praise you among the nations;

I will sing praises to your name.

51 You give great victories to your king;

you show unfailing love to your anointed,

to David and all his descendants forever."