"I will bring my people back from exile. I will restore them and they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruits " - Amos 9:14

PRAYER INTENTIONS

In thanksgiving for the gift of RESTORATION We thank God for restoring unto us every good thing we lost.

Remember just GIVE THANKS, no ASKING.

PRAYER

This is a day to thank God for all his many blessings in our lives. With gratitude we now say: We thank you, O Lord.

For the love of God, for faith, family, and friends: We thank you, O Lord.

For joys, successes, achievements, and accomplishments: We thank you, O Lord.

For health, safety, work, and rest: We thank you, O Lord.

For struggles, sorrows, trials, and sufferings: We thank you, O Lord.

For our jobs, for those who support us, for our education, and for the chance to serve: We thank you, O Lord.

For our gifts, talents, and abilities, for honors, for strength and energy: We thank you, O Lord.

For our homes, for food, warmth, and shelter, for all the things that have made us happy: We thank you, O Lord.

For our hobbies and pets, for happy memories, for our favorite things, for leisure and relaxation: We thank you, O Lord.

For our nation, for freedom and peace, for teachers, leaders, and those who give us good example: We thank you, O Lord.

For the ability to say "I'm sorry," for the grace of repentance, for the forgiveness of others, for the generosity of others: We thank you, O Lord.

For good advice, for financial security, for the trust others put in us, for tenderness, understanding, and compassion: We thank you, O Lord.

For kindness, goodness, joy, and laughter, for the times we have helped others or made them happy: We thank you, O Lord.

For all the wonders of creation, for beauty, music, sports, and art, for new opportunities and second chances: We thank you, O Lord.

For failures and rejection, for all the ways we have grown up and become better people: We thank you, O Lord.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

JOY is one of the blessings of his presence- when you have joy - you don’t care about storms- everyone sees trouble surrounding you- but you are still joyful and they don’t get it-

“ the joy of the Lord is our strength ” Nehemiah 8:10- let me tell you a secret- JOY is not of this kingdom, it is not a physical thing- JOY, is a spiritual reality- which only God can give -

See eerrh depression is a sign, the HOLY SPIRIT is far from you- this world eeerh, the troubles, the challenges, they will crush you if you allow them- too many people will annoy you- life will annoy you- friends and lovers will annoy you- TRUE JOY comes from ABOVE- Is your joy so small- “with joy you will draw water out of the wells of salvation” Isaiah 12:3-5–

The joy of the Lord is your strength- there are thousand and one things that can make you angry- but ignore those things and repeat after after me, “the Joy of the Lord is my strength”… and after saying it, develop, cultivate and sustain a relationship with the Holy Spirit- that’s the only way you get JOY.

LISTEN UP- stop looking for joy in the wrong places, your certificates, achievements, marriage, family, education, money, politics, achievements will not give you JOY -

100 years from today, for example in 2122 all most all of you reading this text or listening to me will be underground with your relatives and friends relegated to that small wooden box we call a ⚰ coffin - . Strangers will live in some of your homes. They will not even remember us. OK, tell me- How many of us think of our grandfather's father?

Or in 2058, that is 36 years from now - how old will you be and where will you be? Most of the things that you think are important to you now would not even matter in 2058. Only GOD & His WILL- will matter. The people whose opinions you so much care about now will not count for anything in 2058. Then you u will see that you have been robbed and you wasted your life trying to please people, institutions, society, elders, family, friends & every one else without living your life. But it will be too late and time will be gone- do not let this happen to you. Follow your dreams and let only God be your guide - for you won't be here for LONG. Time is not your friend.

Whether you like it or not - We will become part of history in the memory of our generations, while many people forget our names and shapes. Nobody will give a damn about what you liked or disliked. At that time we will realize how ignorant and deficient the dream of getting everything was. We would ask for one more life to spend it only in doing good deeds, but it would be too late. BE JOYFUL, time is not your friend, spend a lot of it in joy, because problem no dey finish for world, jor

Joy is a spiritual reality that only the HOLY SPIRIT can give- that is why a man like JOB will lose his entire estate but will still be joyful in the Lord. You should be so joyful that people will be surprised when they get to know what you were going through- I am a very joyful person- people do all kind of stupid things around me- but am ever joyful- no matter what- I gaurd my Joy with all the strength I have, so when I realise you are sent to deprive me of my Joy, I cut you off immediately.

Hear me in loud in your speakers, in this kingdom eerh, JOY is STRENGTH ooh, Phil 4:4- Rejoice in the Lord always again I say rejoice- the joy of the Lord is your strength – joy is of the Holy Spirit.

Oh Lord I don’t know what you are doing but I rejoice, the situation doesn’t match joy and my joyous expression would mock my situation but still rejoice. Nehemiah 8:10b “for the joy of the Lord is your strength ” that means when you lack strength in this kingdom, what you lack is the JOY of Lord- in the physical world when you lack energy, you are given food- in the realm of the spirit, when you lack energy- when you lack strength what you are given to eat is JOY-

And hear me when I tell you that often times God doesn’t give you the solution, or take the problem away, he rather gives you JOY, STABILITY, PEACE and the SPIRIT OF FORTITUDE in the midst of the affliction, and the people around you cannot understand what is so joyful about your circumstances.

The JOY of the LORD IS your strength. Count it all joy (James 1:2) will say, the pain, shame, no admission, sickness, disappointment, count it all joy- when they persecute you for my sake count it all joy.

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us .”- Romans 5:3-5

Can you watch your child die and still be joyful? Can you see your car on fire and you say to God be the glory -great things he has done? Can you watch your job go and you stand in front of your company, smile and say to God be the glory. Yes, you fasted and prayed for several days but your loved one still died anyway, can you still give God the glory and say “I thought you will survive but now you are home with your creator, to God be the glory.” Can you pray and say, I fasted and prayed about this situation, nothing seems to change, but the Joy of the LORD is my strength.

Never lose your joy, let nothing in this life steal your joy let nobody steal your joy, not lack of money, not lack of child---- this gloominess and sad countenance we carry around is cheating us- make up your mind to rejoice in the Lord- joy brings harvest- sow in tears reap in joy.

Remember NO ASKING only THANKING🙏🏿

Shalom and God bless you.

#monkreflections

#thanksgivingmonth

#thanksgiving&Praise

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