DEVOTION:
1 Samuel 7:12; 12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”
PRAYER:
Almighty and Holy God, as this Wednesday morning begins, we pause before the busyness of the day and remember. Before we think about the challenges ahead, the appointments on our calendars, the uncertainties we carry, the surgeries, or the roads we must travel, we stop and look back. We remember the ways You have provided, the prayers You have answered, the strength You have given, and the grace that has carried us through seasons we once thought we could never survive. Lord, You have been good. Not because life has always been easy—it has not. Many of us have known grief, disappointment, sickness, loss, and days when the future felt uncertain. We have walked through valleys we never would have chosen and carried burdens we never expected to bear. Yet through it all, You have remained faithful. Looking back, we can see Your hand in places we did not recognize at the time. We can see moments when You strengthened us, comforted us, protected us, and carried us when our own strength was gone.
And so this morning, we choose gratitude. We thank You for the gift of life and for the blessing of another day. We thank You for family, friends, and our church family. We thank You for those who encourage us, pray for us, and walk beside us. We thank You for the beauty of creation, for the changing seasons, for laughter, for memories, and for all the ordinary blessings that remind us of Your goodness.
Today we especially lift up those facing difficult days ahead. Those awaiting surgery, those recovering from illness, those carrying heavy burdens, those making difficult decisions, and those who simply need strength for one more day. Remind each one that the God who has been faithful in the past remains faithful today. Give peace where there is anxiety, courage where there is fear, healing where there is pain, and hope where there is uncertainty.
As we step into this day, help us trust You with what lies ahead. The same God who has brought us this far will not abandon us now. So we begin this morning not with fear, but with gratitude; not with worry, but with trust; not focused on what may happen tomorrow, but on the One who already holds tomorrow in His hands.For all that has been, we thank You. For all that is, we trust You. And for all that is yet to come, we place it in Your care. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior, Amen.