Our Stories Unleashed

Prayers of Thankfulness

Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God. Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer. I find myself praying for you with a glad heart. I am so pleased that you have continued on in this with us, believing and proclaiming God’s Message, from the day you heard it right up to the present. There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears. Philippians 1:3-6 (MSG)

Friends, you will never know how thankful I am for you, for your faithfulness, for your joy, and for your obedience to the powerful gospel of Christ! As we walk through missions month together, the emotional weight of injustice threatens to overtake the truth of the power of Christ and His followers. Those persecuted for their faith, those orphaned, those mistreated because of prejudice, and those who are unreached by the gospel call to the part of my heart that longs for God’s perfect kingdom to come. With that longing for a better world, God reminds me of His powerhouse, the Church, and the strength of love and perseverance she has.

And He reminds me of you. How you have suffered, shown love, and persevered through difficulty. He reminds me that you choose to “continue on…, believing and proclaiming God’s message.”

These reminders bring hope and joy to my heart which wells into prayers of thankfulness. For while you are acutely aware of personal struggle, I see strength in you. I see a steadfast commitment to Christ. I see a resounding, unfailing love of our Mighty Father. And I am encouraged!

Your walk with Christ encourages me to unite with my church family and trust that together we can make a difference for those persecuted as we become more aware of their plight and we pray together.

Your faith in Christ challenges me to open my schedule, my wallet and my heart to children, families and organizations who lean into the care of foster children and those who are orphaned or without families.

Your endurance for the gospel compels me to invest in others and risk rejection that the powerful name of Christ will be shared with my friends and neighbors.

The Christ who is at work in you is mighty! And as you faithfully seek him out and walk with him, you shine brightly with his love. How can I help but to thank God for you each time he brings you to my mind? What a gift you are to me and to so many others. We are thankful for you! - Caroline Poe