A Different Thanksgiving Prayer

Each Thanksgiving I try to look at a different aspect of being thankful. This year I read the account of David’s acknowledgment of the deliverance of God in his life.

Psalm 18 was written as the pursuit of King Saul was drawing to a close, or had already been accomplished. Portions of the Psalm really stood out to me, beginning in verses 1-3. “ ‘I love you, O LORD, my strength.’ The LORD is my rock and fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.”

David frequently uses a combination of honest dialogue with God interspersed with praise for who God is and what He has done throughout his Psalms. I have a soft spot in my heart for this book of the Bible. In our vernacular today, we might say it’s real! And it is.

Verses 16-19 describe how David saw the deliverance of God during this time in his life. Remember that King Saul was trying to kill David because he felt his position was threatened. “He sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.” (It seems that many in society find it easy to be offended or hate, even without justifiable reason.) “They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my stay.”

David often seems to be giving testimony about God to remind himself of God’s character. I have found myself doing this in my prayers too, and it is a type of worship to the Lord and edification of Him. If you do this too, you understand it restates our faith in who we follow.

While there are many gorgeous verses in this Psalm, I have shared the specific ones that remind me today who and what most satisfies and completes me.

The last verse is perhaps the best of all. Verse 49 stirs in me a desire to proclaim my joy in God. “Therefore I will give thanks to You among the nations, O LORD, and I will sing praises to Your name.”

Have a warm and wonderful Thanksgiving, and remember with me just how much materially, relationally, and spiritually we have been given.