Prayer | Give Him 15 | Page 13 of 1,047

November 28, 2025

Thanksgiving, One More Time

In keeping with the Thanksgiving theme, today I’m going to do something just a little different. I am sharing the words of four of my all-time favorite hymns, releasing them as praise and thanksgiving to our great God. I love many of the old hymns. Personally, I believe we should incorporate them into our charismatic and contemporary worship more often. They are not only reverential, majestic, offer heartfelt thanks to the Lord, and declare the greatness of God, they are filled with tremendous theology that, sadly, many believers seldom hear. The hymns will be our post and our prayer. I hope you enjoy these masterpieces as much as I did compiling them.

Hymn Number One

“Reginald Heber was born in 1783 to a wealthy, educated family, and died in 1826. He was a bright youth, translating a Latin classic into English by the time he was seven, entering Oxford at 17, and winning two awards for his poetry during his time there. After graduating, he entered the ministry and over the course of his life wrote 57 hymns, one of which is an all-time favorite of mine.

“Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!

Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee.

Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!

God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

“2. Holy, holy, holy! all the saints adore thee,

Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea.

Cherubim and seraphim, falling down before thee,

Who was and is and evermore shall be.

“3. Holy, Holy, Holy! though the darkness hide thee,

Though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see,

Only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,

Perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.

“4. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!

All thy works shall praise thy name, in earth, and sky, and sea;

Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!

God in three Persons, blessed Trinity.”(1)

Hymn Number Two

“Thomas O. Chisholm was born in Franklin, Kentucky, in 1866 and died in 1960. His boyhood was spent on a farm, and then he taught district schools. He spent five years as editor of the local paper at Franklin. He was converted to Christianity at the age of 26, and in 1903, he entered the ministry. His aim in writing hymns was to incorporate as much Scripture as possible and to avoid flippant or sentimental themes. I think you will agree with me that he certainly succeeded in the following hymn.

“Great is thy faithfulness, O God, my Father;

There is no shadow of turning with thee.

Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;

As thou hast been, thou forever wilt be.

“Refrain:

Great is thy faithfulness, Great is thy faithfulness,

Morning by morning, new mercies I see.

All I have needed thy hand hast provided;

Great is thy faithfulness,

Lord unto me.

“2. Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,

Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above,

Join with all nature in manifold witness,

To thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love. [Refrain]

“3. Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,

Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,

Blessings all mine and ten thousand beside. [Refrain]”(2)

Hymn Number Three

“Carl Gustaf Boberg (1859-1940) was born and lived his years in Sweden. After finishing his time as a sailor, he began working as a lay minister; he was also the editor of a newspaper and served in the Swedish Parliament. Jason Soroski gives us the following story regarding the hymn he gave us.

“In 1885, [Boberg] was inspired by the sound of church bells ringing during a wild thunderstorm, and penned the poem ‘O Great God.’

“…three years later, someone liked it enough to match the words with a traditional Swedish melody, and when Boberg found out about it, he quickly published the poem once again in his own newspaper in 1891, this time with the musical notation added.

“Fast forward a few decades to the 1930s - Somehow this poem put to music had traveled across borders, and English missionary Stuart Hine heard the song (in Russian) while in Poland. Deeply moved by the song, he translated it into English, tweaked the musical arrangement, some of the wording, and took it home with him to England. [In English, the song title changed slightly.]

“On to the 1940s - Evangelist Dr. Edwin Orr heard this new version of the song being sung by native tribal people in Assam, India, and being deeply inspired by it, he brought the song back to the United States. We are still unsure how the song ever got to India to start with.

“In 1954, the song found its way into the hands of George Beverly Shea, who sang it nearly 100 times during Billy Graham’s 1957 New York crusade. In 1959, it became the theme song for Billy Graham’s weekly radio broadcast, bringing [it] into the national consciousness.

“In 1978, the performing rights organization ASCAP named it as “The All-Time Outstanding Gospel Song” in America. It has consistently been listed as one of the greatest hymns ever written, usually falling at #2 (right behind Amazing Grace).

“How astonishing that this song, recorded over 1,800 times in the last 50 years, had its origins as a poem in a small town in Sweden, written by a sailor turned lay-minister, and somehow wound its way around the globe.”(3)

Believers around the world will be forever grateful that Boberg gifted us with this amazing hymn, How Great Thou Art.

“O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder,

consider all the works thy hands hath made,

I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,

thy pow’r throughout the universe displayed;

“Refrain:

Then sings my soul, my Savior-God, to thee:

How great thou art! How great thou art!

Then sings my soul, my Savior-God, to thee:

How great thou art! How great thou art!

“2. When through the woods and forest glades I wander,

and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;

when I look down from lofty mountain grandeur

and hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze; [Refrain]

“3. And when I think that God, his Son not sparing,

sent him to die, I scarce can take it in.

That on the cross my burden gladly bearing,

he bled and died to take away my sin; [Refrain]

“4. When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation,

and take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!

Then I shall bow in humble adoration,

And there proclaim “My God, how great thou art! (Refrain)”(4)

Hymn Number Four

And we simply can’t leave out this final hymn. “George Bennard (1873-1958) was born in Youngstown, OH. When he was a child the family moved to Albia, Iowa. He served with the Salvation Army in Iowa for several years before he was ordained in the Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1913, he secured his place in hymn-writing history by giving us the following classic.

“On a hill far away stood an old rugged Cross, the emblem of suffering and shame; and I love that old cross where the dearest and best for a world of lost sinners was slain.

“Refrain:

So I’ll cherish the old rugged Cross, till my trophies at last I lay down;

I will cling to the old rugged Cross, and exchange it some day for a crown.

“2. Oh, that old rugged Cross, so despised by the world, has a wondrous attraction for me; for the dear Lamb of God left His glory above to bear it to dark Calvary. [Refrain]

“3. In that old rugged Cross, stained with blood so divine, a wondrous beauty I see, for ‘twas on that old Cross Jesus suffered and died, to pardon and sanctify me. [Refrain]

“4. To that old rugged Cross I will ever be true, its shame and reproach gladly bear; then He’ll call me some day to my home far away, where His glory forever I’ll share. [Refrain]”(5)

Click on the link below to watch the full video.

November 27, 2025

A Day of Thanksgiving

The pilgrims first celebrated the holiday Americans call Thanksgiving after their first harvest in 1621. History says it was attended by 90 Native Americans and 53 Pilgrims. The gathering lasted three days. In 1789, our first President, George Washington, issued a national proclamation of “Public Thanksgiving and Prayer, acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God.”(1) Abraham Lincoln issued another proclamation in 1863 and made it a national holiday, referring to it as “A day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.”(2) In their proclamations, they refer to God as:

The: Almighty God (three times);
That great and glorious Being;
Beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be;
The great Lord and Ruler of the Nations;
Most High God;
and Beneficent Father.

So much for the myth of separating God from America’s government.

Washington’s and Lincoln’s proclamations are reverential and God-honoring. I won’t read them, as the verbiage and style of the day are a bit different than ours, but I have included them as an attachment at the end of today’s post for those who do wish to read them. The following is a proclamation and prayer for us to offer today; please agree with me as I read it:

Heavenly Father, we in the United States pause today to acknowledge Your gracious and omnipotent hand. America was Your idea. You formed a nation of nations - Native Americans, Asians, Europeans, Africans, Latinos, Middle Easterners, and more. Though our journey included the inevitable challenges associated with human frailties, including sinful actions, Your sovereign power overcame our flaws and formed the United States of America.

We are very aware that our birth was not just for our blessing and benefit; we were invited into a covenantal partnership with You to proclaim Your redemption from sin’s horrible curse. We acknowledge and agree with the words of Robert Hunt at Cape Henry in 1607: “The gospel of the kingdom will go forth from these shores, not only to this land, but to all the nations of the earth.” We agree with the words from Holy Scripture inscribed on the Liberty Bell: “Proclaim liberty throughout the land to all the inhabitants thereof,” (Leviticus 25:10). This is America’s destiny and our great honor.

We are thankful, Father, for the covenants our Christian Forefathers and Founders entered into with You. They sacrificed greatly in order to fulfill Your plan, knowing they were drawn to these shores – not just to enjoy liberty – but to accomplish Your divine purposes. We are grateful for their sacrifices made so long ago, and the incredible prosperity we have enjoyed due to their covenantal partnership with You. May they be forever honored and always see righteous fruit from their labors.

Thank You for preserving us in times of war, disease, sin, and rebellion. In the war of our birth, we were saved through appealing to heaven; in the horrific Civil War, we fought one another and lost half a million sons, husbands, fathers, and brothers, yet You kept the dream alive; in two world wars, You preserved us from evil despots intent on ruling the world. Through all the difficulties and trials of four centuries, YOU have been faithful to preserve us. “Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it; except the Lord keep the city, the watchmen waketh but in vain” (Psalm 127:1). You have blessed this nation - of You, through You, and to You are all things. Thank You, gracious and beneficent God!

Jesus, Son of God, Son of Man, on this day, we as a nation thank You for Your great sacrifice in becoming one of us - a member of the human race. Thank You for experiencing the gnawing pangs of hunger, for feeling the heartbreaking pain of a loved one’s death. Thank You for walking dusty roads to heal diseased bodies, taking detours to redeem thirsty hearts, and spending sleepless nights in prayer. Thank You for exposing the wiles and hatred of the serpent, the destructive power of pride, and modeling true love. Thank You for revealing the Father to us once again, and creating the way for us to reconnect with Him as our Abba, our Papa. Thank You for paying such an incredibly high price: the incarnation, the beatings and lashing, Gethsemane, the mocking, the crown of thorns, the wrath of Hell, the hideous Cross, the stain of sin, and sting of death. Thank You.

Gracious Father, wonderful Savior, and blessed Holy Spirit, though we as a nation have dishonored, rejected, and even mocked You, Your love endures. We have worshiped idols, embraced false religions, shed innocent blood, defiled Your marriage covenant, and expelled You from our schools - yet Your mercies endure. Our government has risen up against You in pride and rebellion, rewritten Your laws, legislated murderous and immoral rights, and declared that You are no longer welcome in their functions and procedures - yet You have demonstrated amazing grace and patience. And while the church should have been Your instrument of preservation from these ills, she became lukewarm, complacent, and ineffective.

In spite of these and many more evils, You have promised to save America, healing our brokenness, returning our hearts to You, and preserving our destiny. Thank You, gracious Father. Thank You for the restoration occurring in the church; thank You for the army of intercessors You have raised up here and around the world - we owe them so much. Thank You for the awakening that has begun in America, regarding both our spiritual condition and the horrible fruit this has produced. Thank You for the overthrowing of evil in our government that has begun. Thank You, in advance, for the greatest worldwide outpouring of Holy Spirit in all of history. Because of Your mercy, America will once again be a strong voice for the gospel of the Kingdom throughout the earth. For all of this and more, we give You thanks. Amen.

And I thank YOU for being part of Give Him 15. Together, we are making a difference!

President George Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation:

“Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor-- and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public Thanksgiving and Prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

“Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be - that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks - for His kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation - for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of His Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war - for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed - for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted - for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which He hath been pleased to confer upon us.

“And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions - to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually - to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed - to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord - To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us - and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

“Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.” (George Washington)(3)

President Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Proclamation:

“The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle, or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. The population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege, and the battlefield; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do, therefore, invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity, and union.

“In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.

“Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the Eighty-eighth. By the President: Abraham Lincoln.”(4)

Click on the link below to watch the full video.

November 26, 2025

Thanksgiving: The Communion Meal

Tomorrow we will celebrate one of America’s greatest holidays. Today’s post will help you do so with greater understanding and, hopefully, an even greater appreciation for our many blessings. Although not widely known among most Americans, the holiday is linked to the Cross, our redemption, and the matchless grace of God.

Grace The word “grace” is one of the most important terms in our language. In its broader application, “grace” encompasses the incarnation of Christ (His becoming human), His sufferings, the gift of our rebirth into God’s family, and every benefit we receive from this. We neither earned nor deserved any of these blessings; they are ours only through God’s grace, His “unspeakable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15), bestowed on us from His great love. “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

“Grace” is derived from the Greek word charis,(1) a significant term that also conveys “goodwill, loving-kindness, or favor.” It is also translated as “thanks,” the response offered for benefits or favor.(2)

Never at a loss for words, “Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament defines grace (charis) as the ‘spontaneous act of God that came from the infinite love in His heart, in which He stepped down from His judgment throne to take upon Himself the guilt and penalty of human sin, thus satisfying His justice, maintaining His government, and making possible the bestowal of salvation upon the sinner who receives it by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who became a Sin-offering for him on the Cross’”(3) Wow!

“The New Testament also uses other forms of this word: charizomai, ‘to give graciously’(4); and charisma, ‘a gift that is graciously given.’(5) For example, in 1 Corinthians 12:4, 9, 28, 30, and 31, the term charisma features prominently in Paul’s teaching about spiritual gifts. Paul stresses that the gifts of the Spirit are gifts of God’s grace. These spiritual ‘grace gifts’ are not developed through natural talent, but instead bestowed upon believers by God. In The Dynamics of Spiritual Gifts, William McRae defines a spiritual gift as ‘a divine endowment of a special ability for service upon a member of the body of Christ.’”(6)

Mary and the Church Charis was also the root word used by Gabriel to Mary in Luke 1:28, telling her she was “highly favored” (charitoo),(7) Indeed! The honor of being entrusted to carry Christ in her womb, birth the Savior of the world, and then to nurture Him for Yahweh, was truly immeasurable favor. Yet, the same word is used one other time in Scripture, Ephesians 1:6, when describing the great favor granted to us as believers, who also now carry Christ in our spiritual wombs! Almighty God is in us!!! The fountain of life, the breath of God, the nature of God Himself is in us in the spirit of Christ. That gift comes from charis, grace.

Thanksgiving Now, would it surprise you to know that charis, this Greek word for grace, is the root word for “thanksgiving”? Thanksgiving, or “the giving of thanks,” comes from the Greek word eucharistia. The word could also be translated “giving thanks for our grace gifts.” When America set aside a day “of public Thanksgiving and Prayer” to “Almighty God,” as George Washington stated in his official proclamation (which I will include in tomorrow’s post), it was to thank God for His incomparable benefits of grace through His Son, Jesus Christ! We aren’t simply giving thanks for the physical freedom, prosperity, and abundant blessings we enjoy in this great nation; we are acknowledging that we enjoy these things because of the grace of God and the gift of His Son!

Communion And for the icing on the cake, or should we say the stuffing in the turkey, this Greek word for Thanksgiving (eucharistia) is also the word for the Eucharist, the Lord’s Table: Communion. This covenant meal is called the Eucharist, not just by Catholics but also by many evangelicals, because it’s a word Jesus used when initiating the meal: “when He had given thanks” (eucharisteo). He then gave the disciples the bread and wine, which represented His body and blood (1 Corinthians 11:23-25). “Thanksgiving” originated, not with the Pilgrims, but at the Last Supper, when God’s “grace meal” was inaugurated!

Tomorrow, when sharing the meal with family and friends, remember that Thanksgiving is rooted in the Lord’s Table, Communion, through which we celebrate God’s “grace gift” of His Son to us.

Pray with me:

Father, we thank You for Your unspeakable gift, Yeshua, and His sacrifice. Through Him, we have been welcomed into Your family, made Your heirs and His joint-heirs. As we Americans celebrate our many blessings this week, we remember that these blessings come through this grace-gift. Thank You!

And as we take time to acknowledge and thank You, we also give thanks for the grace-awakening that has begun. Thank You for the millions of grace-salvations coming soon, the grace-returning of prodigals, the grace-deliverances, the grace-miracles, and the grace-reset of America. Thank You for the grace-cleansing and grace-healing of our land. As we eat the grace-meal tomorrow, we will remember that it is a celebration of Your abounding grace!

We will also remember that Thanksgiving isn’t just America’s meal; this is the world’s meal. Thank You for saving a billion souls in the great grace-harvest that has begun. Thank You for a deluge of grace in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia, North and South America. Pour it out! Flood the earth with grace! Signs, wonders, miracles, dreams, visions, deliverances, radical salvations - all poured out by the Spirit of grace! We celebrate this with You! In Yeshua’s name. Amen.

Our decree:

We decree that every good and perfect gift is from the Father through Christ, with whom there is no variableness or shadow of turning (James 1:17).

Click on the link below to watch the full video.

James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no.5485.
https://www.gotquestions.org/charis-in-the-Bible.html
James Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament, Vol 21 (Eerdmans, 1997), pp. 138–139.
Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, ref no. 5483.
Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, ref no. 5486.
William McRae, The Dynamics of Spiritual Gifts (Zondervan, 1976), p. 18.
Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, ref no. 5487.

11 1214 15