Prayer Topic #14:
A Prayer of Appreciation for the Beauty of God’s Creation
Scripture Reading:
Psalm 148, Psalm 19:1-6
Reflections of the Heart:
“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.” ~ John Muir
Scriptural Prayer:
Precious Father, thank You for allowing us to benefit from the beauty of all that Your hand has created. Thank You for our seas, forests, and skies. Thank You for all the beautiful and fragrant plants, and for the power and wonder of every animal. Thank You for the seasons and the rains that keep our earth reproducing. We will wake the dawn with our song. O Lord, our Lord, Your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens. When we look at the night sky and see the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars you set in place; what are mortals that You should think about them, human beings that You should care for them? The highest heavens and the earth and everything in it all belong to You. We are blessed to be the recipients of all the beauty that surrounds us and testifies of Your awesome glory. We will sing to You as long as we live. We will praise You until our last breath! May all our thoughts be pleasing to You, for we rejoice in You, Father.
Holy Father, we, the Body of Christ, decree that You have made us only a little lower than Yourself and crowned us with glory and honor. You have given us charge of everything You made. All things – flocks and herds, wild animals, birds, fish, and everything that swims in the ocean – is under our authority. But we will not boast in our authority, but in the fact that our names are registered in heaven. We confess that we will strive not defile the land that You have given us, but we will guard against wasting our natural resources. Lord, we will adopt better, cleaner practices and teach them to our children so that we can bless the earth for future generations. We declare that we will obey the laws of the land when we enjoy the outdoors, and we will not fail to give You glory for the beauty of all that You’ve created. It is our honor and privilege to care for all the creatures of the earth and we will respect and value all that Your hand has made.
Take a moment to reflect on all that you love about nature and praise God for it right now:
Holy Spirit, keep us always aware of how we treat the Father’s creation. Help us to find the amazement we once had as children when we look at the awesome beauty of our world. Show us, once again, the simple joys of walking barefoot on a sandy beach, playing in the rain, and touching the cool earth with our hands. Remind us to share these joys with our children and to teach them to value all that the Father has made so that generations to come can benefit from these things, too. Help us to make the most of opportunities to experience sanctified times of solitude while enjoying the peacefulness of nature. Help us to keep the Lord’s commandments to preserve the earth and care for all that is in it. Teach us to regularly do our part to respect and protect all living creatures as an act of love and gratitude to our Heavenly Father.
Father God, forgive us for our sins against nature. Forgive us when we flippantly complain about the weather. Forgive us for being lazy and refusing to participate in recycling and conservation efforts. Forgive us for being critical of those who have been appointed to lead the charge in promoting a return to conservatory practices. Forgive us for overlooking and trampling underfoot even the most delicate flower. Forgive us for failing to teach our children the importance of showing appreciation and giving thanks for everything the earth offers to sustain us. Forgive us for borrowing from their future with our selfish greed. Lord, forgive me for (list the sins that you have committed), Holy Spirit, remind us of those we need to forgive and help us to forgive. As for me, Holy Spirit, bring to my remembrance those I need to forgive. (Take a moment and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal names or faces of people that you may need to forgive. As He reveals them, say “I forgive name of person(s).” Now, trust the Lord to heal any wounds in your soul caused by unforgiveness.)
Holy Spirit, help the body of Christ not to yield to temptation but deliver us from the evil one.
Sovereign Lord, You made the earth by the power of Your Word and preserve it by Your wisdom. With Your own understanding You stretched out the heavens. When You speak in the thunder, You announce that the heavens are filled with water. You cause the clouds to rise over the earth. You send the lightning with the rain and release the wind from Your storehouses. Holy, holy, holy are You the Lord of Heaven’s Armies; the whole earth is filled with Your glory! In Jesus name, amen.
Scripture References for the Written Text: Psalm 8:3-4, Deuteronomy 10:14, Psalm 104:33-34, Psalm 8:5-8, Luke 10:20, Numbers 35:34, Genesis 2:15, Matthew 6:13, Jeremiah 51:15-16, Isaiah 6:3
Today, I will trust God to:
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. ©2023 Caldwell Ministries, Inc. All rights reserved — No reproduction of the material is permitted without the expressed permission of CMI.
