Throughout the Bible, it is essential to God that His people remember the great things He did for them. We know this because He required Israel to memorialize their experiences with ceremonies, holy days, festivals, and monuments.
Many of the prayers in the Bible consist primarily of recounting what God had done. Some people, like David, recounted what God had done for their forefathers. Others, like Jonah, recalled what God had done in their lives. Still others, like Hannah, tell God about what they have seen Him do for others. It takes deliberate effort to recall what God has done and to speak it back to Him, but that is how our prayers grow in faith and power.
Is the purpose of remembering to keep living in the past? No. For example, when a man goes through our Changed Life Recovery Program, he must confront his past to thrive in the future. Likewise, looking back helps us to look ahead in faith. We are honored to recognize the many milestones and anniversaries throughout the year that reminds us how much God has done here at the Mission over nearly sixty years. This month, we look back to the start of the Food Distribution Center and remember a departed benefactor whose gift still changes lives today.
As we pray for God to meet the needs of those we serve, we become more grateful and faith-filled when we recount what God has done. We gain confidence for tomorrow when we celebrate God’s great works of yesterday.
“I will remember the works of the Lord. Yes, I will remember the amazing things you did long ago!” – Psalms 77:11
