Praying with Thanksgiving

At this time of Thanksgiving, we are reminded that thankfulness is to be part of prayer.

The apostle Paul wrote: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, Rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:4-7.

Paul starts out by telling us to be joyful. It there is any anxiety, it is to be placed in the hands of God in prayer. We note, however, that it is not just bringing our urgent need before God; it is to make sure that we come in a spirit of thankfulness.

How many of our prayers are just asking for things because we are in a crisis or just want more prosperity in life? It can be tempting to always be crisis-oriented when it comes to prayer. The apostle encourages us to include a word of thanks in the prayers. Note what this inclusion does for us. It makes us not forget what we do have and, above all, have received from God. It makes us see that God is the provider of all that we have received; therefore, we can place our trust in our Creator for the deepest concerns we bring.

How is it going with your prayers? Are they just filled with requests only? Are you also able to remember to give thanks?