Give Thanks and Praise

Many of us find ourselves praying throughout the day. We pray at the start of our day, asking God to guide and direct our paths, to be a blessing to someone, to demonstrate Christ-like attitudes and actions. We pray as we encounter difficult situations, we give thanks for things that we receive and the blessings God pours out on us. We pray for others with health concerns, financial concerns, relationship concerns...and the list goes on.

How often do we stop during our busy day just to thank God and praise Him for who He is and what we have through Him. Psalm 100:4 tells us that we ought to "Enter His gates with thanksgiving; go into His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name."

Instead of spending most of our time going to God for what we need, why not just come before Him in adoration and praise. God knows what we need. In fact He already knows how and when He'll meet those needs, if He even chooses to meet them. If you haven't done this lately, take the time right now and enter His courts with prayer. Let him know how much you love Him, how thankful you are that He is your Father and confess how much we take Him for granted. 

Instead of asking for anything, just thank Him for the things He has already done for you. Begin with what He has already done for you today. Was He responsible for you waking up this morning? Is he sustaining your health right this moment? Did you accomplish anything today without His doing? Also, think about what He has done for you in the past, big things and little things. I often find myself bringing up things that I have overlooked, or just realizing how much He does for me and how much I depend on Him.

Even consider thanking Him for the things He didn't do for you. Thank Him for the big purchase you thought you wanted but didn't make, thank Him for the job you thought you wanted, thank Him for any decision or action that went differently than what you were hoping for. In time, you will see how that was part of His will for you and how much better off you are because of that.

If you start thanking Him for what He didn't do, you'll soon find yourself seeing all the things that He has done for you and the ways He has blessed you. The next time you go through the church's prayer requests, as you pray for what the person needs and wants, pray that God would answer that prayer not just to make that person or situation better, but that the result would be causing others to be praising and thanking God for accomplishing His will in each of those situations. Many of those are for salvation. That should be at the forefront of our prayers. If God draws them to Himself and they receive Him, we don't have to worry about the physical and emotional needs. God will do what is best for them and what will bring glory to Himself.

In His service and for His glory,

Pastor Bryan