A PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; Phil. 4:6 (NKJV)
Every prayer should be one of thanksgiving. This verse is sandwiched between two verses that help us understand it better.
The reason that we should not be anxious, worried or fretful about anything is because “The Lord is at hand!” (phil. 4:5b). God is always with us. He has promised to never leave us. Rather than being anxious, we should pray, and we should pray with a thankful attitude.
We should thank God not only for what He is going to do, but we should thank Him for what He already is doing. He has saved us. He provides all our needs. He strengthens us when we are weak. should even thank Him for the trials that we are going through because they are for our growth as a Christian, and that brings glory to God. We can be thankful for God’s love and His mercy. We should be thankful for His sovereignty and His power.
It is easy during the Thanksgiving season to become more thankful, but we need to keep this attitude all throughout the year. We take too many things for granted, and we usually don’t think about it until they are gone. Instead of being thankful for what we have, we allow greed to take over, and we want more. Sometimes, God takes something from us in order to draw us closer to Him and away from this materialistic world.
There is a result to thankful prayer, and it is found in the following verse. The peace of God will guard your heart and mind. Peace is the opposite of anxiety. Wouldn’t it be better to face the trials of our lives in peace, knowing that God has a plan and He will work it out for His purpose and our good? Now that is really something to thank God for.
Dear heavenly Father,
Thank You for salvation and all Your mercies! You know what each of us is facing today, and we thank You for what You are going to do in each situation for we trust You. Thank You for the peace You give us as we sail through stormy waters. Amen.
DIG DEEPER
Read Phil. 4:5-7. What are we supposed to pray about? Memorize verses 6-7.
HIKING THE TRAIL
What anxieties can you take to God today? What could be hindering you from feeling peace? Remember to give God thanks. Trust in Him.
Copyright 2013 Carolyn Dale Newell.
Originally posted on July 29, 2020 @ 8:00 pm