Prayer of thanksgiving is an integral part of Christian Living. According to 1 Thessalonians 5:18, we are to give thanks in all circumstances because doing so is the will of God for us. All circumstances. It’s easy to pray prayers of thanksgiving in good circumstances but what about thanks-giving prayers in bad situations, or even horrible ones? How can we be thankful then?
Prayer of thanksgiving is not done just by speaking words of thanks. Thanksgiving prayer, for the child of God, is an attitude. A person who is truly thankful for a gift or a blessing does not merely say the words, they will express their gratitude in other ways to the giver that shows just how much they appreciate what was done for them.
In the same way, in our own lives, we can live lives that express our gratitude to the Lord who sustains us every single day. The season of life that we currently find ourselves in can be good or bad but God is the same. We are told to give thanks in all circumstances because doing so focuses our eyes on the God who leads us in all circumstances, instead of on the circumstances themselves.
When thanksgiving is a lifestyle, gratitude will fill us and pour out of us no matter what is going on around us. Remember that the mouth speaks only out of the overflow of whatever is in the heart. This lifestyle though is not something that we can build in the spur of the moment. It is an attitude that must be cultivated as a discipline. When the last thing we want to do is give thanks that is when we should remind ourselves of who our God is and pray with thanksgiving. The psalmist does the same thing in Psalm 42:11.
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
He is determined to praise God even when he is troubled and distressed. He encourages himself to trust in God because he knows the character and nature of the Lord he serves. He acknowledges his situation but he chooses to dwell on God instead of the circumstance. That is why he so boldly declares, “I will praise him because he is my savior and my God.”
Prayer for thanksgiving are far more than just mere words. Gratitude and thanksgiving should dwell in our hearts so that they anchor our souls in the hope of God no matter where we find ourselves. Give thanks to the Lord because he is good and because his love endures forever.
