Give Thanks

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

When I pray for my circle of family, friends and church family I ask for salvation, help, healing, restoration, protection, and guidance. However, lately I find myself instead of just asking God for these things I will ask, and then I begin to thank Him for doing all these things for the people I am praying for.

After all, asking is good, but thanking Him is praising Him for what He has done, is doing, and will do, is an attitude of gratitude. God gets bombarded by requests all day long every day, and he wants us to ask, but we also need to thank Him continuously for all that He does.

When people thank us for doing what we do, it makes us feel good to be appreciated. I think Paul was on to something in this passage. Rejoice always, even when we do not feel like it. Pray without ceasing, always have a prayer going and a praise in your heart all day long.

Give thanks in all circumstances, good and bad, because God is Almighty and Sovereign. He is always moving in our behalf. Give thanks in the bad circumstances, because often times God is using the bad to shape us and mold us into who we should be, and where we should be.

More than all that, Paul says that these things are the will of God. If it is His will, I need to be doing it all day long and every day.

Prayer:
Lord God Almighty, Maker of all things, Giver of life and the true meaning of my life, I praise You and adore You. You have been better to me than I deserve. You have loved, protected, healed, delivered, prospered, and restored me and those in my circle of family, friends and church family more than we can ever count.

You have blessed every day and all day and all night long. You are an Amazing God and I love You! In the Mighty name of Jesus, Amen!