With Thanksgiving
It’s hard to believe Thanksgiving is less than 1 month away! Surprisingly, Thanksgiving has become a holiday the world calls “Turkey Day.” It’s not filled with thankfulness to the Lord. It’s just another family get-together with lots of good food. But as Christians, we recognize the blessings the Lord has given to us, and we welcome the opportunity to thank Him for all He has done!
If you’re like me, you realize that you’re way behind on praising the Lord. Even eternity won’t be long enough to praise Him for all He has done. So, when you think about all the requests you’ve given to Him, have you ever felt awkward about asking for something else? After all, you’ve prayed about your family, your health, your finances, your burdens, and a million other things that are weighing on your heart. Sometimes it seems that before one prayer is answered, you’ve already added three more to the list! Maybe you’ve even caught yourself thinking, Lord, I hate to bother You with another request. But He doesn’t want us to feel that way. It’s wonderful to know that we serve a God who never grows tired of hearing His children pray.
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Philippians 4:6
As children of God, we are encouraged to bring every need to Him, big or small. However, we often come before the Lord with the wrong mindset. Notice those two little words that Paul included in the verse we just read. He said, “With thanksgiving.” We shouldn’t come before the Lord with a demanding attitude. Neither do we have to tuck our heads, feeling awkward because we have yet another need. “With thanksgiving” changes everything!
Praise Him In Advance
Many times, I’ve prayed, “Lord, if you’ll answer this prayer, I promise I’ll praise you.” But what about praising Him in advance? Being thankful isn’t something we reserve for the other side of answered prayer. We bring our requests before the Lord with a grateful heart, acknowledging His ability to meet every need. Instead of approaching God with a spirit of guilt because we’re asking for something else, we can approach Him with thanksgiving because we know He cares!
I’m sure all of us are carrying burdens for lost loved ones. Sometimes we’ve prayed for their salvation for years, and they are only drifting further into sin. But the next time we bring their names before the Lord, we can, and should, wrap our petition with thanksgiving.
“Lord, I want to praise You for keeping Your hand of protection over my lost ones. I’m bringing them before Your Throne again today, and I’m thanking You in advance for saving them!”
Maybe you have a physical need, and you’ve prayed for healing, but the pain is still there. Rather than allowing discouragement to silence your prayers, bring that need before the Lord once again with thanksgiving.
“Lord, thank You for being touched with the feeling of my infirmity. You know how desperately I need healing. I’m bringing my need before You another time, and I thank You for being my Healer!”
When we pray with thanksgiving, it doesn’t mean we’re demanding God to answer according to our timetable. We’re not using thankfulness as a means of twisting His arm. It just means we’re acknowledging His goodness before we ever see the outcome. An attitude of gratitude allows us to pray with confidence.
“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
Grateful During The Wait
When we finish our prayer and go about our day, our circumstances might not have changed. But something changes in our hearts when we wrap our requests with thanksgiving. We remember the prayers He has already answered, and our focus is shifted from the size of our problem to the greatness of our God!
Don’t allow the number of your requests to discourage you from praying. God isn’t becoming irritated or overwhelmed by how many times you’ve approached His Throne. Bring Him that unsaved loved one. Bring Him that physical need. Bring Him the burden you’ve carried for years. No matter how long you’ve had to wait, continue to thank Him for being a prayer-answering God! The answer will come in His perfect time.
Everyone likes to hear the words, “Thank you,” and that definitely includes the Lord. We don’t have to wait for the answer to arrive to have a thankful heart. Let’s bring our requests to Him with thanksgiving, and watch what He will do! Our prayers may be filled with things we’re still waiting for, but our praise should be filled with things He’s already done!
May you and your loved ones have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!