Scripture to Read: Luke 18:1-8
Another important part of prayer is thanking God daily for all He has done, is doing, and is going to continue to do. Giving thanks to our Heavenly Father can become so mundane if we’re not careful. For instance, do we thank God for His provision before we eat or do we find ourselves only going through the motions because we pray the same thing before every meal? Our Lord Jesus Christ gave thanks numerous times before our Heavenly Father. A few of those examples can be found in Matthew 15:36, Matthew 26:27, Mark 8:6, Mark 14:23, Luke 22:17, Luke 22:19, John 6:11, and John 11:41. Then God gives us examples through Paul in giving thanks to Him for fellow believers. We see examples of thanks being given to God for fellow believers in Romans 1:8, Romans 6:17, 1 Corinthians 1:4, Ephesians 1:16, Philippians 1:3, Colossians 1:3, 1 Thessalonians 1:2, 2 Thessalonians 1:3, 2 Thessalonians 2:13. Imagine what our prayer lives would look like if we prayed daily, thanking God for the believers He has brought into our lives to encourage us, teach us, hold us accountable, laugh with us and cry with us. These people are not just random folks, but they are gifts from our Heavenly Father who have been sent to invest in us and for us to invest in them. We have so much to thank God for each day. We must remember these are gifts from Him (James 1:17).
Challenge & Application
1. What did God teach you today about thanking Him in your prayer time with Him?
2. How will you practice thankfulness to God this week as you pray?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!