Thank You, Lord

• When you pray, how much of your prayer is spent praising and thanking God, and how much is spent making requests?

• What’s wrong with having too little gratitude in your prayers?

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Philippians 4:6

We should take advantage of every opportunity we get to say “thank you” to God in prayer. That’s good advice whether we’re feeling incredibly happy or incredibly down. If we’re happy, our joy will be multiplied by sharing our gratitude with the One who made it possible. If we’re down, we’ll feel better when we focus on the good things God is doing in our life.

Too often our prayers, even during our family devotions, sound like a fast-food order: “I’d like good grades for my math test, a successful surgery for my grandmother and a way to make $250 before spring break. Amen.” The problem with that approach is that it’s one-sided. Prayer should be a conversation, a way of exercising and celebrating our relationship with God. Constant asking does not make for a good relationship.

If we’re serious about having a relationship with God, a good rule of thumb is to begin our prayers with praise and thanksgiving. That way, if we run out of time, we will have gotten to the important, relationship-building part.

God will take care of our needs and honor our requests. He proves that every day. So, will we honor him with our thanks?

PRAYER
Dear God, thank you for our family and for this time to come together in devotion. Forgive us for the times we forget to tell you how much we appreciate what you’ve done. Please help us remember your work in our lives. Amen.