How to Pray – 3. Give Thanks

How to Pray – 3. Give Thanks

Start prayer with giving thanks to God.

When we come to God acknowledging Who He is and praising God, we may naturally be led to remember what God has done for us. Even if we are not automatically led, it is always good to make it a point to remember and to show our gratitude for all things God has given to us.

Psalms 103:2 – Bless the LORD, my soul, And do not forget any of His benefits (NASB)

Why is Thanking God important? Why give thanks?

Show our appreciation for what God has been good to us, acknowledging that it is God Who has done and provided for us and not ourselves or others
- Psalms 115:1, Not to us, LORD, not to us but to your name give glory because of your mercy and faithfulness (NAB)
It is a rightful thing to do, because all us being weak and having sins, do not deserve any good, but to be punished. Yet by God’s mercy God gives us good things.
- Psalms 103:10, He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities (NKJV)
- Matthew 5:45, that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust (WEB)
Builds faith in us to pray and ask God as we are being reminded that God Who is good, has done it, will do it again. It leads us to pray with greater faith, persistence, and patience, trusting in God.
- Romans 8:32, He who didn’t spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how would he not also with him freely give us all things? (WEB)
It is an act of Faith. By giving thanks we are basically telling that we believe God will see us through. So it is basically thanking God in advance for what God is going to do even though we do not know what or how exactly
- Hebrews 11:1, Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen.
- Lord Jesus thanked Father God first before the miracle of feeding five thousands..
  - Matthew 14:19~, he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, broke and gave the loaves ..They all ate and were filled… twelve baskets …left over from the broken pieces.
- Story of Geoge Mueller and giving thanks for food for 300 orphans
  - When man of faith George Mueller was running an orphanage, and one day when there was no food for the 300 orphan children, he had them sit on a dining table prepared for food. Then he prayed and thanked God for providing food for them. Right after he ended thanksgiving, the baker brought bread to give them saying he just could not sleep and kept baking bread. Then the milkman came telling them to please take all the milk because his cart wheel just broke and he did not know what to do with a cart full of milk now stuck right in front of their door.

We are confessing that we are trusting in God even though things may seemingly be hard; that God is able to turn the situation around for the good of us
- Rom 8:28, We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose (WEB)
Giving thanks to God and praising God Help us in coming, seeking and worshiping God, entering into the presence of God, as it reminds us of God’s goodness towards us
- Ps 100:4, Enter his gates with thanksgiving, his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name (NAB)
Reminds us that we are God’s creation and children, and that God loves us
- Matt 7:10,11, who is there among you who, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? …
  how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (WEB)
- Ps 103:13-14, As a father has compassion for his children, so the LORD has compassion for those who fear him (ISV)
As we ascribe thanks and glory to God, we are showing our humility and submitting to God that it is all God’s goodness and not our own effort or good doings.
- Psalms 115:1, Not to us, LORD, not to us, but to your name be the glory, for your loving kindness and for your faithfulness (NHEB)
It is a right attitude and we are placing ourselves in right position to receive answer and blessing
- Luke 17:17~ Jesus answered, “Weren’t the ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there none found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Get up, and go your way. Your faith has healed you.”

Praising God exalts and declares about God. It helps us to focus on God regardless of circumstance and situation that we are facing, while giving thanks involves us and relates us to God as we are reminded and say to God what it means to us.
Giving thanks lets us reflect and opens our eyes to God’s goodness towards us, that It is not someone else’s story, as if God is far away. It will not have much meaning to us if it is a third party’s story, and experience. But thanking God makes us realize God’s greatness and goodness is towards us, individually and personally, and not just someone else.
As we do, it will lead us to see God’s goodness and we will become positive, and with hope, and strength, instead of feeling down and hopeless. This in turn will change even our behavior and our better behavior and attitude will produce better outcomes and consequences even in the natural realm.

So there is no harm but only good outcome by giving thanks to God. Then why don’t we start, continue and even do more?

What to Thank God?

We can thank God for what God has already done first of all, but also for what God is doing currently and continuously. Then we can believe and trust God, and by faith thank God for what God will be doing and already has in store for us.

What God has done, is doing, and will be doing
- First and most of all, God has given us His very best, that is Lord Christ Jesus. His only Son.
  - John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life (WEB)
- Given us life
  - If we believe it is the right thing to thank our parents for bringing us to this earth, we sure need to thank God Who
    - Made us, and gave us the breath of life
    - Gave us new life as new creation in Christ ( 2 Corinthians 5:17 )
    - Prepared for us the eternal life through Christ Jesus (John 3:16)

Here is a verse that can remind us every time of what things to thank God for. It will be good not just to read but memorize

Psalms 103:2~14 (NASB) Bless the Lord, my soul, and do not forget any of His benefits;
- Who pardons all your guilt,
- Who heals all your diseases;
- Who redeems your life from the pit,
- Who crowns you with favor and compassion;
- Who satisfies your years with good things,
  So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.
- The Lord performs [b]righteous deeds
  And judgments for all who are oppressed.
- The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
- Slow to anger and abounding in mercy.
- He will not always contend with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever.
- He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our guilty deeds.
- For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
  So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him
  As far as the east is from the west,
  So far has He removed our wrongdoings from us.

Take Action Today

Start remembering and give thanks
- If we can not remember, just go through the list above on what to thank God for
Do it everyday

I believe it will change something in us, and can turn our Despair to Hope, Fear to Faith, Sadness to Rejoicing, Weak to Strength

God loves to bless us. So let’s get ourselves ready by starting with giving thanks for all God has done and in all circumstances, trusting in God’s love and faithfulness, that is by Faith.

Rom 8;28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose.

1Thess 5;16~18 Always rejoice. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you.