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thankfulness

Pray On It!

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“Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.”

Colossians 4:2, NLT

Lady_PrayingOne day I listened to a young lady who was clearly exasperated. She said, “I’ve tried everything I know to do and nothing’s working out!” How many times had I spoken those very words and felt like there was absolutely no place else to turn?

When she finished recounting her situation, she asked me, “What do you think I should do now?” After quickly asking God to give me the words to speak to her, I found myself asking the young lady, “Well, have you prayed on it yet?” She said she hadn’t. In fact, she told me that prayer hadn’t even entered her mind concerning her predicament. The self-righteous me wanted to scream, “What? But you’re a Christian now! Don’t you know that you should ‘take everything to God in prayer’?” But, the I-feel-your-pain me thought back to when I felt that same horrible, helpless, exasperation. I certainly didn’t think of prayer as my first option either! I tried to handle things myself and subsequently struggled awhile with the same type of feelings and challenges. My change came after meeting with a mature Christian lady. She listened to me and then she’d ask the same question each time I asked her for advice. “Baby, have you prayed on it yet?” Then she’d offer to pray for me. Each time, she thanked the Lord for me and asked Him to help me tell Him something I was thankful for that day. Then, she’d thank God for giving me strength to make it through my situation. I wondered why she did that because in my mind He hadn’t helped me through my problems yet! I wasn’t thankful for what he had done. But, after some time, with her guidance, I’d gotten into the habit of praying every day and thanking the Lord for many things each day. That lady encouraged me, and showed me how to make prayer a priority in my daily life; and, to do so thankfully, through challenge-filled or challenge-free days.

So, I asked the young lady if I could pray for her…

When we pray we reaffirm our need for God and jog our memories to pay thankful attention to him. And, we become more and more mindful of his Spirit working in our lives to enable us to persevere through whatever challenges we find ourselves confronted with. Then, we can effectively encourage one another to get into the habit of praying regularly.

Have you prayed on it today?

By grace through faith,

Rita

“Making Gratitude a Part of Your Style”

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David, known as the “sweet psalmist of Israel,” wrote many songs throughout his lifetime. Whether he was offering words of lament, gratitude, worship or wisdom, David freely expressed the depth of his heart. One of my favorite songs lies tucked in the book of I Chronicles, chapter 16. Here, David writes a song of thanks after the ark has been brought into Jerusalem and placed in the tent. His heart is fixed on the Lord as He powerfully worships him for who He is and what He has done throughout the ages. This week we will spend time examining five verses of his song so that we can get a deeper sense of what it looks like to wholeheartedly honor the Lord.

 

“Making Gratitude a Part of Your Style”

Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!

I Chronicles 16:8

Gratitude AttitudeGratitude is definitely in fashion these days. Walk in any big box store or local gift shop and you are sure to find wall decor, pillows, notepads, clothing, accessories, and even polished rocks emblazoned with beautiful mantras about being thankful. Turn on the TV or surf the Internet and you will find articles and even craft ideas inviting you to adjust your attitude by regularly expressing gratitude.

Even though I think every one of us could improve in this area, I’m a bit puzzled by the sudden tidal wave of stamped art reminding us all to be grateful. Perhaps we are all tired of seeing entitled kids growing into selfish adults. Maybe many of us are finally realizing that the “I deserve” culture in which they were raised didn’t yield the happiest of adults.

Or, maybe the plethora of studies linking gratitude to health and happiness have made people realize that a shift in our mindset can lead to a better quality of life? I have heard many famous people talk about the emotional, physical and mental health benefits they reap when they incorporate thankfulness to their daily schedule.

Despite the possible reasons for this trend, I have to say I am both pleased and concerned. On the one hand, we should all be grateful for the many blessing we possess. The quality of life we possess as Americans far surpasses that of most around the globe. I am concerned, however, because unlike David—who gives us a glimpse of his heart in this passage—many neglect thanking the Giver of our gifts. “I am thankful for my children” is simply not the same as “I thank God for my children.” The posture and tone are vastly different. The first expresses an emotional state associated with a possession. The second, however, conveys an attitude of humility as God is recognized as the Giver of the gift.

If you haven’t joined the gratitude movement, I strongly encourage you to start today. According to God’s Word, it should always be in style. He commands us to do this not because it looks good or makes you feel better, but because He is worthy. As you read David’s song, notice the way that his gratitude leads to a massive melody written to ascribe glory and honor and praise to His God. May our words of thankfulness be just the beginning of a tune we are singing to our Maker.

Jackie