Tags
1 Thessalonians 5, Colossians 3, Ephesians 2, Four steps of Prayer, Moms In Prayer International, prayer, Psalm 50, Romans 8:28, Thanksgiving
Have you ever gotten an amazing gift? I mean something that was way beyond what you ever expected or imagined being given. Or maybe it was something someone put time and love into making for you. As I am writing this, I am sitting under a cozy purple blanket that a friend crocheted for me. My friend knew that purple is my favorite color. I admired her time and skills when I saw the blankets she made for friends as baby gifts. She told me that she enjoyed using the time she worked crocheting to pray for the people she was making a blanket for. I never expected her to put all of that time and effort out for me, which makes her gift all the more special.
What is your response when you get such a gift? I bet it goes beyond the obligatory thank you note your Mom used to make you write to Aunt Lou for the sweater you would never wear. You feel a rush of gratitude that spills over. You thank the person with genuine, heartfelt words and tell others about the incredible gift you were given.
So what is your response to God for the amazing grace He has shown you?
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:1-9)
As we have been speaking of the Four Steps of Prayer taught by Moms In Prayer, International, we have learned that we begin by focusing on God and who He is and praising Him for that. (See post My Little Ray of Sunshine) As we look closely at who God is, our sin becomes more and more apparent to us. We spend time in silent confession as our next logical response to seeing our sin.(See post Corrupt Communication Issues) And we remember, as John tells us, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.(1John 1:9)
This forgiveness is by the grace of God alone, showing His rich mercy to us. We do not earn or deserve this forgiveness. It is a gift from the God of the Universe to me and to you. What is our response to this gift? If we really understand and receive it, the response can be nothing but profound gratitude. We are thankful to God, first and foremost for the gift of salvation and new and eternal life in Christ.
But this is not all He has given us. All of creation belongs to him, so anything we own is a gift from God. For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine. “If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine.(Psalm 50:10-12)
He has a plan to make us more like Christ and all things in our life work towards this. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.(Romans 8:28-29)
This means that every circumstance in our life, every person in our path, every detail of our lives is from God. The Bible tells us over and over again to give thanks to God for all things. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; (Psalm 50:23a) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:16-17)
Thus the third intentional step of prayer is Thanksgiving. Giving thanks to God for his love and answered prayers- even if the answer was not what we thought we wanted. We know more of God after we spent time praising Him and looking more closely at who He is. We realize that His ways are higher than our ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.(Isaiah 55:9) And we thank him for everything.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Diane