With Thanksgiving

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

When looking at this verse we often focus on the “be anxious for nothing” part.  

This morning I want us to focus on the “with thanksgiving” part.  

When we go to pray, we are to do so with thanksgiving.  

Prayer time is a time to build intimate relationship.  

It is not just a time to mark a “to do” off the list of the many things we need to accomplish or a time just to get things. 

When we go to prayer, we are told that we are to make our requests with thanksgiving.  

If we are just offering up continual lists of all the things we “need”, that leaves us with a perspective being unhappy with what we have and more focused on what we believe we don’t have. 

When we come to prayer with the intention of thanksgiving = eucharistia=gratitude, actively grateful language, thankfulness; it changes our whole perspective on our current position and who God is.  

We begin to see ourselves in a place of blessing rather than of want and need.  

We begin to understand our God as a good, good Father and the intimacy in our relationship begins to grow and deepen.  

Today is thanksgiving Sunday.

 It is a day to worship our God, to come before Him in thanksgiving, to lift up our hands, extended, in confession, praise and thanksgiving.  

A time to actively change our perspective on where we are and who God is.  

A time to intentionally begin to deepen and grow that relationship with Him.  

Go forth in intentional thanksgiving today! 

Be blessed, be a blessing!