Just Say Thank You
Prayer surrounds the life of a faithful woman. You’ll hear encouragement to pray in church, or see people pray before eating a meal. You most likely pray multiple times a day – I know I do. From little prayers sent up in the moment, to driving in the car, or set aside time with God. Prayer looks different for different people and circumstances. It can take the form of questions, requests, thanks, conversation, whatever fits your relationship with our Heavenly Father.
I’d like to think that I thank God frequently for the blessings He has given to my life. As I was praying the other day, I did just that. I thanked God for each individual blessing as they came to mind, but then I switched to asking: “Please help…”. I started to wonder how valued God feels by His children. Doesn’t every parent love when their child says “thank you”, or “I love you” with nothing else attached to it? How often to do you go to God in prayer, just to say that you love Him? How valued do you feel when your husband randomly reminds you that he loves you? I don’t know what God thinks or feels at any given time, but I do know that letting Him know that you love Him and that you are thankful for His blessings, without adding any requests can only be a good thing.
Please understand that I am not saying that asking in prayer is ever bad. We pray for ourselves, our family, strangers, the good of the world, whatever is on our prayer list. I know that God wants us to ask Him for things. Matthew 7 says “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened”. There are many pieces of scripture that outline God’s love for our wants. He has told us time and time again that we must ask him for things we want, and for others as well. All the while, trusting that when He says no, He knows what is best for us.
Tell God that you love Him today. Tell Him that you are thankful for His love and unwavering devotion. While you’re at it, tell your parents or your spouse. Tell your friends that you love them. Name something that you are thankful for about them. You’ll be surprised how far a small statement can go.
