It’s common practice to teach your kids to say ‘please’ and then ‘thank you’ when they have requests. But with God, things are a little bit different. God has already lavished on us more than we could ever fully comprehend.
- New life. ~ John 10:10
- Freedom from condemnation. ~ Romans 8:1
- The Holy Spirit to dwell in us. ~ John 14:15-17
- Transformation to become like Jesus. – 2 Corinthians 3:18
- The promise of eternity with Him. ~ Revelation 21:1-7
So instead of approaching God with a “please”, let’s begin with a “thank you!”
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. ~ Psalm 100:4-5
With God, ‘thank you’ should always come before ‘please.’ The first thing out of my mouth in prayer and worship needs to be praise for who God is and what He has done.
As Steven Furtick puts it: “If you thank God for everything before you ask Him for anything, it makes you realize you deserve nothing.”
Look again at the model prayer in Matthew 6. Jesus teaches us to first address God and then offer up our request. This serves to remind us that life does NOT revolve around us but around God.
It’s impossible to be self-absorbed and God-conscious at the same time.
So whether its gathering with other believers in larger worship services or fellowshipping with God on your own…
… start with “thank you.”
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A ragamuffin in awe of God's grace and glory... pursuing real life in Jesus.
iLife Journey 
Recently read this. “What if we woke tomorrow with only what we thanked God for today?” Thanks for the encouraging reminder. In everything, give thanks.
Wow! What a sobering thought! Thanks for sharing the journey!
That’s excellent, Rick! With God, thank you is always more powerful than please.
Thanks Bill!