On Being Thankful

I have been going through a bible study focused on thankfulness over the past two weeks.  After coming head-to-head with some of the most well-known scriptures on thanksgiving and gratitude, I am beginning to understand how limited my view of thankfulness really is.  I'm learning a lot and since it is timely, I'd like to share some thoughts as we approach this week and the Thanksgiving holiday.

Thankfulness is not a feeling.
Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him, tell of all his wondrous works! 1 Chronicles 16:8

When I come across the topic of thankfulness, I usually start to make a catalog of all the good gifts God has given me, and it then of course reminds me how much I really take the blessings in my life for granted.  But I am learning that even if I simply recognized God's gifts, I would still be so far away from the kind of thankfulness God desires.

In other words, the age-old advice to "count your blessings" falls incredibly short.  To be truly thankful people, we must MAKE KNOWN his deeds and TELL of his works.  Simply making a mental note (or even a written one!) of "what I am thankful for" is not enough.  We must tell others the personal story of God at work in our lives - not only to a select few, but on a widespread scale.  This means that we should remind ourselves often of God's work and take every opportunity to acknowledge to others that all good things in our lives come from God.  We need to stop taking personal credit for things that God has done.  Thankfulness is so much more than a feeling; it is a way of life that seeks to glorify God in every moment.

Thankfulness is not dependent on good circumstances.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17

So what about when we can't find much good around us?  How can we be thankful then, too?  When you serve a God who is in his essence full of goodness and love, thankful living doesn't depend on our circumstances.

Give thanks in all circumstances.  God is calling me to look past my own opinions about my life and instead celebrate his goodness.  No matter how I am struggling, God is still good, and God is still the ultimate king of my life, and I am his dear child.  I think there is also good reason that this high call to rejoice always is accompanied by some key advice - pray without ceasing.

Thankfulness is not quiet.
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the the rock of our salvation.  Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! Psalm 95:1-2

Thankful living is not a quiet, reserved way of life.  The problem is that we tend to make all kinds of noise when we grumble, complain, or feel dissatisfied with our lives, and we bring God loud dishonor instead of praises.  Making a joyful noise brings God into the spotlight instead of us, and shows others who he really is and what he means to us.

So I'll leave you with this question:  what kind of noise are you making?

Friends Don't Let Friends Pray Alone

About a year ago, I started leading a women's prayer group at church.  I was pretty reluctant about it at first, since prayer is something that I struggle with a lot.  But the opportunity to lead this group came to me in a way that made it clear that this was God's desire for me.  At the time, I was also feeling burdened by many of the women in our church and their stories, mostly silent to the body of believers, which seemed mendable only through prayer.  So we pray, lifting them up to God, lifting our children, husbands, leaders, and community, being continually touched and changed by our talks with God together.

I never thought much about prayer in groups, probably because I had never done it apart from praying a 5 minute prayer at a bible study or in church.  But God intends for us to pray both individually and together as his people.  Many instances of prayer in the bible are group prayers, most notably the Lord's Prayer (our Father, not my Father) and the Psalms, which were written mainly as corporate prayers.  The early church modeled group prayer too, and throughout the book of Acts we find many examples of Christians coming together in prayer in a variety of circumstances. 

If you don't have a group of people you pray with regularly, I want to challenge you to seek this out.  I have found the following concepts helpful in starting a journey of group prayer.

• Make a designated prayer time.  Meet together for the sole purpose of praying together, and minimize distractions for other conversations.
• Promote respect and confidentiality.  Avoid the temptation to make prayer time into an opportunity for gossip and judging others.  Share only the details needed for the purpose of prayer.
• Pray the scriptures.  There are many accounts in the bible that can be used as group prayers, especially Psalms.  If you can't find words to say, just open the bible.
• Encourage balanced prayer.  In addition to prayer requests, include time for reflection, confession (silent or verbal), and praise/thanksgiving.  This is not only biblical, but heart-changing.
• Use the 6 S method - pray together Subject by Subject, with Short 1-2 sentence prayers.  Use Simple language and pray for Specific requests. Expect Silence and use it for reflection.  Pray in Small groups of 4-6 people (summarized from What Happens When Women Pray).

Apart from having a formal group prayer time, think about ways you can experience group prayer in your day-to-day life.

• When a friend has a need, don't just give a promising "I'll pray for you."  Instead, pray right now with them!
• When YOU have a need, don't only pray about it alone.  Grab a friend and ask them to sit and pray with you; they don't even have to say anything.  
• Incorporate group prayer into your family life.  Pray with your spouse and especially your children, not just at mealtimes or bedtime.  Pray for healing when they get hurt, pray confessionally when they are disciplined - make praying together a part of life, and encourage children to pray out loud too.

I guarantee that you will see God work in powerful and surprising ways.

“Changes take place not when we study about prayer, not when we talk about it, not even when we memorize beautiful Scripture verses on prayer. It is when we actually pray that things begin to happen." - What Happens When Women Pray

What encourages you most when praying with other believers?