Prayers Of Thanksgiving
QUESTION: What do prayers of thanksgiving include?ANSWER:Prayers of thanksgiving are proclaimed throughout the Bible. In 1 Chronicles 16:7-36, we are shown through David’s song an excellent example of four elements included in true thanksgiving:
- Remembering what God has done for us.
- Telling other about it.
- Showing God’s glory to others.
- Offering gifts of ourselves, our time, and our resources.
Of the 150 psalms, David wrote 73 of them. This collection of prayers and songs express the heartfelt feelings from deep within his soul. In them, we can read prayers of thanks for answered prayer, deliverance from difficulties, God’s greatness, His protection, His enduring mercy, and never ending love. God provides all of those things for us still today.
Prayers of giving thanks are indeed important as we all have reasons to be thankful. In fact, we are reminded “Keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will. . .” (
1 Thessalonians 5:18). We can be thankful for who God is and for the opportunity He gives us to turn to Him in all situations, good and bad. God is always there for us. Our sincere prayers let Him know that we are thankful for that. Prayers of thanksgiving should be a continuous part of our everyday lives.
Psalm 100 is a vow of thanksgiving. It says, “Shout with joy to the LORD, O earth! Worship the LORD with gladness. Come before Him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the LORD is good! He made us, and we are His. We are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving; go into His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and bless His name. For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and His faithfulness continues to each generation.”
The following song contains words stating what we should be most thankful for. Jesus came to pay the debt for sins of which we are all guilty; He was sacrificed and resurrected, paving the way for our forgiveness:
Lord I lift your name on high
And I come to sing your praises
You came from heaven to earth, to show the way
From the earth to the cross, my debt to pay
From the cross to the grave,
From the grave to the sky,
Lord I lift your name on high.
(
Lord I Lift Your Name On High - Rick Founds, 1989)
