Pastor’s Podium

One evening as I was getting my granddaughters ready for bed and getting them settled down so that we could say our prayers, Jordyn started in and her prayer was itemized and quite lengthy. Kylee, her twin, simply bowed her head and said,“All I can say is thank you!”

Now I don’t know if she was just tired and wanted to go to sleep after hearing Jordyn’s prayer, but long after I left the room I thought about that simple prayer of “all I can say is thank you!” Such a simple thought but yet a profound statement. We have so much to give thanks for.

The Bible encourages us to be thankful in our prayers:

“Pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18, NIV)

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV)

A thankful attitude emerges when we’re grounded in faith. If I really believe that God is in control, I can indeed thank God always, even in the middle of circumstances that are not to my liking. I must trust that He loves me and I must rely on His promise to make “all things work together for good.” (Romans 8:28)

As I look back on my prayer life and my thanksgiving, I realize that when I choose to thank God in every circumstance — the good as well as the bad times — it causes me to look positively towards the future. Looking forward to how God will work through the situation rather than to let me worry and stumble over the problem at hand.

I have found that when I pray with thanksgiving I find peace. It reminds me that there are people who have spent their whole lives and fortunes, but have not found the peace that they long for. God offers His peace freely to those who seek it and are willing to trust Him.

So in this time of Thanksgiving, as Kylee so simply prayed ... ”All I can say is Thank You!”