A Disciple of Jesus… Gives Thanks
1 Thessalonians 5:18 - In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
A disciple of Jesus is characterised by having a heart of thanksgiving. So often, our prayers are jampacked with requests, but note how, in the following scripture, Paul exhorts us to remember to be thankful as we pray:
Philippians 4:6-7 - Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
When I was a young believer, I was taught to use the acronym ACTS when I prayed:
A - adoration
C - confession
T - thanksgiving
S - supplication
We don't have to stick to a formula like this when we pray, but it's useful to remind ourselves that prayer doesn't consist only of asking for things. It also includes worship, repentance and, importantly, giving thanks. I would also include 'listening'. Although it doesn't quite fit into the acronym, listening to God should feature prominently in our prayer lives. We might have much to say God, but He also wants to speak to us, so let's allow time for Him to do so.
The scripture in Thessalonians calls us to give thanks in everything, that is, in all circumstances. It can sometimes be difficult to be grateful when things aren't going our way, but I'm reminded of Corrie Ten Boom's testimony of giving thanks for fleas.
In her book, 'The Hiding Place', Corrie Ten Boom tells of being with her sister Betsy in a Nazi concentration camp. They had been put there for hiding Jews in their home during the Nazi occupation of Holland during World War 2. During a time of prayer, shortly after their arrival in the camp, Corrie heard her sister, inspired by 1 Thessalonians 5:18, giving thanks for the fleas in their barracks. Corrie was astonished that Betsie could be thankful for fleas, but she later found out that the guards would not come near their barracks because of the fleas, and this gave them freedom to hold services in the barracks, where they could read the Bible, pray and share the gospel with the other women. God used the fleas to free the women from the rigid surveillance of the guards and give them freedom to worship Him! Let's give thanks to God that He can use anything and everything for His glory!
For some of us, the last ten days may have been tough as we have fasted and prayed. We may have found it difficult to fast – to quell the urges of the flesh by subjecting our bodies to strict discipline. We may have found it difficult to sustain a more regular rhythm of prayer. But these things only remind us that we are not called to be self-sufficient. We must lean hard on God. Let's let go of the idea that we can control everything and make a success of everything, and, instead, thank God that we can cast all our cares on Him (1 Peter 5:7), knowing that He can take care of all our needs, so our thoughts and feelings can be calm, quiet and settled. What a brilliant way to end our time of prayer and fasting!
I give thanks, for all You have done
And I will sing, of Your mercy and Your love
Your love is unfailing
Lord, I am grateful
(Elevation Worship)
Prayer
Father God, thank You so much for Your great love towards us. Thank You that You hear and answer our prayers. We celebrate Your goodness and faithfulness towards us. Thank You for all that You've done among us over the past ten days as we've spent time praying and fasting. Thank You for hearing us, for sustaining us, and for speaking to us. May we continue to love, to deny self, to be servant-hearted, to have a passion for the lost, to move in the power of Your Holy Spirit, to put Jesus at the centre of our lives, to adopt a regular rhythm of prayer and fasting, to pursue Christlikeness, to make disciples as we go about our daily lives, and to give You thanks whatever is happening in our circumstances. Amen!
