“I will praise You with all my heart; I will sing Your praises before the gods. I will kneel before Your holy temple and praise Your name for Your mercy and Your truth, for You have exalted Your word above all Your name. On the day I called, You answered me; You filled my soul with strength” (Psalm 138, verses 1 – 3*).
The Creator and Ruler of the universe invites us to communicate with Him, and prayer is an incredible privilege through which we enter His throne room. The main components of prayer are intercession, petition, confession, praise, and thanksgiving. Which of these takes up the most time when you spend with your Heavenly Father?
Although Scripture encourages us to express our gratitude (see Ephesians, chapter 5, verse 20; 1 Thessalonians, chapter 5, verse 18), there are times when it becomes a lower priority for us. What fills our minds usually dominates our prayer. So, if we feel overwhelmed, our petitions become more insistent. When we worry about loved ones, intercession takes precedence.
Another problem is the following: after we see God's intervention in our lives or after receiving an answer to prayer, we are filled with gratitude and thank God over and over again. However, over time we tend to forget and return to our old habits.
A deeper understanding of God is the key to gratitude and praise. As we read God's word and discover how glorious the Lord is and the great deeds He performs, He will become our focus. Then our prayers will be filled with praise and gratitude not just for what He has done for us, but for who He is – our good, loving, faithful, and glorious God (Psalm 138, verse 5).
Link to the original article: https://www.intouchuk.org/read/daily-devotions/prayers-of-gratitude
* Bible quotations are from Bible, New Translation from Original Languages © Bulgarian Bible Society 2013
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