Day 25

“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:18

If someone opens a door for us, we say ‘thank you’. If someone offers us a cup of coffee, we say ‘thank you’. Why? Because in saying ‘thank you’ we are acknowledging dependency on someone for something. That is why the language of the Christian life is not knowing how to say ‘Please’ but how to say, ‘Thank you’.

Paul tells us in Philippians 4:6, “Don’t be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” When it comes to our prayer life, ‘please’ is a tenuous word. It’s unsure and hoping, but ‘thank-you’ is expressing confidence in God, and certainty that He will work. It is the language of faith.

In Colossians 3:17, Paul writes, “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Whatever we do in life, we do ‘giving thanks to God’, knowing He is present and sufficient for all our needs. Giving thanks is acknowledging our entire dependency upon God and our willingness to entrust Him with any situation. That doesn’t mean God will suddenly intervene and take our troubles away. It is often in our troubles that God is doing His best work, but it does mean we pass the buck onto Him. “This is your business, Lord. Thank-you.”

At the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus gave thanks to God before raising Lazarus from the dead so that all may see it was His Father who would make it happen. Jesus gave thanks to God before distributing the two fish and five loaves of barley bread to a multitude of over five thousand. At His last Passover Supper, Jesus took the bread and the wine, explaining this represented His body and blood, about to be broken and poured out, and remarkably, He gave thanks before they ate and drank. It is so simple, we easily miss it! The key to dependence upon God is saying, “Thank you”. It passes the buck over to Him! And that is exactly what He wants.

Prayer: Dear Lord, how guilty I am of sweetening my requests with the word ‘please’ over and over again, when instead, I should be stressing, ‘thank you’ for you are in control and sufficient for all my needs. Forgive me when I fail to remember that and thank you for guiding my life as you will it to be.

To reflect upon: When was the last time I came to our Lord in prayer with please, please, please on my lips? Did I thank Him for His presence and trust His sufficiency in that situation?