So I have a question about prayer and being thankful. I have heard of ppl before asking God for something gave thanks for all he has given them and all he has done and how their prayer life was boosted since the began by being thankful before asking anything. I admit to not actually being thankful and I want to start my prayers by thanking him but I don't actually feel thankful. So my question is even if my heart isn't in it if I start by thanking him will he be pleased? Maybe I will even eventually start actually being thankful from simply thanking him
A question with Prayer and thanksgiving
- Thread starter Blain
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P
HMMM made me think. I think I always thank Him for what He's done, what He's doing and what He will do, that's because He was, He is, and He always will be. I'm always thankful for Jesus and I'm thankful about a lot of what most consider "little" things- sunlight, my cats, good food, then I remember the bad times and things He helped me thru,it kinda turns into a count my blessings. Puts my day into perspective, shows me how all encompassing my God is. 
Then I cannot help but be thankful. How great is our God!!!
Then I cannot help but be thankful. How great is our God!!!
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M
I always thank God for a new day - even on a Monday when I begin another working week. I may not enjoy my job but I'm thankful for it. Sometimes I even thank God for the rain and I hate rain. I may not like some things but I'm nevertheless thankful for them as they are a necessity.
If you look at The Lord's Prayer, Jesus taught his disciples to begin prayer with praise and for GOD'S will to be done on earth - not our will.
If you look at The Lord's Prayer, Jesus taught his disciples to begin prayer with praise and for GOD'S will to be done on earth - not our will.
The point isn't about pleasing GOD'S HEART by saying something you don't mean in YOUR HEART.
The point is that by spending time in prayer, in God's presence, in giving thanks, it CHANGES YOUR HEART... and gets your heart right.
By remembering the things we are thankful for (or which we SHOULD be thankful for) it CHANGES OUR HEART... and brings OUR HEART back into alignment with GOD'S HEART.
It isn't like we tell God "thanks" and he does a happy dance.
GOD doesn't need your thanksgiving... YOU need your thanksgiving.
YOU need to bow the knee to the creator, and submit yourself to him, and thank him for what he's done.
You get your heart right with Him, by doing this.
The point is that by spending time in prayer, in God's presence, in giving thanks, it CHANGES YOUR HEART... and gets your heart right.
By remembering the things we are thankful for (or which we SHOULD be thankful for) it CHANGES OUR HEART... and brings OUR HEART back into alignment with GOD'S HEART.
It isn't like we tell God "thanks" and he does a happy dance.
GOD doesn't need your thanksgiving... YOU need your thanksgiving.
YOU need to bow the knee to the creator, and submit yourself to him, and thank him for what he's done.
You get your heart right with Him, by doing this.
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Psalm says to "Enter His gates with thanksgiving". If you don't feel like giving thanks, that is your flesh. Your spirit is the spiritual part of you. And the flesh wars against the spirit. Don't let it win. Let your spirit give thanks - and sometimes it is the "sacrifice of praise" (when we don't feel it) which blesses God.
Maxwel said it so well - we need to do this. And we need to give thanks from our mouths where we can hear ourselves.
On bad days, my entire emotions can be changed by just beginning to give thanks for anything and everything. You can always thank him that your ear doesn't hurt - or there is food to eat - or that He is living in you - or that you are still breathing - (you get the picture). In fact when I'm in pain, I begin to thank him for every part of me that is not in pain. I kid you not - the pain starts to diminish. Patients did this in the hospital and it really made a difference.
Yes - we need to do this.
Blain, you could at least begin your prayers by thanking the Lord that He is listening to you no matter how you feel. Thank Him for giving you eternal security - thank Him for carrying your sins to the cross - thank Him for His forgiveness.
My question is why should this be hard?
Maxwel said it so well - we need to do this. And we need to give thanks from our mouths where we can hear ourselves.
On bad days, my entire emotions can be changed by just beginning to give thanks for anything and everything. You can always thank him that your ear doesn't hurt - or there is food to eat - or that He is living in you - or that you are still breathing - (you get the picture). In fact when I'm in pain, I begin to thank him for every part of me that is not in pain. I kid you not - the pain starts to diminish. Patients did this in the hospital and it really made a difference.
Yes - we need to do this.
Blain, you could at least begin your prayers by thanking the Lord that He is listening to you no matter how you feel. Thank Him for giving you eternal security - thank Him for carrying your sins to the cross - thank Him for His forgiveness.
My question is why should this be hard?
Ty everyone for your helpful responses, I am going to start thanking God before I begin my prayers and see if doing that will change my prayer life. It's not so much that I just want answered prayer but I want to connect to him deeper. The first prayer I will ask of him is to teach me to prayer not in my will but his, so that my hearts desires will not be my desires but his own and for his will to be done. I read a part of Psalms that really spoke to me Psalm 40:1-2 I waited patiently for the Lordand he turned to me and heard my cry. I want to have the heart of David and for my prayer life to be like his as well. What I love about David is even in the darkest times with seemingly no hope even though David was honest and Told God of his grievance he always spoke of how great God was and praised him even in the depth of overwhelming trouble.
P
honey, thanking God should come as naturally to us as breathing. (yet, it doesn't always)
and as we walk with Him, He changes the dispositions of our hearts
to more and more fully align with His will.
He's gonna do that because He made You Promises.
you know that old 'count your blessings' biz?
well, it's an easy place to start!
from there it seems we move to counting as blessings the things which may not appear it.
i'll admit...
there have been times i've felt wronged and had to tell God i knew He required me to forgive,
but i didn't feel forgiveness.
so, in faith, i forgive...please help me mean it.
sometimes we have to take that step in faith, and God takes care of the follow through.
(golf analogy? oh, my! lol)
love you,
mom
and as we walk with Him, He changes the dispositions of our hearts
to more and more fully align with His will.
He's gonna do that because He made You Promises.
you know that old 'count your blessings' biz?
well, it's an easy place to start!
from there it seems we move to counting as blessings the things which may not appear it.
i'll admit...
there have been times i've felt wronged and had to tell God i knew He required me to forgive,
but i didn't feel forgiveness.
so, in faith, i forgive...please help me mean it.
sometimes we have to take that step in faith, and God takes care of the follow through.
(golf analogy? oh, my! lol)
love you,
mom