The Power of Grateful Prayers

In Philippians 4:6-7 I read, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace.” (NLT)

In Philippians 4:6-7 is one of the most difficult teachings to obey in the entire Bible: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace” (NLT).

It’s not easy to stop worrying about the often-scary, everyday parts of life, but God tells me how. He says I should pray about everything and thank him for all he has done. Grateful prayer brings peace. God says that, when I start to worry, I should pray. 

Parents understand the power of grateful prayers. Most parents wouldn’t appreciate their children always making requests and never saying “thank you” for the things they’ve received.  

God sees it the same way. He is waiting for me to ask him for what I need and want. More than 20 times in the New Testament, I’m told to “ask” him. But he wants me to ask with gratefulness.

The Bible urges me to be specific in my requests—and in my praises. Instead of a simple “thank you for everything,” God wants me to tell him what I’m grateful for.

Something that can require an even bigger step of faith is when I thank God in advance. When I have the faith to thank God ahead of time—before I can see how he’s working—miracles happen.

The more thankful I am, the more God will work in my life. The Bible says that God inhabits the praise of his people. He uses my thanksgiving as an instrument of power in my life.

So, take a moment, and tell God everything I’m grateful for.

In summary, one of the most difficult teachings to obey is: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what I need, and thank him for all he has done. It’s not easy to stop worrying about the often-scary, everyday parts of life, but God tells me how. He says I should pray about everything and thank him for all he has done. Grateful prayer brings peace. When I start to worry, I should pray. He is waiting for me to ask him for what I need and want. But he wants me to ask with gratefulness. The Bible urges me to be specific in my requests, and in my praises. Instead of a simple “thank you for everything,” God wants me to tell him what I’m grateful for. Something that can require an even bigger step of faith is when I thank God in advance. When I have the faith to thank God ahead of time, before I can see how he’s working, miracles happen. The more thankful I am, the more God will work in my life. He uses my thanksgiving as an instrument of power in my life. So, take a moment, and tell God everything I’m grateful for.

Imagine never worrying about anything! It seems like an impossibility; we all have worries on the job, in our homes, but Paul’s advice is to turn worries into prayers. If I want to worry less, then I need to pray more!. Whenever I start to worry, stop and pray. God's peace is different from the world's peace. True peace is not found in positive thinking, in absence  of conflict, or in good feelings. It comes from knowing that God is in control. My citizenship in Christ's Kingdom is sure, my destiny is set, and I can have victory over sin. Let God's peace guard my heart against anxiety.  

Have Radical Gratitude in All Circumstances

Have Radical Gratitude in All Circumstances

In 1 Thessalonians 5:18 I read, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (NIV)

In many cultures around the world, people set aside certain days or seasons for giving thanks.  But God wants me to be intentional about my thankfulness every day. He wants me to develop this spiritual habit, one that is reflected in the life of a radical believer. The more deeply I understand God’s love, the more grateful I'll be.

What does it mean to be radically grateful?

The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (NIV). In every circumstance give thanks—because it’s God’s will for my life. That’s radical gratitude.

How can I be thankful even in difficult circumstances? I can thank God in every circumstance because he is in control. He can bring good out of evil. He can turn around the worst mistakes I’ve made. No matter what happens, God isn’t going to stop loving me.

I can find a hundred things to be thankful for in any circumstance, even when the circumstance stinks.

Radical gratitude—being thankful in all circumstances—is God’s will because it creates fellowship. What do I mean by that? Gratitude always builds deeper relationships between myself and others and between myself and God. 

If I want to get closer to someone, start expressing gratitude to that person. To build my small group, don’t just go to our gathering. During the week, contact the people in my group. Say, “I’m grateful for you, and here’s why.” You’ll find that the more grateful I am for my group, the more my group will bond.

Let us “enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations” (Psalm 100:4-5 NIV).

In summary, people set aside certain days or seasons for giving thanks.  But God wants me to be intentional about my thankfulness every day. He wants me to develop this spiritual habit, one that is reflected in the life of a radical believer. To be radically grateful, In every circumstance give thanks, because it’s God’s will for my life. How can I be thankful even in difficult circumstances? I can thank God in every circumstance because he is in control. He can bring good out of evil. He can turn around the worst mistakes I’ve made. No matter what happens, God isn’t going to stop loving me. I can find a hundred things to be thankful for in any circumstance, even when the circumstance stinks. Radical gratitude—being thankful in all circumstances—is God’s will because it creates fellowship. Gratitude always builds deeper relationships. To get closer to someone, start expressing gratitude. To build my small group, don’t just go to our gathering, contact the people. Say, “I’m grateful for you, and here’s why.” I should “enter his gates with thanksgiving and with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations”.

My joy, prayers, and thankfulness should not fluctuate with my circumstances or feelings. Obeying three commands, to be joyful, never stop praying, and to be thankful, often go against my natural inclinations. However, when I make a conscious decision to do what God says, I will begin to see people in a new perspective. Doing God's will makes it easier to be joyful and thankful. In addition, Paul wasn't teaching that I should thank God for everything that happens to me, but in everything. Evil does not come from God, so I should not thank him for it. But when evil strikes, I can still be thankful for God's presence and for the good that he will accomplish through distress.  

To Be Happy, Learn to Collaborate

In 1 Corinthians 1:10 I read, “You must get along with each other. You must learn to be considerate of one another, cultivating a life in common.” (The Message)

Happiness isn’t a matter of luck; it’s a matter of learning. To live a happier life, I need to learn how to work well with others.

I call this the skill of collaboration. It’s an important skill not often taught in schools, but when learned, it can exponentially increase a person’s happiness.

What do I need to learn in order to work well with other people?

First, learn to cooperate with others. The church in Philippi sent a man named Epaphroditus to help Paul while he was in prison in Rome. Philippians 2:25 says, “I feel that I must send Epaphroditus—my brother, coworker, and fellow soldier—back to you. You sent him as your personal representative to help me in my need” (GW).

By calling Epaphroditus his brother, coworker, and fellow soldier, Paul was using three relational metaphors that represent teamwork. Life together is a family, a fellowship, and a fight. Epaphroditus was a team member. He didn’t shut himself off from the world and become a lone ranger.

As believers, we are in the same fight together against Satan, so we need to cooperate with one other—no matter how different we all are. The best place to learn how to do that is in the church.

Second, learn to be considerate. Paul mentioned Epaphroditus again in Philippians 2:26: “He has been longing to see all of you and is troubled because you heard that he was sick” (GW).

Notice how Paul used two examples of consideration: Paul was considerate of his coworker’s homesickness, and Epaphroditus was considerate about the Philippians’ concern.

When I learn to be considerate of other people’s needs, fears, and doubts, I’ll be a happier person. For instance, if I am considerate of my spouse, I’ll have a happy marriage. But if I’m not thoughtful with my words and actions, I’ll have an unhappy marriage.

The Bible says, “You must get along with each other. You must learn to be considerate of one another, cultivating a life in common” (1 Corinthians 1:10 The Message).

“Cultivating a life in common” takes work. Like a garden that requires cultivation to bear fruit, I’ll see how my effort bears the fruit of happiness and strong relationships.

In summary, happiness isn’t a matter of luck; it’s a matter of learning. Learning how to work well with others. This is the skill of collaboration. It’s an important skill not often taught in schools, but when learned, it can exponentially increase a person’s happiness. To learn to work well with others: First, learn to cooperate with others. Life together is a family, a fellowship, and a fight. Epaphroditus was a team member. He didn’t shut himself off from the world and become a lone ranger. We are in the same fight together against Satan, so we need to cooperate with one other—no matter how different we all are. The best place to learn how to do that is in the church. Second, learn to be considerate. Paul used two examples of consideration: Paul was considerate of his coworker’s homesickness, and Epaphroditus was considerate about the Philippians’ concern. When I learn to be considerate of other people’s needs, fears, and doubts, I’ll be happier. Scripture tells me to get along with others, I must learn to be considerate of one another, cultivating a life in common”. This takes work. Like a garden that requires cultivation to bear fruit, I’ll see how my effort bears the fruit of happiness and strong relationships. 

Trustworthy People Are Happy People

In Proverbs 25:13 I read, “Reliable friends who do what they say are like cool drinks in sweltering heat—refreshing!” (The Message)

If I want to be happy, become a person who people can trust.

Paul used Timothy as an example of someone who was reliable, consistent, and dependable: “You know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel” (Philippians 2:22 NIV). 

Paul had seen Timothy in action, in all kinds of circumstances, and he considered him genuine and trustworthy. Timothy had proved to Paul that he was someone who could be counted on.

Do people know what kind of person I really am? Have I been proved trustworthy like Timothy?

Any time I go to a bank for a loan, they’ll do a credit check. They want to know if I’m worthy of being trusted with credit. Do I pay my bills on time? Do I have a track record of keeping my word? Can I be depended on to pay the money back? Am I creditable?

The thing is, everyone around me is doing a credit check on my life, every moment of my life. They want to know if I am who I say I am. Am I showing my true colors? Can I be trusted?

When I prove that I am a trustworthy person, I’ll be a happier person. People will know I’m reliable, and, as a result, my relationships will be stronger.

How do I develop a reputation of trustworthiness?

First, I live with integrity. Integrity doesn’t mean I’m perfect. It means that what people see is what people get. I am the real deal—because my actions match my words.

Proverbs 25:13 says, “Reliable friends who do what they say are like cool drinks in sweltering heat—refreshing!” (The Message).

Second, I keep my promises. Even if I find out it’s going to cost me more than I thought it was going to cost, I still keep my word.

Psalm 15:4 says, “They always do what they promise, no matter how much it may cost” (GNT).

Learning to live with integrity and keeping my promises will show others that I can be trusted and this will in turn make me a much happier person.

In summary, to be happy, become a person who people can trust. Paul used Timothy as an example of someone who was reliable, consistent, and dependable: Paul had seen Timothy in action, he considered him genuine and trustworthy. Timothy had proved to Paul that he was someone who could be counted on. Do people know what kind of person I really am? Have I been proved trustworthy like Timothy? Everyone around me is doing a credit check on my life. They want to know if I am who I say I am. Am I showing my true colors? Can I be trusted? When I prove that I am a trustworthy person, I’ll be happier. How do I develop a reputation of trustworthiness? First, I live with integrity. It means that what people see is what people get. My actions match my words. Second, I keep my promises. Even if I find out it’s going to cost me more than I thought. Learning to live with integrity and keeping my promises will show others that I can be trusted.

It is often difficult to find people you can really trust. A faithful messenger is punctual, responsible, honest, and hardworking. Such people are invaluable as they help take some of the pressure off their employer. Find out what my employer needs from me to make his or her job easier and do it.