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.