April 17, 2024

“I never stop giving thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.” – Ephesians 1:16

I have always been a strong believer in thanksgiving being a vital part of prayer. It has always been my practice to start every prayer with “thank you.” Before I ever come to the Lord asking for anything, I need to clearly recognize what he has already given. And it has been a beautiful experience to see that this practice has been organically passed down to my children. I have not told them that this is the way they must pray. However, they always begin with thanksgiving because this is the example that has been set for them. So, whenever you hear me (or one of my family members) pray out loud, there is a good chance that the very first words you will hear are “thank you.”

Giving priority to thankfulness, however, is often much easier said than done. The question becomes, “what do I give thanks for?” The hard truth is that many times in our lives, we do not feel especially blessed. One of the most important but most often overlooked blessings in our lives is the people around us. How often do you stop and give thanks for your brothers and sisters in Christ; your church, your pastor, those who have discipled you, the encouragers, the prayer warriors, or even the ones who lead you to Christ? I believe, if you will simply take the time to intentionally think about it, you will realize that there are people all around you who are an incredible blessing. When we forget about thanksgiving, our prayers quickly become self-centered. One of the biggest tragedies of self-centered prayer is that we forget about the incredible relationships that God had blessed us with.

Heavenly Father, thank You for creating us for community. Thank You for putting beautiful people in our lives who love us and love You. Give us a deep desire to be that beautiful brother or sister to someone around us.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Shane Cannon