8-25-2016

      Good Morning All!!      

       Psalm 106:1; “Praise the Lord!  Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!”

“Thank you.”  This is probably the first “manner” that we teach our children.  Just as soon as they can speak we begin to hammer it home.  “What do you tell Grandma?”  “Thank you.”  If we don’t hear it; we ask again and then we begin with no more presents, don’t you love her, that’s not how we raised you, etc.  If we hear it then we say “good boy”.  Maybe that is part of our problem, we have made thanks an act of the law, a requirement; rather than a heartfelt expression. 

   I can remember times when I gave a gift and heard no “thank you” but the look in their eyes and the expression on their faces said it all.  I got my thank you.  Sometimes the best “thank you” is to see someone actually use the gift that you gave them.  Saying thank you can take many forms.

   Our verse is an “oldie but a goodie” many of you may even have it memorized.  So we want to look a little look at how this applies to our prayer life.  Most people, even unbelievers, go to God in times of crisis.  When everything is in chaos, people cry out to God; but why?  I suspect many people view God as a genie. You only get some many wishes and you want to make good use of them.  Some see God as a “last resort”, whether they see God as distant and looming or whether they really doubt God’s effectiveness and concern.  We go to God in trouble but do we go to God when things are good?

    Giving thanks to God should be an integral part of our prayer/devotional life.  This should be part of the conversation rhythm that we have with God.  We read and study his Word to hear God speak to us.  We listen to the absolution where we hear God’s forgiveness for us, we hear him call us back home.  We, in turn, speak to God with our concerns and fears for sure.  God tells us to call upon him in the day of trouble; this is part of God comforting us and giving us peace.  Yet we should also give thanks for the gifts we have and will get in this life and the next.  Thanks should be a natural part of our prayer.

    This can help live out our prayer life, especially our thank you.  Take your prayer life and live it.  We can do this by how we live, by how we use the gifts we are given.  God gives you life and wants to have a loving relationship with you.  He wants to have a long and loving conversation with you.  He wants to talk to you and have you listen to him. He wants you to talk to him as he listens to you as well.

Dearest Father, we struggle with thank you as we are so overwhelmed by your gifts.  Even as our lives are chaotic and worrisome, your wonderful grace is always present.  Give us the faith to see this and to give you thanks and live our lives for you.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret