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Thankfulness: A Faithful Friend
Sometimes it is our natural inclination to ask the Lord for things and we may forget to be content and thankful in our hearts. Children seem to know the heart of God and what joy it must bring Our Father to know we are recognizing the gifts that He gives us on a daily basis, big and small. “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” 2 Corinthians 9:15.
The prayer of my 6 year old son every night defines thankfulness like this:
“Dear Jesus,
Thank-you for this day, thank-you for the trees that grow and the flowers that bloom, thank-you for mommy, daddy, Sheba, Lo-Lo and Boo, thank-you for the oxygen that we breathe and the carbon monoxide that the plants give off, thank-you for our food, water, shelter, home, bugs, thank-you for the dirt and thank-you for sending your Son to die on the cross for our sins. Thank-you for the whole world and all the people in the whole world.”
This prayer is so simple yet so profound that it touches the very depths of my heart. It used to frustrate me when my son would come up with the silliest things to pray for then I realized that I was wrong to feel like he was just trying to buy bed time minutes with his prayers. I realized that God should be thanked for all the things he gives us big and small, regardless. Our Father in Heaven must rejoice when he hears the sweet praises that come from the youngest of these.
Thankfulness and gratitude should be a part of our everyday attitude. Contentment comes from being grateful for what we have and not focusing on what we don’t. This is my thankfulness prayer:
“Dear Jesus,
Thank-you for your goodness and mercy in our lives. Thank-you for my marriage, my husband, my children. Thank-you for our church, my children’s teachers and my job, thank-you for good health and protecting us from evil. Thank-you for our home, pets, cars and thank-you for the blessings in our lives. Thank-you for protecting us while we are away from home, thank-you for the wisdom to make good decisions. Thank-you for friends that care about me, thank-you for the freedom to worship, thank-you for our pastors and the beautiful sunshine that brightens the darkest of days.”
As the freshness of spring awakens our spirits with renewal and growth, let the rain of thankfulness flow into your heart. Thank God for all things, thank a friend for their kindness, thank your husband for being a good provider and thank your children for obeying. Remember to have an attitude of gratitude and let His light shine through you to those around you. Allow thankfulness to be your faithful friend. It will always serve you well.
Copyright © 2008-2015 Sherry Norquist
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