A Thankful Heart

Gary Stebbins
Church on the Rock - Melbourne

Several weeks ago I came into one of our early morning prayer times at church. All was well, or so I thought. As we were praying, Pastor Tony happened to glance out one of our windows. Something did not look right and indeed it was not right.

During the night someone had stolen three of our air conditioners. After processing the initial shock and implications of such a problem, my immediate response was thanksgiving. Now I was not thankful that someone had stolen the A/C units, but my heart was filled with gratitude over the goodness of God. Yes, this was a problem, but God has been so faithful to us for many years. It would be very difficult for me to express in words how truly gracious God has been towards us.

As we continued to pray that morning I felt God say that there would be a silver-lining in this cloud. My immediate response as I prayed was not justice, but praise and thanksgiving. The Lord reminded me of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing in everything give thanks: (WHY?) FOR THIS is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

The following Sunday I challenged our church to live the next week without grumbling and complaining, but instead express gratitude and thanksgiving to God.

I believe thanksgiving should be a significant part of our prayer life. God is not asking us to be thankful for trouble when it comes, but to be thankful for a God who will walk with us no matter what difficulties might come our way.

I love David’s prayer of thanksgiving in Psalm 138, and in verse 8 he says …“The Lord will accomplish what concerns me; your loving-kindness, O Lord, is everlasting; Do not forsake the works of your hands.”

Wow! God is concerned for what concerns me. He hears my prayers. This fills my heart with thankfulness towards Him.

May God fill your heart with thanksgiving and may the expression of gratitude become a significant part of your prayer life.

Are you rejoicing?
Are you praying?
Are you giving thanks in everything?

Blessed Be The Name Of The Lord

Pastor Gary Stebbins
Church on the Rock-Melbourne

Faith is often a battle with our thoughts and our emotions. Our thoughts at times can be filled with unbelief and doubt, and our emotions can be driven by fear, anxiety, and hopelessness. God created us to be creatures that think and experience emotions. Our thoughts and our emotions are an important part of who we are. They help to define our personality and how we view and respond to life. However, as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10:5, there is a place to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (NIV). There are times in our lives when we must struggle to bring our thoughts and emotions into alignment with God’s Word. It is in this struggle that we will grow in our faith.

I was recently reading in the book of Job. I cannot imagine the pain and suffering that Job experienced. At one point, after losing his children and much of his wealth, he “fell to the ground and worshiped.” He cried out to God and said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21). The word Job used for “blessed” means to kneel, to bless God as an act of adoration. In the middle of extreme difficulties Job remembered His God and reaffirmed his love for Him. This was an act of devotion and prayer as Job turned to God in his crisis. He was bringing his thoughts and emotions into captivity to bless and thank God for who He was and all that He had meant to Job over the years. Learning how to bless God and thank God, in any season of life, should be an important part of our prayer life. Turning to God in times of crisis builds our faith in God. Throwing ourselves at His feet in prayer and offering up our devotion to Him draws us close to God. When you walk through difficult times with other people, it can bind you together at a deep level. The same is true in our relationship with God as we allow Him to be a part of our difficult times. We can do this by offering to God our love for Him and expressing our thanksgiving for who He is and has been in our lives. Our hearts are united together with God in a deep and intimate way. He becomes not just a friend, but a “strong tower” and a “place of refuge” from the troubled times swirling about us.

The expression of devotion and thanksgiving to God through prayer is an important part of building our relationship with Him. When my heart aches, I have found much comfort in getting before God and offering to Him my love, devotion, and thanksgiving in prayer. I may not be able to make sense out of my situation in the natural, but I can find comfort and hope as I cry out to God in prayer. I always come away strengthened.

How about you? In difficult times have you been able to cry out to God in prayer and find comfort? What part has thanksgiving played in your prayer life and your relationship with God?