Every November, I do a post that relates to gratitude. This year, I'm writing about thankfulness for God's promises, along with an idea to try in your prayer life. (This is inspired by my friend and mentor Kim, who's been the inspiration for half of my posts this year :).
Normally, I approach prayer something like this: I pray through a list of requests about things that are going on in my life, or things that are going on for my family and friends, or things that are going on in the world. If I'm having a good day, I will throw in a few thank yous, praises, and confessions, but that's a whole separate part of the prayer. The idea to try is this: combine thankfulness for God's promises WITH your list of prayer requests.
What does this look like? Let's say I'm feeling anxious. I would say, "Thank you, Lord, that you give us peace that passes understanding, and I pray for that peace in this anxiety provoking situation."
Other examples of promises where you can combine thankfulness with requests:
- God is near to the broken hearted (Psalm 34:18) - I pray this one for people who have recently suffered loss of a loved one or are struggling in a relationship.
- God daily bears our burdens (Psalm 68:19) - I pray this one particularly for those with a disability or chronic pain / illness, or who are caretakers for someone with a disability or chronic illness.
- God is working all for our good (Romans 8:28) - I pray this for friends who are feeling discouraged or stuck, or are in a hard situation.
- God strengthens us (Isaiah 40:31) and gives us rest (Matthew 11:28-30) - I pray this for friends who are feeling exhausted by work, responsibilities, or life circumstances.
- God gives us peace (John 14:27) - I pray this for those who struggle with anxiety and depression.
- God gives us wisdom (James 1:5) - I pray this for friends who are looking for guidance or trying to figure things out.
- God loves us (this is throughout the Bible, but i love this one: Zephaniah 3:17) - I pray this for those who are feeling unloved or who don't know God's love.
- God is with us (Psalm 23) - I pray this for those who are feeling lonely, or like they are facing something too big for them alone. (Also a perfect one to think about heading into Advent season!)
And I pray these for myself, because I need to hear these promises too.
What was the result?
I have to admit that I was skeptical whether a change in prayer format would make any difference. Probably like many of you who have made it this far into the post, I regularly read and think about these promises, and it didn't seem like it would make that much difference to switch the order of things around.
However, I gave it a try for a week, and this is what happened: A more faith-filled, joyful prayer life! Why? First, it ensured that I was regularly meditating on the promises of God, rather than just getting to it when I have plenty of time and motivation. Starting with a reminder of all the good that God is working all the time is so encouraging. And to go with the theme of Thanksgiving month -- it causes gratitude for all the goodness we're already basking in, all the time, and usually without even noticing. Second, it makes you think (and sometimes think hard) about how the promises of God link up with the difficulties of life - and once you've made that connection, it stays, and it continues to encourage.
I've gone back to praying in my previous style - just saying requests rather than turning them into a gratitude - but even having done my prayers like this for a short time has really changed my thought process. I'm much more often remembering the promises that link up to those requests at the close of my prayer time, and this is an encouragement and a faith boost. I would encourage all of you to give it a try!
Happy Thanksgiving!
