Prayer understandably contains a lot of asking.
Help us. Guide us. Heal this. Provide that. Show me what to do.
Those prayers matter. But today, try beginning somewhere else.
Thank You.
Thank You for the person sitting beside me. Thank You for food on our table. Thank You for the prayer You already answered that I've almost forgotten I once prayed. Thank You for getting us through something I wasn't sure we'd get through.
Psalm 100:4 says: “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.”
Gratitude doesn't mean pretending everything is easy. It means hardship doesn't get to become the only thing we see.
Before asking God for something today, name five things already in front of you that you're thankful for.
They don't need to be profound. Sometimes the people are home safe tonight is prayer enough.
Reader takeaway: Five thank-yous before one request.