Gratitude And The Glory Of God

In Psalm 69, David gives us an important truth regarding gratitude. He writes, “I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving” (Psalm 69:30, NIV). Did you catch that last part? The renowned King and Psalmist of Israel tells us that when we give thanks to God, we also give Him glory. It’s common to think of glorifying God by means of worship, song, sacrifice and obedience—and those are important. Here we see that it can also be as simple as saying thank you. How often have we missed an opportunity to give glory to the Lord because we were ungrateful for one of His many blessings? Let’s give God all the glory by continuing to grow in being thankful. Now that’s something to pray about!

Thanksgiving 2023

Thanksgiving is one of my very favorite holidays of the year. The delicious turkey, side dishes and pies on Thanksgiving Day are surpassed only by the family and friends we get to enjoy it all with. The parades, football games and leftovers are the sprinkles on top of a joyous holiday weekend. During this blessed time of year, we all try our best to be more thankful, and I’d like to encourage us all to keep going all year round. Gratitude is one of the more distinguishing characteristics of a mature and healthy Christian faith. As we have heard during earlier Prayer Points this month, even Jesus prayed with thanksgiving. So, let’s keep being like Jesus, with thankfulness ever in our hearts and always on our lips. Now that’s something to pray about!

Our Prayers Outlive Us And Continue To Be Answered

The ministry I lead recently lost one of our most beloved prayer warriors. In a great shock to all of us who knew her, sister Renee was taken home to be with Jesus. As I’ve grieved and reflected on her life, I felt the whisper of the Spirit remind me that all of the prayers Renee lifted up will continue long past her death. Many if not most of this dear woman’s prayers for her family, the community and much more will continue to be answered. I thanked God for that thought as it brought me comfort to know that, in a way, her ministry will continue as answers come in God’s time. Truly, no prayer is ever wasted. God answers even after we’ve gone to be with Him. Now that’s something to pray about!

Embracing Lifelong Prayer Assignments

One of the remarkable things about prayer is we never quite know when God will intervene. Sometimes it’s very quickly, but other times the answer tarries for lengthy periods of time. Sometimes a prayer assignment is for decades, or even a lifetime. One of the greatest evidences of love is when someone simply keeps praying in faith for a particular person or situation. Though the prayer burden may vary from person to person, the invitation from me to you today is to remain steadfast in prayer. Keep on praying. Don’t lose heart. Jesus will intervene at the right time, even if it takes a lifetime. Now that’s something to pray about!

Solomon’s Prayer That Pleased God

In 1 Kings 3, God appeared to King Solomon in a dream and made a remarkable statement. God said to him, “Ask for whatever you want” (1 Kings 3:5). At first hearing, this seems almost too good to be true. Anything? Really? Instead of praying for something like the winning Powerball numbers, or for his enemies to turn to dust, Solomon humbly requested a wise and discerning heart so he could lead God’s people well. God was pleased with this sincere prayer, and it provides us with an important reminder. Though we can pray for anything, it’s best to pray for the right things—things that matter to God; things that matter for eternity. This week, let’s ask for those. Now that’s something to pray about!