Thank God! ...Praying in Spirit of Thanksgiving
This last Monday we had some torrential rain and wind come through the Houston area. The Houston metro area received over five inches of rain and some tornadic activity as well. On Tuesday, Roger and I went down to the Wesley Community Center to check out some work opportunities for the youth. Afterward we decided to call on a friend of ours that has a warehouse close to downtown. As we rounded the corner on Lyons Street we notice that something was out of place. Right there in front of our eyes we stared at twisted red metal I-beams and crumpled corrugated metal. That was Tom’s business; it had been almost completely destroyed. We found Tom, my friend in the middle of what used to be his warehouse for his business. He explained that they had been hit late Monday afternoon and the damage occurred in about ten seconds. Tom’s first words were, “If people want to see how powerful God is, just bring ‘em out here and let them look for themselves. We serve an awesome God!” The next thing he said to me was, “I am so thankful that no one was hurt”. Tom’s son-in-law, John Boone and two other workers were in the warehouse when the tornado hit. His account goes like this,” I was in the business office located in the middle of the warehouse when I noticed that the rain had considerately pick-up in intensity and the wind too. I walked out into the warehouse and just as I had taken a few steps out … the roof of the main building began to peel back and the loading dock wall just blew out. I began to run for the adjacent warehouse that was connected and dove into a well in one of the service bays. A twenty foot tall brick wall next to the bays fell out as I was jumping in. If that wall would have fallen in I may have been crushed. Marco, my co-worker, was in the parking lot trying to move his car to higher ground. He said at the same time of the warehouse was being demolished before his eyes …all the windows in his car exploded outwards and a rush of wind blew through the car. But the car did not move.”
John has a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. John told me that he rejoices in God’s sovereignty over his life. John could feel the presence of God. He felt His protection, His provision as he wandered out into the parking lot after the tornado had left. As John told me the story, I could hear the awe and wonder in his voice of how truly great God is.
How do you express your thankfulness to God?
Our scripture this week allows us to peek in 1950 years ago as we read a portion of Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Paul was under house arrest in Rome. He was writing this letter about the year 60 to the first church founded by him in what we now know as Europe. The believers of the Philippian church were suffering from problems that are not to uncommon for any community to suffer from being religious or otherwise. The issues were harmony, purity and purpose.
To be a thankful people we must understand who and who’s we are. Paul’s statement helps us understand our attitude as we face the challenges of being thankful Christians. He says,” Rejoice, in the Lord always, I will say again: rejoice!” We are to rejoice, even when your business has been destroyed by His sovereign power. We are to rejoice; when our world is not going the way we think it should go. We are to rejoice, when challenges in ministry, family, school, relationships, and business come. Why, why are we instructed to rejoice? Because the Lord is near. We tend to forget that the Lord is present with us in the form of the Holy Spirit. He is ever present and always with us. Isn’t that a reason to rejoice? Back up now. How is this rejoicing to be presented? . Verse 5 begins with, “Let your gentleness be known to all.” Paul addresses gentleness in his letter to the Galatians and notes it as a quality of those whom live for Christ and by his spirit. Paul writes,” ...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” Gentleness is an attitude that should be driven by God’s Holy Spirit and if you do not display gentleness by your words and deeds then you are not being lead by the spirit. Before we move on I would like to say one more thing about gentleness. Gentleness is not weakness. Jesus Christ is the strongest man ever to walk on this planet. It is easy to get angry in this world, but to restrain yourself and be gentle displays a discipline of holiness. Peter said it this way,” Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” So, so far Paul is encouraging believers to rejoice because of God’s presence with us and do so, not as the world rejoices, but as the spirit leads us and enables us to rejoice.
Paul then writes,” Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” As Christians we are to have this spirit lead acknowledgement of God’s presence in our lives. Why would God desire to be involved in your life? Because, He loves you! As we possess this knowledge then we know that He cares about our lives and needs. Are you following me? O.K. So, Paul tells the believers not to be anxious about anything… Wait a minute. Does he mean not to worry about anything? (Nod) Yes. Is that hard for you to do?
Jesus spoke about worry as he taught his disciples in his sermon on the mount. He says this better than Paul. Jesus said,” Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ’What shall we eat?’ or ’What shall we drink?’ or ’What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Jesus and Paul are saying that it takes trust in God to do away with worries. God knows we need reassurance. God has provided a way for us to receive reassurance. It’s prayer. When we go to God in prayer we acknowledge that he cares to hear what we are saying to him. When we go to God in prayer and make requests, it means that we believe that he is able to help us or others that we are praying for. When we go to God in prayer we are acknowledging that we are dependant upon Him. When we are anxious we begin to build walls of doubt about all these aspects of God’s nature.
However, when we go to God with thanksgiving, we begin to recall and thank Him for all the great things he has already done for us. If you don’t approach your prayer life with an attitude of thanksgiving you may be missing a great blessing that comes within your prayer life. Being thankful in prayer is really pretty basic. Let me give you some areas to start if you need a primer for your prayer life. You can start by following the examples of the children who came up before the sermon. Be thankful to God for the simple things. Be thankful for Life, breath, sight if you have it, hearing also and all of your senses. Be thankful for your family, friends, co-workers, employers, and your church. You can think of more, I am sure. Being thankful in your prayers brings tremendous benefits.
Paul lists one of the most important that will bring you back to rejoicing. In the concluding verse of our scripture today Paul writes,” And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” When you begin to trust God and be thankful that he is in control and SURRENDER all the meaningless stuff in your life to him through prayer you will be the benefactor of the peace of God. What is this peace that surpasses all understanding? This is the peace given by the Holy Spirit of God. Jesus said that he would ask the Father and the Father would send to believers the Spirit. Jesus describes this peace like this,”…the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” This peace is perfect because it comes from God. It is the same peace Paul felt as he was awaiting trial in Rome, it is the same peace John felt walking around in the parking lot after the tornado.
You may say that I don’t know how to pray. I want this feeling of peace but I just don’t see how I can be like Paul. Let me tell you something, as the old saying goes, A JOURNEY OF A THOUSAND MILES STARTS WITH JUST ONE STEP. Try using a prayer model. An easy one to remember is the acronym A.C.T.S. It stands for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication. Just get alone somewhere and tell God in a normal conversation how much you love Him for who he is, then be quiet and search your mind and heart for the things you need to bring before God in confession. Next, and I think most neglected part of my prayer life, to give Him thanks for all the great things he has done. Finally present your requests last. You may find out that as you have been praying that the list may change or go away completely. Once you begin to pray regularly, try not to stop. Let me tell you why. Chuck Swindoll, pastor of Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas stated in one of his radio broadcasts that, “If you sew a thought you reap an act and if you sew a act you reap a habit and if you sew a habit you reap a character and if you sew a character you reap a destiny.” My prayer for you this Thanksgiving is that you reap a destiny of peace through prayer that provides you the ability to gently rejoice in the presence of the Lord. May God add his blessings to the words spoken here today.
Amen.
