THANK YOU!
If you’re now wondering, “Michael, what on earth are you thanking me for?” Well, for starters, thank you for reading this devotional! Thank you for taking five minutes to interact with me albeit digitally… it means a lot that you’d take the time to show up on this page… so… THANK YOU for that!
I know for me, and I’m guessing for you as well, it’s just nice to hear those two words…
THANK YOU.
There’s something about being thanked that brings a smile to our face. There’s something about hearing those two words, THANK YOU that can turn your entire day around.
Let’s be honest, we all know what it’s like when we don’t hear those words – that’s no fun. Ever thought to yourself...
‘How is it possible that they did not thank me for _________________?’
Whatever your fill-in-the-blank was, I’m guessing we’ve all been put off when others don’t pass along a simple word of ‘thanks’ for the good deed, kind word, or thoughtful gift we gave.
Tired people.
Stressed people.
Angry people.
Selfish people.
Mean people.
Let’s be honest, it’s challenging being around people like this for a variety of reasons.
But thankful people? Wow! It is life-giving being around people like that. A thankful person has a way of breathing life where others have sucked life from you.
So, let me ask… do you say, ‘Thank you?’
If yes, how often can those two words be heard leaving your lips?
Once a day?
Once a week?
Every full moon?
If you’re not sure, just ask those closest to you how often they hear you saying thank you.
To be clear, I don’t have a formula for how many times a day or a week or a month we should be saying it, but I do know this…
WHERE THERE IS A LACK OF THANKS THERE WILL BE A LACK OF PRAYER.
Thankfulness is more of a heart condition than waiting for the perfect conditions to be thankful for. Meaning, thankfulness is not so much about what we have or don’t have but WHO WE HAVE. Maybe a more theologically correct way to say that would be… ‘WHO HAS US.’
As we finish our 1st week of our 21 Days of Prayer, if you haven’t yet tried this… try it today.
However long you want to pray, let every prayer you pray start with…
“God, I want to say thank you for _____________.”
Maybe it’s thanking Him for His Character.
Maybe it’s thanking Him for something He’s done in or through your life.
Or maybe, it’s something that God is doing right now.
Just ‘thank you’ – that’s it.
For today, don’t put any needs or requests out there, just simply spend time in prayer expressing a heart of thanksgiving to God.
Is asking God for things wrong? Of course not!
But the path towards being a thankful person starts with thanking God, and as the scriptures make clear – giving thanks to God brings great honor to God.
And as I spend time GIVING THANKS to God today, please know that I am giving THANKS TO GOD for all of you… the GENESIS community. It is a TRUE JOY to be on this amazing journey with you all!
“Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God… giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors Me.”
Psalm 50:14, 23
