Summer of Prayer 1: Thanksgiving
Key Scripture:
Colossians 3:15b…always be thankful. 16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.
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Colossians 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.
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1 Thessalonians 5:16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
Don’t underestimate the importance of prayer. Prayer is not an add-on.
To desire revival… and at the same time to neglect prayer and devotion is to wish one way and walk another. -A.W. Tozer: Morning and Evening
A church dies on its feet because it’s not living on its knees. - Leonard Ravenhill (Paraphrase)
James 5:16b…The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. 17 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! 18 Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.
Word of Life Core Values
Embrace the Essentials
Commit to Stretch
Build the Community
Live on Mission
EMBRACE THE ESSENTIALS
Prayer
Worship
Bible Reading
Fellowship
Prayer is our foundation. It will sustain and guide us.
Thanksgiving sets us up to have a strong and healthy prayer life.
1 Thessalonians 5:16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
The nature of thanking someone is reactionary. To thank someone is a response.
Thankfulness is grounded in reality. It is a response to what is true.
You will never run out of reasons to thank God.
What God Has Done & His Eternal Qualities Cannot Be Changed.
What Happens When We Thank God in Prayer?
Strengthens Our Relationship with Him - Jesus taught us to approach God as ‘Father’
Brings Out the Best in Us - People who are truly grateful for all God has done for them are the people who care about others and are ready to help.
We Gain Perspective - Expressing gratitude inevitably changes our perspective.
How can we possibly stay the same if we’re building this gratitude towards God in our hearts and in our minds?
Psalm 95:1 Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come to him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him.
What happens to the community when we all give thanks together? We build a church with a strong perspective
2 Corinthians 4:15b…as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.
For Reflection:
What are some of the things in your life that you can thank God for?
What aspects of God's character or His promises can you thank Him for?
Giving Thanks:
Strengthens Our Relationship with Him
Brings Out the Best in Us
We Gain Perspective
Pray with thanksgiving:
1 Thessalonians 5:16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.