There are different kinds of people in this world. Some see the good in everything. They are often known as optimists. These people are usually thankful for all they have. We, as believers, need to be like this. We need to be giving thanks to God always. Even in the hard times we need to rejoice and give our thanks and praise because He is always working on our behalf to bring out the best in us.
(This passage is from my book, OK, God, Let’s Start From Here, and is available on this site.)
There is so much truth to this statement. We need to be thanking God for everything we have. We can thank Him even before we obtain what we are asking for. The best times to thank God are when we ask Him in prayer, while we are waiting for His answer, and after we have received the request we prayed about.
We need to thank God when we first ask, because we show we are believing He will bring about what we ask for. It is important to remember to ask for only things in His will. We cannot simply ask for anything and expect to receive it. He will only give us things that will benefit us and not cause us harm. We may not see the difference right away, but if He doesn’t answer our prayers, it usually means He has something better in store for us.
It is very important to keep thanking God while we are waiting for an answer to our prayers. It not only shows our trust in Him, but it also builds our faith and reminds us of what we are expecting. This helps us look to God and keep believing He only has the best plans for our lives.
After receiving our requests, or if we have obtained something better, it is incredibly important to thank God. When we thank Him for something that has already taken place, we show our faith and trust in Him to answer our prayers. He did everything He could do, so we need to recognize that with the proper thanksgiving. We always need to be thankful for everything in our lives.
Giving thanks to God is not only appropriate, but it should also be mandatory. When someone thanks you for what you have done for them, it boosts your spirit and makes you want to do even more. The same is true with God. When you show you are thankful for the small, He knows you will be thankful for the large, also.
Don’t forget to thank God for everything you have, in every season of your life. It makes Him smile and will take you a long way in your relationship with Him.