daily bible readings

Paul’s habit in prayer was to give thanks for the believers he’s praying for. As you read the introduction to most of his letters, it becomes clear that Paul had an attitude of gratitude.

Do you and I share this attitude of gratitude? Do we take time in our prayers to thank God for the believers around us? How often do we spend time praising God for those believers He has put in our church? I suspect that most of us have neglected this to some degree.

But Paul is a stalwart. He has an attitude of gratitude and almost always gives thanks to God for the work He’s done or doing in the lives of those he’s writing to. Study the following verses and allow yourself to be convicted to develop an attitude of gratitude.

Ephesians 1:3 (NIV84)

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Ephesians 1:15–16 (NIV84)

For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.

Philippians 1:3–6 (NIV84)

I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Colossians 1:3–6 (NIV84)

3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints— 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel 6 that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth.

Colossians 1:24 (NIV84)

Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.

1 Thessalonians 1:2–3 (NIV84)

We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. 3 We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 1:3–4 (NIV84)

3 We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. 4 Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.

Get the idea? It’s very easy to fall into a habit of just listing our prayers before God and then falling asleep. Prayer - passionate prayer - takes work, energy and concentration. As you come to your prayer time, start your prayers as Paul does - with adoration for what God is doing in the church and in the individuals. Spend time telling God how grateful you are for His work in the church and the people you’ve just thought of. This type of prayer may feel strange at first or even phony. But, as you persevere and keep at it, it will become second nature and you will have an attitude of gratitude.

PRAYER

Adoration:

· Adore God for the love and grace that He has lavished on your church and the people in your church.

Confession:

· Take time to confess your sins to the Lord and to ask for forgiveness

Thanks

· Thank God for ….

· Thank God for…

Supplication:

· Pray that more and more of your church would grow an attitude of gratitude.

· Pray that your church would be bursting at the seams in praising and adoring God for His work in the church and in the lives of individuals.

Discussion Questions

1. What does Paul thank God for in the Corinthian church, according to verse 4-9?

2. What problems were in the church as Paul wrote to them?

3. What does comparing your above two answers reveal to you?