Devotion: Thanksgiving

Colossians 3:17

“Whatever you do” = Comprehensive principle.

Application of Col 2:6.

Christ is the centre of our lives.

Everything we do would be done in His name, under His authority.

He is the One through whom we have access to God the Father.

Whatever we do, we are to give thanks.

That applies especially to prayer.

Catalogued a sample of verses which reveal how prevalent the theme of thanksgiving is.

Colossians 4:2 “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.”

Paul exemplified this! Think of all his letters.

‘We give thanks always for you.’

‘I thank God in all my remembrance of you.’

‘We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you.’

Philippians 4:6–7 “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Psalm 100:4 “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!”

Psalm 95:2–3 “Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.”

Psalm 107:1 “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!”

Daniel 6:10 “When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.”

Officials, under Darius, were jealous of Daniel.

Looking for something to accuse him of.

Daniel was faithful and without fault.

They come up with a plan to get him in trouble.

Got Darius to sign a document, stating that anyone who petitioned any god would be thrown into the den of lions!

What does Daniel do? He gives thanks!

Psalm 136:1–3 “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever;”

1 Corinthians 14:13–17 “Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also. Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up.”

It’s just assumed that thanksgiving is an integral aspect of prayer.

1 Timothy 2:1 “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,”

1 Timothy 4:3–4 “who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,”

We have a lot to be thankful for:

Family.

Church family.

Salvation.

Bible.

Canada.

Time of history we get to serve Christ.

Million other things!

So much to be thankful for, and prayer is an opportunity to express that.