A time of praise will lead you naturally into thanksgiving. You will be reminded of the many things that God has done for you, the ways in which He has answered your prayers. Have you expressed your gratitude? Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4 :6- 7). Two important words often overlooked are with thanksgiving.

When we come to God with the intent to ask for His intervention, we must begin by expressing our gratitude for those things that He has already provided for us. Dr. R. A. Torrey wrote:

Doubtless one reason why so many of our prayers lack power is because we have neglected to thank God for blessings already received. If anyone were to constantly ask us for help and never say, "Thank you" for the help given, we would soon get tired of helping one so ungrateful. Indeed, our respect for the one we were helping would stop us from encouraging such rank ingratitude. Doubtless our heavenly Father, out of wise regard for our highest welfare, often refuses to answer our prayers in order to bring us to a sense of our ingratitude. We must be taught to be thankful. - (p. 59-60, How to Pray, Whitaker House, 1983)

Reflecting on the wonderful things God has done for you gives you faith to trust God for the things that you currently ask Him for.

Thanksgiving to God

* I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders. I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High . . . For You have maintained my just cause; You have sat on the throne judging righteously. (Ps. 9:1-2, 4)

* I shall wash my hands in innocence, and I will go about Your altar, O LORD, that I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving and declare all Your wonders. (Ps. 26:6-7)

* Blessed be the LORD, Because He has heard the voice of my supplication. The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him. The LORD is their strength, And He is a saving defence to His anointed. (Ps. 28:6-8)

* I will give You thanks in the great congregation; I will praise You among a mighty throng. (Ps. 35:18)

* So we Your people and the sheep of Your pasture will give thanks to You forever; to all generations we will tell of Your praise. (Ps. 79:13)

* But as for me, I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more. My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness and of Your salvation all day long; For I do not know the sum of them. I will come with the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD; I will make mention of Your righteousness, Yours alone. O God, You have taught me from my youth, and I still declare Your wondrous deeds. And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to all who are to come. For Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens, You who have done great things; O God, who is like You? You who have shown me many troubles and distresses will revive me again, and will bring me up again from the depths of the earth. May You increase my greatness And turn to comfort me. I will also praise You with a harp, even Your truth, O my God; to You I will sing praises with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You; And my soul, which You have redeemed. (Ps. 71:14-23)

* It is good to give thanks to the LORD and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; to declare Your lovingkindness in the morning and Your faithfulness by night, with the ten-stringed lute and with the harp, with resounding music upon the lyre. For You, O LORD, have made me glad by what You have done, I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands. How great are Your works, O LORD ! Your thoughts are very deep. (Ps. 92:1-5)

* To You I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, And call upon the name of the LORD. (Ps. 116:17)

Passages of Thanksgiving

Ps 30, 136

Encouraging Thanksgiving

* Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. (Ps. 95:2)

* Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. (Ps. 100:4)

* and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. (Eph 5:4)

* . . . be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father (Eph 5:18b-20).

* Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. (Col 3:15-17)

* Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving (Col 4:2).

* Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (I Thess. 5:16-18)

* First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. (I Tim 2:1-2)

* Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. (Heb 13:15)