Praise And Thanks!
"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the
heavenly realms
because we are united with Christ."
Ephesians 1: 3
If you met with a prominent person you highly respect
in order to ask for a favor, at first you might say,
“It is
an honor to meet you; I’ve heard about your generosity
to our local community.” Upon leaving, you may say,
“Thank you
so much for seeing me and considering my
request.” So, you begin with praise and end with
thanksgiving.
You can also conduct a prayer meeting with God the
same way: praise at the beginning and thanksgiving
at the end. Praise and thanksgiving are found through
out Scripture in psalms and prayers.
It is
interesting that even some of the New
Testament epistles begin with words of praise
to God such as 2 Corinthians 1:3; Ephesians
1:3 and 1 Peter 1:3.
Others begin with thanksgiving to God for the
spiritual
progress of the recipients of the letter.
Regardless of the order, praise and thanks
giving are consistent themes.
Remember to praise and thank God when
you pray: praise for who He is, thanks for
what He will
do.
"The measure of our spirituality is
the amount of praise and thanks
giving in our prayer."
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
