How to Understand the Importance of Thanksgiving and Prayer

Thanksgiving and Prayer

1^st Thessalonians 5:16-18;

Introduction:

Throughout the Bible, God calls us to thanksgiving and prayer. It is important to realize that the call to thanksgiving is in spite of circumstances, not because of circumstances. The call to Prayer is similar, in that God does not guarantee that we will get what we want. We are the ones asking, but it is God who replies. And, we ask in our ignorance, and our relative blindness. Therefore, He, in His sovereign knowledge and His infinite wisdom, sometimes must refuse our request. Remember that His knowledge, His wisdom and His purpose are not only all higher than we can hope to understand. All also are better, from the perspective of eternity.

Prayer in the Old Testament

In ancient Judah, even after bad leadership split the nation, a king would occasionally proclaim a National day of Prayer, and usually a fast, as well. He did so, desiring the mercy and blessing of God for his nation. Or, perhaps desiring the direction and protection of God, for an upcoming challenge or threat. As far as I can recall, in every single case, God answered those prayers. He did not always answer how they had hoped, but He always answered.

God has recorded those histories for us to learn from them. But we must be careful not to “learn the wrong lesson,” so to speak. There were a few people (prophets) to whom God gave special authority. What came out of their mouths really was His will, and they really did occur. It was not that they were “special saints,” but that God put them in a special position.

Moses is a classic example. He called for the ground to split and swallow up some rebels in the camp. And it happened exactly as he said. But it was for God’s purpose, not some personal vendetta of Moses. As a rule, God uses miracles to draw attention to, and to validate His message. And, right then, Moses was the messenger of God.

Thanksgiving Was Part of the History

At least for the moment, when God stepped in and rescued Israel, it usually resulted in national giving of thanks. But they soon forgot the blessing, and they began to grumble again. Sometimes they abandoned all pretense of following Him.

Numbers 21:5-9 tells about when the Jews were scarcely out of Egypt. They already forgot the Salvation that was poured out upon them while the Judgment was being poured out on Egypt.

Unthankful Hearts Draw Judgment

They grumbled and were very ungrateful toward God, failing to appreciate His supply in their lives. He sent Judgment on them in the form of venomous vipers, migrating across their desert path, and killing many of the people. But God used even this calamity to demonstrate His Grace, in a prophetic “picture.” The bronze serpent on the pole represented the judgment for their sins, and God’s solution for sin.

That image predicted the Cross, where our sins were judged forever, and Jesus’s blood served as the eternal satisfaction for God’s Justice and holiness. It represented the Grace extended to Man, in payment for the sins of the Whole World, forever! In regard to that particular history, Jesus said, “As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

So, even our ingratitude and our unbelief are under the blood of the Cross.

Unthankful Hearts Result in Spiritual Darkness

Romans 1:21, we see one cause of God’s judgment for sin: “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened.”

Humans fail to recognize the authority and Grace of God. We fail to Give Thanks…and because of this, our hearts are darkened. We fail to see the truth that, when God’s reply to our prayer is “NO,” The reply is just as worthy of thanksgiving as when He gives us the desire of our hearts. We need to thank Him for His wisdom and grace in those times, too.

So, What about Prayer?

In Luke 18:1, Jesus taught that we “ought always to pray and not faint.” The apostle Paul reiterates this command in 1^st Timothy 2:1-4, saying that we are not only to pray for ourselves and for one another, but for unbelievers as well, and especially for national and civic leaders, so that we might reap the benefits of “a quiet and peaceful life.”

Today, we live in the only nation in the history of the world which was originally founded upon specifically Christian values, and grounded in the whole truth of God’s Word, the Bible. It was not founded upon greed, or nationalism, but upon humility and public awareness of our utter dependence upon the Almighty Creator God. Perhaps the unbelieving world around us has forgotten this, but we as believers have no excuse: We are to remember; we are to pray, and we are to give thanks, regardless of the circumstances.

God’s Word and His Values are Eternal

We live at a time when those Christian values upon which our Nation was founded have largely been set aside as “old-fashioned,” or “outmoded,” or “irrelevant for the realities of today.” However, the Word of God will stand for all time and Eternity, and it does not depend upon the opinions of humans for validity. The Law of Gravity will (literally) cease to exist before God’s Word will fail to be relevant. In Ps 119:89, the psalmist says, “Forever, O Lord, thy Word is settled in heaven.” In light of eternity, the values of the humans of today are merely a passing aberration, while the values of God are the principles upon which the very Universe is founded.

Daniel’s Example

A heathen king ordered the Prophet Daniel to cease praying to his God. He immediately went to his balcony, opened the doors, and in public view, he prayed toward Jerusalem, as was his habit. You know the rest of that story, from Daniel chapter 6: Daniel “spent the night at the zoo,” as it were—specifically, in the Lion’s Den. But in the Morning…in the morning, the king released Daniel, and his enemies took his place. He had been under the protection of God—they were not…(It was “feeding time” at the zoo!)

We have a “Morning” coming, too! The Apostle Peter tells us in 2^nd Peter 1:19, that we are to focus our attention on the written Word of God as the only light in this dark world, “until the day dawns!”

Jehoshaphat’s Example

King Jehoshaphat, under threat of an invading army, declared a national day of prayer and fasting, and God answered through a local prophet. The troops of Judah went to the battle, all right, but they were led by the national choir, singing, and praising the beauty of holiness. They were giving thanks in advance, and worshipping the God of their salvation! The resulting battle was fought by God alone. The people of Judah never lifted a weapon. And every single enemy soldier died that day.

Modern Examples

Today we are still called to prayer, by God Himself. It is possible today, as always, in times of trouble, that some of the human leaders who may make that call are not believers, themselves. We should not be deterred from the privilege of prayer by those who do not know the God who answers prayer. Let us continue in prayer, undismayed. We also should remember that while prayer can “change things,” prayer definitely does not “control things!” Believers under fire are praying, but many of them die.

It is OK to pray and die!

An American missionary in the Philippines (Martin Burnham) along with his wife (Gracia Burnham) was kidnapped by Islamic rebels, there. They prayed daily for deliverance, and they prayed faithfully for their captors as well. But the day finally came when a firefight broke out between the national army and the rebel force. Martin threw his own body across that of Gracia, trying to shield her. Both were praying, but only Gracia came home alive. Martin was shot and killed, protecting his wife.

How do we respond to that sort of answer to prayer? Can I give thanks when the result was not what I wanted?

God’s Command

1^st Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Rejoice evermore; pray without ceasing; in every thing give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus, concerning YOU!”

God says His will for us is that we should rejoice evermore, that we should pray without ceasing; and that in every circumstance we should give thanks.

Let’s look at that passage, point by point:

Rejoice evermore,
Pray without ceasing, and
In every thing give thanks
For this is the Will of God, in Christ Jesus, concerning YOU!

Rejoice Evermore

Notice that He did not say, “Feelhappy,” or “feel Joyful!” He said “rejoice!” This directly ties into what Jesus commanded in John 16:33 “These things have I spoken unto you that in Me ye might have peace: in the World ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the World.”

Joy is a choice: Habakkuk chose joy in the face of the sure knowledge that his nation was about to fall to foreign invaders in judgment as a result of Israel’s sin. He said, “Yet will I rejoice in the LORD: I will joy in the God of my Salvation!”It was an act of the will, not a result of emotion. His emotion was grief at the collapse of Israel, but his choice was Joy!

Pray without Ceasing

God gives a clear command, that, just as Jesus commanded, we are not to give up on prayer: we are to “press on,” praying in the face of devastating news, in the hope that we will be delivered. And as the young Hebrew men under the threat of the furnace replied, “God IS able to save us: but even if He does not, we will not worship your idol!” They knew they faced death. They did not know for certain that God was going to deliver them.

Martin and Gracia Burnham knew they potentially faced death, and did not know that only one of them would be delivered. But they prayed and they chose the Joy of the Lord in response to their trauma. Afterward, Gracia shared her story in a book: “In the Presence of Mine Enemies.”

Perhaps we can learn from her example, and seek to find the “table” God has prepared for us in the presence of our enemies, The World, the Flesh, and the Devil. Hopefully, in the presence of our enemies, we can choose by faith to rejoice because of His supply. Perhaps we can choose to pray faithfully, in recognition that His supply is perfect, even when we fail to understand it.

In Every Thing give Thanks

Notice that God does not say “for everything give thanks!” Rather, He says, “in every thing give thanks.” Martin and Gracia Burnham surely did not “feel happy and satisfied” as the prisoners of a murderous band of Islamic terrorists. But they chose to rejoice IN that reality, rather than deciding that “God must have ignored their needs.” God calls us to do that, as well.

Was I “happy” that my mother had an incurable disease? Absolutely not! But could I rejoice in her testimony and the legacy she left behind? Yes, I really could, once I quit whining and crying to God, insisting that He change His directive Will for the benefit of my desires. But it took a while. (We can grieve; that is OK. It is OK to hurt, but it is not OK to allow the hurt to make us bitter.) Mom simply graduated early.

(Odd thing: she was valedictorian in both high school and college. She was the eldest of her siblings and the rest all lived well into their eighties, while she died at 65. So, once again, she “graduated at the head of her class!”) It caused us grief to lose her, but she blessed all those around her, by the overflowing Grace of her walk with God.

Is Martin Graham unhappy today with God’s decision to take him home and leave Gracia here? Absolutely not! Martin is rejoicing before the Lord, as we speak! Is Gracia unhappy with His answer to prayer? Not today: At that moment, Martin’s death filled her with grief! But God healed her of her grief, and she once again walked in the sure knowledge of God’s Grace.

Making it Personal

We are called to do the same: we are not told that we will always understand God’s will, nor, obviously, that we will always get what we desire. There have been times when I was certain that I was praying according to the will of God, but my hopes were dashed. There have been other times when I gave up hope, because of the circumstances, and God delivered, anyway.

It would be easy to “learn the wrong lesson,” here, and decide that “there is no point in praying, as God is just going to do His own will anyway.” But that attitude ignores that fact that we are commanded to pray; and, to “not faint”…not give up on prayer; and to “pray without ceasing:” How can it be within the will of God for me to disobey those clear commands?

The fact is, we simply have to admit that we do not know what is best. And, if we truly want what is best, then we need to subject ourselves to the will of the One who not only knows what is best, but desires to bless us to the utmost.

It IS Personal!

The final word in that passage is very personal: He says, “For this is the Will of God, in Christ Jesus, concerning YOU!”

Don’t succumb to the temptation to “shuck that aside,” thinking, “Well, that was to the believers at Thessalonica!” Of course, it was! And it is also to you, personally, just like the rest of the epistles! Take this personally, and apply it to your life: the result will be a greater sense of peace and joy, as you learn to trust the Creator and Judge as your Savior, your Shepherd and your Friend.

Lord Jesus, please draw us close enough to you that we can feel your arms supporting us and hear your heartbeat for the lost around us, and be transformed into your likeness, sharing that care for the lost world.