‘Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving. At the same time pray for us as well that God will open to us a door for the word, that we may declare the mystery of Christ…’ (Colossians 4:2-3)
Every child knows that there are two essential tasks surrounding a birthday. The first is the writing of a list detailing what you would really like to receive as gifts. And the second is the writing of thank you letters after the happy event (whether or not the list has been adhered to!).
Two simple tasks: to make your desires known and then to say an appropriate thank you.
Paul reminds us that prayer involves similar tasks, but in a radically different order. Our first instinct and action in prayer is to say thank you. ‘Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving…’; God has already done so much for us. We already have so much to be thankful for. Thanksgiving keeps us alert to the reality of God’s gracious activity in the past, which enables us to bring our desires to Him with renewed confidence for the present and future.
Giving thanks is at the heart of all Christian worship. The Greek word for thanksgiving is ‘eucharist’ – a word that has become synonymous with our central act of celebration of Christ’s saving presence. We give thanks from a position of relationship with God. And that relationship takes us constantly back to our
Father with our deepest desires and needs.
I prayer for you all that you will never lose sight of all that you have to be grateful for, in the knowledge that God will continue to bless you – so that through you the communities around you might also be blessed.
May doors be opened so that you may declare the mystery of grace in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Rev John Goddard
