As most of you know, the majority of the Psalms that we have come to love were sung (written) by David, not just during the time that he served God as a shepherd in his father’s household, but also while serving as King of Israel. However, I recently found a Psalm that was sung (written) by Asaph, one of the “singers” of Israel. Here is what Asaph had to say about making “thankful offerings” to the Lord,

“He who sacrifices thank offerings honors Me…” (Ps. 50:23).

What Asaph is saying is that if we want to honor God, we need to offer “thank offerings,” regardless of the circumstances. The New Testament exhorts us to “give thanks in all things,” and if we are honest, sometimes we just don’t feel like giving thanks. That’s why it is a “sacrifice to do so!” When we feel like grumbling, Asaph call us to give thanks anyway, because “thank offerings” honor God. And when we give thanks, we express an “attitude of gratitude,” and this attitude usually stays with us throughout the day. And having a grateful attitude will not only bless us, but others as well.

For most of us, we give thanks after we receive a gift or a blessing from God. That’s only natural for any follower of Jesus. We give thanks for our salvation, for the indwelling Holy Spirit, and for the joy of serving one another. But do we give thanks before we receive a blessing?

Most of the time, we offer up our prayer requests on behalf of ourselves or others but often fail to give thanks to God following our prayers, first that He hears our requests, and then that He will answer those requests. His answer may be NO (and we can thank God that He knows this request would not be best for us); or His answer might be YES (knowing that our request is in line with His will); or His answer may be WAIT (because He knows that the timing of our request is not yet right). Of course, God’s answer to WAIT may also be that He is training us to be patient, which is one of the fruits of the Spirit that we all need to grow in.

So, what is the connection between faith and gratitude? FAITH expects God’s answer when we pray, and GRATITUDE acknowledges that God’s answer will be perfect. Whether it is NO, YES, or WAIT, I pray that we will all learn to give thanks and be grateful that God not only hears our prayers, but that He will answer in accordance with His plan for us, which is always good. Giving thanks in advance of God’s answer will build our faith in God’s provision for us and for those for whom we pray. And let’s remember the words coming from the pen of the writer of Hebrews,

“Without faith, it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6).

May each of us please God each day by learning to pray with a grateful heart. This kind of faith is what I call a “GRATEFUL FAITH.” May the Lord bless each one of you as you exhibit this kind of faith in all you do.

I’ll be reconnecting with you in a few weeks. In the meantime, I pray that God will richly bless you in every way.