A Sacrifice of Thanksgiving
The psalmist reminded all of God's people about something that is very important for all of us, the sacrifice of thanksgiving when we call on the name of the Lord. (Psalm 116:17) When was the last time you offered a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Lord? God loves our sacrifices, because they show Him that He means enough to us to give Him something valuable to us. Therefore, our sacrifices are still important today.
When we offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, we give our time and effort to properly thank God for all of the things He has done for us in answer to our prayers and just in His grace. If we fail to thank the Lord, we fail to give Him the honor and respect He deserves. In fact, it makes our prayers seem like we are very selfish, and God can't bless selfishness. That is why we should begin every prayer time with a sacrifice of thanksgiving. It should be from the heart, and it should be very thorough, not just a few quick thank yous. Then, we should go on to call on the mighty and powerful name of the Lord our God. Only then are we prepared to direct our supplications and intercessions to Him in a way that He knows we appreciate Him and understand that all we have came from Him. Try it and see if it is not a much better way to pray.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 117-119:88.
When we offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, we give our time and effort to properly thank God for all of the things He has done for us in answer to our prayers and just in His grace. If we fail to thank the Lord, we fail to give Him the honor and respect He deserves. In fact, it makes our prayers seem like we are very selfish, and God can't bless selfishness. That is why we should begin every prayer time with a sacrifice of thanksgiving. It should be from the heart, and it should be very thorough, not just a few quick thank yous. Then, we should go on to call on the mighty and powerful name of the Lord our God. Only then are we prepared to direct our supplications and intercessions to Him in a way that He knows we appreciate Him and understand that all we have came from Him. Try it and see if it is not a much better way to pray.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 117-119:88.