Our yearly Thanksgiving Holiday is a great time for our families to give thanks for all the blessings we have received in this country.  It is good to pause and be thankful. As Christians we are encouraged to always have a spirit of thanksgiving about us.

Fifteen times in Paul’s writings he spoke of giving thanks; for those who risked their lives for him (Ro. 16:4), for the love and faith of others (2 Th. 1:3),  for the food he ate (1 Co. 10:30-31), for the churches he loved (Ph. 1:3).   “In everything give thanks,” he wrote (1 Th. 5:18). We give thanks through our prayers (Co. 1:3), and through our songs, “the fruit of our lips” (He. 13:15). Failing to pause and give thanks to God can darken our hearts and destroy our lives (Ro. 1:21-23).

In the Lord’s Prayer there are great topics; praise, the kingdom, and forgiveness.  But in the midst of this model prayer Jesus reminds us to be thankful for “our daily bread” (Mt. 6:9-13). As we gather around a table overflowing with the food of this day called “Thanksgiving,” let us be so very thankful. But no more so than for the wonderful blessings we enjoy every day. “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving” (Co. 4:2).

-Dennis Doughty