Praying with a Heart of Thanksgiving
Written by David W. Hegg | Senior Pastor
As we approach the unique American holiday of Thanksgiving, we once again face a very real challenge: How do we cultivate a thankful heart? How do we sincerely escape the cynicism that has become our national pastime?
The answer for those of us who follow Christ is to learn from history, and not just any history. We must travel back in time to realize that a true heart of thankfulness, while gladdened by the good things in our lives, must not be anchored there. Instead, we must always look past the transient to find true joy in the eternal.
Recently, I have admitted to myself that certain parts of the Old Testament have not received the attention that they deserve. You know, those old, dusty historic books that seem so distant, so foreign to the way we live, think, and feel today. But, as I was attempting to appear better before my God, I found myself wandering through 1 Chronicles. Specifically, I came upon the story about David and the Ark of the Covenant.
You'll recall that David, having established a place for the Ark in Jerusalem, decided to bring it up from Kiriath-jearim, where it had been stored during Saul's reign. But when Uzzah was punished for touching the Ark, David decided to leave it in the home of Obed-edom, the Gittite.
However, later, when David successfully brought the Ark of the Covenant — the symbol of Israel's covenant relationship with the Almighty God — into Jerusalem, he charged some of the Levites to "invoke, to thank, and to praise the God of Israel" (1 Chronicles 16:4).
It is worth noting that David, who could have bragged about being the king who returned the Ark to a prominent place before the people, instead demanded that the nation turn their eyes away from the works of mankind to the reality of God's sovereign love for them.
And, as significant, in 1 Chronicles 16:7, we read, "Then on the day David first appointed that thanksgiving be sung to the Lord ..." Long before President Lincoln created Thanksgiving Day in November, King David was doing it in Jerusalem.
The song of Asaph and his brothers (1 Chronicles 16:8-36) is well worth reading and re-reading, but here are a few points to keep in mind.
First, the song implores us all to remember God's greatness as demonstrated in his nature, his deeds, and especially his covenant faithfulness to his people:
8 Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! ... 10 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice! 11 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! 12 Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles and the judgments he uttered, ... 14 He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth. 15 Remember his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations ...
Second, the song exhorts us all to declare the goodness and greatness of our God to those around us, because he alone is God, and is both worthy and waiting for our adoring praise and dependence:
9 Sing to him; sing praises to him, tell of all his wondrous works! ... 23 Sing to the LORD, all the earth! Tell of his salvation from day to day. 24 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! 25 For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and he is to be feared above all gods. 26 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens. 27 Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his place.
Lastly, the song demands that developing a consistent, daily heart of thanksgiving will mean a persistent desire to ascribe greatness to our God. This will mean a commitment to look beyond the joys and sorrows of everyday life to see the face of our God, our almighty, promise-keeping, all-loving, and omnipotent heavenly Father who has never failed to keep his promises to us in Jesus Christ:
28 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength! 29 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him! Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; 30 tremble before him, all the earth; yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved. 31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns!” 32 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it! 33 Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. 34 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!
This year, even before Thanksgiving Day, spend some quality time in 1 Chronicles 16, and then come up with a plan to pray with thanksgiving to our great God, alone, with friends, and with family.
And have a happy and sincerely thankful Thanksgiving!