More than saying thank you!

How many times have you done something nice for someone only to have them go away without even a slight acknowledgment of your kindness? By nature, we like to be recognized for the good things we do, from letting someone in front of us in line or in traffic to putting extra hours in at the office to assure a successful project. While these things should be done without the expectation of any rewards, including a simple thank you, it still stings when we aren't at least recognized for our efforts. I know that I have said on more then a few occasions "wow, a simple thank you would have been nice".

Do you thank God and recognize Him publicly for all He gives to you? What about the greatest gift of all, His Son on the cross to pay for your sins? Imagine the hurt He feels when we turn our backs to this ultimate sacrifice. The good news is that if we have faith in Jesus as our savior, God sees us through Him and in doing so sees us cleansed from our sins, forgiven by the cross.

But wouldn't a simple thank you be nice. It is but a small gesture, but it is important. Not for God, but for us. We must continually remind ourselves of the incredible blessings we are given each and every day. Even on those days when it seems like nothing is going right for you. Yes, we all have those days. If we sit down and pray, not just for what we need, but more importantly to thank God for what we have, we are reminded of just how many blessings He gives us.

I have been through more time management courses than I can count. One of the simplest takeaways from all of these sessions is that keeping a to do list helps to keep us focused. But I must admit, it took a while to get the hang of it. I would make my to do list in the morning and then before the day was up look to see that I accomplished just about nothing on my list. On most days, somehow a majority of the things on my list did not get done. I would ask myself "What did I do today?"

Then I figured out the secret sauce, the key to feeling satisfied each and every day. You see, my list wasn't getting done in most cases because there are other things that pop up throughout the day that I deem more important than the things on my list. But I was not writing them down, so at the end of the day, I only saw what did not get accomplished, totally forgetting the things that did get done. Now, I add to my to do list as the day progresses, even if it is an item that is complete, it still goes on that list with a check indicating that it is complete, an accomplishment.

We need to do the same thing with our prayer life. Life is too busy to remember everything as the day progresses. And being our nature, we are going to remember those things that stick out in our minds, which tend to be the negatives and the things we need from God. Keeping a prayer journal can be just like our daily to do list. At the end of the day, we can look at it and know what we should be thankful for and those things that we need to ask for God's help. Keeping a running tab on the good things, those things we should thank God for, will strengthen our faith as we see Him working in both our lives and the lives of those we love. It will also serve in helping you share the good news with others.

"One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice." Luke 17:15

Will you loudly praise God for what he is accomplishing in your life?

May God bless your Thursday! 

PS Need an easy way to keep a journal of your prayers? Visit www.prayersteward.com to find out how you can put this power in the palm of your hand.