Praise God for what He is about to do

I believe that all of life should be lived the way we say grace at the dinner table: giving thanks ahead of time for what we are about to receive.

In John 11:41 we find an amazing prayer. Jesus prays, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me." A closer look reveals that this prayer came right before God did one of the most spectacular miracles in the Bible. God brought Jesus' friend, Lazarus, back from the dead.


Now, mark this. When Jesus prayed this prayer, Lazarus was still in the grave. The thanksgiving came before the miracle. It seems backwards. You would think the thanksgiving would come after the resurrection. And no doubt there were plenty of shouts of thankfulness after Lazarus was brought back to life. But Jesus did a very odd thing: Jesus thanked God before it happened.

Jesus reveals a great approach to life. Pre-gratitude. Become someone who thanks God for what He’s going to do before it happens. Not that we tell God what to do, but we thank Him for whatever He will do, knowing it is for our good and His glory.

I’ve made it a habit to approach each day like I approach each meal. I give thanks ahead of time. In the process, I have found that I am much more aware of what God is doing. Sometimes they are simple things, like dolphins dancing in the waves, or a special conversation with one of my kids. I realize these are some of the very things I was thanking God for earlier. Even during difficult situations I am more inclined to look for God in the midst of it. And to know there is a hidden blessing I’m suppose to discover. If you want to experience a thriving faith each day, become a forward-thanker.

PRAISE as a remedy for worry

Worry can be an extremely heavy burden. Like an overloaded backpack, it can weigh us down. I know this. I also know I am supposed to release my worries to the Lord. But I have a problem; I usually take them back shortly after I release them.

Before a recent flight, I had to pass through one of those security check points. Stripped of all the metal I could think of, I laid my backpack on the conveyor belt for screening. Apparently something looked suspicious, because they pulled my backpack aside. A security officer asked to go through my backpack. As he did, he gave me very specific instructions: “You may watch me as I go through your bag, BUT you cannot touch anything!”

It turns out they were concerned about my harmonica. Maybe they were afraid I’d actually play it, and drive the pilots crazy! After identifying the harmless instrument, I was free to go. But I had learned an important spiritual lesson. Once I give the backpack of worry to God, He says the same thing to me: “Don’t touch it! Go ahead and watch what I'm about to do, but don’t touch it!”

The Bible says, Do not fret … but rather delight yourself in the Lord (Psalm 37:1-4). When you release worry to God (and I advise it) don’t take it back. He's a professional when it comes to your baggage. Leave it with Him.