Thanksgiving
Prayers of
Thanksgiving are often neglected partly because we do not
recognise (or worse, take for granted) God’s provision in our own lives
and perhaps partly because we wish He would give priority to
doing something about the terrible things going on to other people in
the World . These things I have tried to cover in my
Prayer for
the World. On that subject we can hardly complain when God appears
not
to act, if we do not
pray for the
World. And give thanks for the good
souls who do get involved in the World’s problems.
One of the things the Bible says about God's provision can be found in
2Corinthians Chapter 9 where St Paul says:
6.
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly
will also reap
sparingly, and whoever sows generously
will also reap generously.
7. Each
of you should give what you have decided in your
heart to give, not reluctantly or under
compulsion, for God loves a
cheerful giver.
8. And
God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all
things at all times, having all that you need,
you will abound in every good work.
9. As it
is written:
“They have freely scattered their gifts to the
poor; their righteousness endures forever." Psalm 112 v9
10.
Now He who supplies seed to
the sower and bread for food will also
supply and increase your
store of seed and will enlarge the
harvest of your righteousness.
11. You will be enriched in
every way so that you can be generous on
every occasion, and through us
your generosity will result in
thanksgiving to God.
It is a passage often used in appeals for funds and seems to suggest
that God's provision for us is dependent on our generosity to others.
Perhaps it is, but not if that generosity is undertaken wholly to
receive God’s provision. God’s provision is for those who freely
scatter their gifts to the poor. Generosity cannot have an
ulterior
motive.
Now let’s be frank, we should not
look for gratitude. The poor
do not always say thankyou
and they are not likely to thank God either
(Sorry St Paul). And let us be even more frank, we do not pay
sufficient attention to recognising answers to prayer by God’s
provision. Suppose you are in to the idea of asking God for signs. (Not
to be fully recommended but ok in moderation. Both St Francis and
John Wesley opened the Bible at random seeking signs.) Show me a sign
Lord, we might pray so that
I know I am doing the right thing. And
suppose there pops into our head the idea that we shall see a man in a
green
shirt in the next hour. And suppose we do see such a man. Then ponder
just how
much trouble it has taken the Angels to organise that, beginning with
when the man got up and dressed that morning. That may all seem rather
silly, but there is a serious point. So often we pray for those we know
are sick or in trouble simply as a duty and because we know we should,
but do we even begin to think through what we are really asking for and
then look diligently to see if our prayers are answered? Do
we really expect to be astounded? Perhaps that is what Jesus meant when
He said:
If
you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to
this mulberry tree,
'May you be uprooted and thrown
into the sea,' and
it would obey you! Luke 17 v6
What is certain is that we should give thanks to God and the opening
verses of Psalm 92 express that:
1.
It is good to
give thanks to the LORD,
And
to sing
praises to Your name, O Most High;
2. To declare Your
loving kindness in the morning,
And
Your
faithfulness every night,
In particular, when we attend Holy Communion, we need to remind
ourselves that the word Eucharist
means Thansgiving.
Here is the version of the Eucharistic prayer from the Book of Common
Prayer:
Lift
up your hearts.
We lift them up unto the Lord.
Let us give thanks unto our Lord
God.
It is meet and right so to do.
It is very meet, right, and our
bounden duty, that we should at all times, and in all places,
give thanks unto Thee, 0 Lord, Holy Father, Almighty, Everlasting
God. Therefore with Angels and Archangels, and with all the company of
heaven, we laud and magnify Thy glorious Name; evermore praising Thee,
and saying:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of
hosts, heaven and earth are full of Thy glory:
Glory be to Thee, 0 Lord most
High. Amen.
Holy, holy, holy is a
representation of the Trinity: Father Son and Holy Spirit. It is meet
and right to thank Them for Their provision
