Suggested Reading: Colossians 3:12-17
Flipping through channels a while ago, I came across an old episode of Happy Days. I caught the last two minutes of a Christmas episode which concluded with the Fonz, not a very religious person, being asked to bless the Christmas dinner. Everyone bowed their head except the Fonz, who looked up to Heaven with a genuinely grateful smile and said, "Hey, God...thanks."
With those three words the Fonz showed more gratitude to God than I have seen in most public prayers or even in our family prayers. In Colossians 3:17, Paul said, "And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him" (HCSB) and I think we do that. But quite often, I think, we thank God out of habit because we know we should and very rarely do we stop and genuinely express our gratitude for the gifts God has given us.
How often do we begin our prayers by thanking God for the day we've been given while never taking the chance that moment provides to express genuine gratitude? How often do we forget to thank God altogether for blessings we have come to take for granted?
Take a few moments today and reflect on all that God has provided and then express your gratitude to God. Then do it again tomorrow. Practice not only thanking God but being grateful as well.
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To see the Fonz's prayer, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFkGd5H1d6E. The prayer takes place between 7:10 and 7:55 in the video.
With those three words the Fonz showed more gratitude to God than I have seen in most public prayers or even in our family prayers. In Colossians 3:17, Paul said, "And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him" (HCSB) and I think we do that. But quite often, I think, we thank God out of habit because we know we should and very rarely do we stop and genuinely express our gratitude for the gifts God has given us.
How often do we begin our prayers by thanking God for the day we've been given while never taking the chance that moment provides to express genuine gratitude? How often do we forget to thank God altogether for blessings we have come to take for granted?
Take a few moments today and reflect on all that God has provided and then express your gratitude to God. Then do it again tomorrow. Practice not only thanking God but being grateful as well.
__________________________________________________________________________________
To see the Fonz's prayer, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFkGd5H1d6E. The prayer takes place between 7:10 and 7:55 in the video.
