18 Feb How Did Jesus Pray? Part 4
1 Thessalonians 5:18 – …give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Jesus prayed thankful prayers
Perhaps the most common prayer Jesus prayed was a prayer of thanks. If you are interested in learning how to pray like Jesus, I can think of no better prayer habit for you to begin with than to, as Paul instructs in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, give thanks in all circumstances.
Here is one example from Jesus’ prayer life, found in Matthew 11:25-26: “At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.”
In this instance, Jesus is succinctly yet deeply thanking the Father for his gracious revelation of himself to us. It is a worshipful prayer, a theological prayer, and an insightful prayer, but it is first and foremost a thankful prayer.
Do you want to begin building momentum in your prayer life? Perhaps you ought to begin by asking yourself, “What should I thank God for?” The answers to that question are endless, so get started and don’t stop.
When you do that – as you do that – it builds inside of you hope and anticipation and expectation. It will make you a God-seeker and a grace-giver. It will open your heart to be searching for reasons to thank God and open your heart with joy for his many provisions. Thankful people are prayerful people.
Make it point to pray a short prayer every time something happens today for which you are thankful. See if this does not improve your attitude and also build momentum in your prayer life as you continue this habit in the days and months ahead.
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