Offering thanks

Last week some folks visited my house and we sat down to have some dinner. When we all were placed for the meal, everyone kind of looked at me to offer thanks to God for the meal before we “dug in”. I asked my guest if he would like to say the prayer and he turned red as a beet, obviously he was greatly distressed and embarrassed and he firmly, albeit politely declined. No problem I quickly offered up some thanks and we had a great dinner.

I remember when I was emabarrassed to say thanks in front of others. I got over it by doing it. I try to talk to God in a relaxed but respectful demeanor, as I would to my “holy” Father. Jesus gave us some guidelines of a few points to cover with the Lord’s prayer when asked how to pray, but we are warned not to utter vain and repetitious prayers. I would not advise you to memorize anything, but pray from your heart. I try to acknowledge who God is, I thank Him for all He has done for me including the meal that I am getting ready to devour, I pray for current event items such as our soldiers in Iraq, the President, and the Tsunami victims and their families, etc. I ask Him to lead me and direct me and to keep my family friends and me safe. I always end a prayer by thanking God for forgiving my sins and sending Jesus to the cross in order that we might be saved.

Praying should be as natural to you as riding a bike. Of course it was not always natural and/or easy to ride a bike and we all had to learn and get good at it through practice. Don’t be embarrassed when someone asks you to offer a prayer before a meal, at Sunday school, before a business meeting, or any time. Be grateful for the opportunity to honor your Father. Concentrate on “Him”, not your peers who are listening.
Know too that God understands that we may not even know for what we should pray and He helps us by offering prayers for us.


Romans 8:26
Likewise the Spirit also helps in
our weaknesses. For we do not
know what we should pray for as we
ought, but the Spirit Himself makes
intercession for us with groanings
which cannot be uttered.


How well do you know the Bible?
Jesus disliked hypocrites who prayed standing on the corners of the streets, in the synagogue, etc.more to be seen and thought favorably of than to honor God. What did He say their reward would be for this behavior?
Matt.6 5-15



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