Thanksgiving and Prayer

Ephesians 1:15-23
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I think that sometimes, we forget how beautiful prayer can be. At one point of our Christian walk, we probably dreaded prayer. We probably hated praying, and would say a quick few words so that we don't feel guilty about not praying. But prayer is a way to communicate with God, our almighty Saviour; it is not a right, but a privilege. There are obviously different ways you can pray; there is no mention in the bible your hands must be clasped and your eyes must be closed. 


During Teen's Conference 2011 when I was a captain, the captains made a huge Skype conversation and invited us all in. Imagine 90 people within a group! At one point, they wanted to pray for each other. So they typed out their prayer and sent it into the chat. As it went on, my stomach felt bad. I realized that it felt like they were trying to out pray each other, to have the most extravagant and wordy prayer. Sound familiar? I brought it to the attention to my fellow captain and we both left, unable to convince them otherwise and to pray by ourselves. Yes, prayer is a wonderful thing, but when we try to use it to show how great we are as opposed to how great God is, there is a problem there. 


"For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers." [Ephesians 1:15-16]


I recently realized God took out the closest friend I ever had in my life, to replace it with two Christians that will definitely grow with me in Christ. Although I was hurt, I cried, and I was upset beyond repair, God really showed me he will give something better. This verse reminded me of the faith of these two individuals who accepted me without words and showed me unconditional love. I thank them everyday in my prayers, as their faith and their love for God is so evident, that I was actually surprised. But God does everything for a reason, and whether you're praying out loud, praying through e-mails or just talking to God on the bus, remember that all the glory belongs to him.

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Praying for others is a privilege - and a responsibility.