Grateful Prayer Brings Peace
By Rick Warren
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace”(Philippians 4:6-7 NLT).
In Philippians 4:6-7 we find one of the most difficult passages in the entire Bible to obey: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace” (NLT).
It’s not easy to stop worrying about the often-scary, everyday parts of our lives, but God tells us how to do it: “Pray about everything. . . . Thank him for all he has done.” Grateful prayer brings peace. God says that when you start to worry, stop to pray.
Parents understand the power of gratitude. Most parents wouldn’t appreciate their children always making requests without saying “thank you” for what they’ve already received. God sees it the same way. He wants us to ask him for what we need and want. More than 20 times in the New Testament, we’re told to “ask” him. But he wants us to ask with gratefulness.
The Bible urges us to be specific in our requests—and our praises. Instead of a simple “thank you for everything,” he wants us to tell him what we’re grateful for. When I say to my wife, “I’m so grateful for you,” she tells me to be specific. She likes to hear what I appreciate about her and what I’m grateful for about her.
God wants to hear the same things. So when you pray, tell God what you’re thankful for. Prayer is one of the most important ways we tell God “thank you.”
Thanking God in advance is a big step of faith. The Bible says that when we have the faith to thank God ahead of time for an answer to our prayers, miracles happen. The more thankful we are, the more God works in our lives. The Bible says that God inhabits the praise of his people. He empowers and uses our thanksgiving as an instrument of power in our lives.
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Verses for Hearing the Voice of God Scripture Box
You have to know God’s Word if you want to hear his voice and transform your life.
That’s why we want to send you the Verses for Hearing the Voice of God Scripture Box to help make memorizing God’s Word a real joy for you.
This brand new Scripture Box is constructed with a soft black leather-like material and it comes with a freshly created set of 52 full-color, beautifully designed Bible verse cards based on Pastor Rick’s teaching series, Hearing the Voice of God.
When you understand how to hear God’s voice you’ll be better able to . . .
• Make wise decisions
• Discover and fulfill God’s great plan for your life
• Experience the peace of God’s presence
• Resist temptation
• Be strong under stress
• Find comfort when you’re sad
• Be a bolder witness to unbelievers
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*Box is approximately 4.75” x 4.75” x 4.25”
This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.