About six months ago my husband Richard felt God was speaking to him about “gratitude”. He was hearing that being grateful was like a master key to intimacy with God and God’s kingdom. Recently he even gave that word to our church at Spirit night. They affirmed that message and said that even in the pastor/staff meeting the next week, the same focus on thankfulness showed up.
And I appreciated that word too. A few months ago I was cruising the aisles in the Dollar Store and boom, right in my face, highlighted by Holy Spirit, was a little tin sign that said, “Gratitude” and it was cute, cheap, and went with the decor at our back door!
We are listening Lord! You are serious that this is important.
And we have been remembering this and thanking God for so many things every day and attempting to be positive and grateful and not negative and complaining.
This morning in my devotions and prayer time I got another nudge from the Lord. It was on the same topic of gratitude. You see our church has a weekly prayer list for local, national and global issues and requests. I have my own prayer list for myself and my family. In my prayer time I take a time of thanksgiving and worship and then I go to my lists. But this morning the Holy Spirit seemed to say, “I would really appreciate it if you would acknowledge that God is already working on all these requests, answering your prayers, and has been handling things well even before you started asking.”
This startled me, shocked me a bit because this isn’t how we christians usually pray. We maybe start with thank-you to God, or maybe end the prayer time with thank-you for answers but when we talk with Him, we beg, we plead, we ask, we request seriously and even sometimes with tears.
What an ironic twist and a ‘tables turned’ that God would be grateful to me if I changed the way I speak with Him!?!
So then I started thinking about my relationship with my wonderful husband. His career was in aviation as a captain responsible for the lives of many people as he flew the planes. He double checks everything because he is a responsible guy.
But once in a while at home, when I have already taken the garbage out and he tells me that the garbage needs to be taken out, I do have some feelings about this. Or if I was diligent and emptied the dishwasher and he sometimes reminds me that the dishes are clean and the dishwasher needs to be emptied I feel I lose the “good job Jackie” and the “thank you dear”. And visa versa when I do that to him.
So I’m thinking that perhaps God feels like that when I don’t first give him a thank you for already doing things in the area of my petition. There are probably many things accomplished in the spiritual realm that I just don’t know about?
Also I remembered the “Way Maker” worship song we sing. The chorus goes, “Even when I don’t see it You’re working. Even when I don’t feel it You’re working. You’re always working.”
And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.
Matthew 6:7,8
So I really think this is a good and a real message from our Heavenly Papa who loves us so much and is happy that we bring our hearts and burdens to Him.
I would really appreciate it if you would acknowledge that I AM already working on this request of yours, answering your prayer, and that I have been handling things well even before you started asking.
I don’t want to be rude to God in prayer. I want to be grateful even as I give requests. I want God to feel my gratitude to Him. He knows my heart. How kind He is to help me work out what my heart wants!
Okay, you say, how do you think God wants me to pray then?
Well, ask Him yourself?
But in addition to “Thanks Lord!” I’m sensing to pray my request lists “More, Lord!” The Bible says that to every one who has will more be given, and he will have abundance (Matt. 25:29). To ask for more means I know that He has already given.
Also I can pray: “Sooner, Lord!” When Mary asked Jesus to help with wine at the wedding, he said it wasn’t His time yet. Yet he changed his timing because of a request. To ask for sooner respects that God is already working now.
It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.
Isaiah 65:24
If you connect with this blog episode, and desire a freedom in the area of finances, we encourage you to go to Amazon and purchase our book with personal activations and engagements to help you heal and deal with these issues. Financial Healing: A Spiritual Journey by Richard and Jackie Nalos is available in soft cover or Kindle on Amazon.
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Jackie's Blog 
I’m so thankful for my dear wife, Jackie. She is God’s wonderful gift to me. Her words always carry God’s wisdom and I do well to listen to her carefully. I also enjoy her sense of humor which is evident in the picture she chose to use of me, in which I am goofing off wearing 3 sets of glasses. ❤️
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