A Prayer for a Grateful Heart - Your Daily Prayer - November 1

Your Daily Prayer

Audio By Carbonatix

By Rachael Adams, Crosswalk.com

A Prayer for a Grateful Heart
By Rachael Adams

Bible Reading:
“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all the wisdom through psalms, humans, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:16-17)

Listen or Read Below:

Through my car window, I saw him slouching against the pizza parlor wall. His clothes were tattered and dirty. Beside him, stuffed into a grocery sack, was what appeared to be all of his belongings. Moved with compassion, I ordered an extra pizza and drink.

When I approached him to give him dinner, he took the pizza from me and then proceeded to throw it at me. Instead of being met with gratitude, I was met with anger. I walked away in disbelief, questioning why God had prompted me to be generous to someone who was so unappreciative.

Has your giving ever been met with an ungrateful heart? Not only can I relate, but Jesus can too. Even he noticed the ungrateful spirit of those with whom he came into contact. This was the case when he healed ten men with leprosy. One of them, when he was healed, came back and praised God. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him (Luke 17:11-16).

Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner? Rise and go; your faith has made you well" (Luke 17:17-19). Isn’t it unthinkable that nine of these men received God’s gift and never thanked him? One out of ten is not a good ratio.

Let’s put ourselves into this story and imagine for a moment that we are the ten lepers. Upon introspection, are we like the nine who have received God’s great gifts with an ungrateful heart, or are we like the one who reacted gratefully? While God does not demand that we thank him, through this teaching, we learn that he is pleased when we do so. All ten men received healing, but only the thankful man realized that his faith had played a role in the process. As we react with gratitude, Jesus uses our responsiveness to teach us more about himself as well.

Just as Jesus gave even when gratitude was not guaranteed, so the gratitude of others is not a prerequisite or expectation for our giving. However, it is nice when we are appreciated, isn’t it?

The apparent ungratefulness of the man at the pizza parlor is rare. Honestly, I’m still moved with compassion for him because his reaction to me reveals how desperate his situation must actually be. Other than in this instance, more often than not, when I give to others, I am met with thankfulness. However, I tell this story because I think it’s essential to remember that we aren’t giving to others for the reaction we receive. It isn’t about reciprocity from people; it is about our reverence for God. We are simply to be obedient, remembering that Jesus said, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these...you did for me" (Matthew 25:40). Everything we do for him is out of gratitude for what he has done for us. And even more so, out of appreciation for who he is.

Let’s Pray:

Lord,

I have so much to be grateful for. Remind me of the many blessings you have given me. Help me to give thanks to you in every circumstance. Forgive me for the times I have had an ungrateful heart. I am thankful for everything you have given me and for who you are.

May I not only react with gratitude for what others do for me, but also simply for who they are. I pray that I give to others out of my gratitude for you, regardless of how they respond to me.

Amen.

Share your reflections on today’s devotional in the Your Daily Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum!

Author of A Little Goes a Long Way and host of The Love Offering podcast, Rachael Adams, hopes to help women realize their God-given purpose and significance. She and her husband, Bryan, live in Kentucky with their two children, Will and Kate. Her work has been featured on Crosswalk, Proverbs 31, Today Parenting, and YouVersion. Connect with her by visiting rachaelkadams.com, searching @rachaeladamsauthor on social media, and tuning in to The Love Offering podcast every Tuesday on your favorite listening platform.

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