Attitude of Gratitude

God answers prayer. It is a simple direct statement, yet sometimes in the excitement having had divine aid we forget to thank him.  I just did, until the great relief of the changed situation passed and it occurred to me I had just gotten an answer to my plea and was already skipping down the road before I was pulled up short realizing I had failed to thank him and praise him for helping me. It makes me wonder how often I do that. Not good.

Maybe it’s due to some of my prayers being long distance ones. Prayers for things I have yet to receive answers to. Prayers for the salvation of loved ones. Prayers about future outcomes. Prayers about our nation and believers around the globe. Those are prayers that take time and are left hanging in spiritual limbo. Prayers I have no way of knowing what the answers will look like.  Yet, I should tell myself that answers will assuredly come. There is no reason why I should not praise him for the answers not yet revealed.

During the time God came down to take on flesh as the Son, Jesus ministry was punctuated by acts of miraculous healings. Those actions were met with praise and wonder. Yet there was one time when those healed ran down the road forgetting the One who had answered their pleas. Ten lepers cried out for Jesus to heal them and when he did so they immediately ran off newly freed from being outcasts now being restored and acceptable to the community. Only one turned back to thank him for the miracle. Jesus asked what happened to the other nine not really expecting an answer. It was a rhetorical question, but one intended to teach the onlookers. Gratitude should never forgotten and praise should be rightly rendered to the Lord.

My prayer was simple yet desperate and the answer was quickly granted. I should have thought to immediately stop, turn back, fall to my knees and express my thankfulness.  But like the nine other lepers I ran off forgetting the One who bailed me out. I did so as an afterthought. I am ashamed that I wasn’t just as quick with my praise as God was with my answer. The Holy Spirit opened my eyes to see what had just transpired and pricked my conscience. I am left with the sin I confessed to in the first paragraph. I think I am not the only one who has done this. Our lives should be one of continual praise for the recognition that none of us have anything but God’s grace to have the forgiveness of all our sin.

I plan to live as though my next breath can only be taken by the great mercy of God. In humility and with gratitude we should live our lives letting our thoughts, actions and words offer continual praise for God’s answers and blessings. He is worthy to be worshipped and glorified for our God is an awesome God.