Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving. Colossians 4:2

 In the last 14 years of my employment, I was a supervisor, which meant if there were any complaints, I was the one who had to hear them. Some days it seemed like nothing would go right, but then, out of nowhere, someone would pay a compliment to how we operated or about one of our staff. Those positive comments were uplifting for me and my team, and gave us the encouragement to work harder to accomplish the mission successfully.

 Today’s verse gives encouragement for us, as Children of God, to pray earnestly and be vigilant to the needs of others and for ourselves. It also adds one caveat, give thanks in your prayers. I truly believe God is just like us, He loves to receive compliments and praise for what He’s done and currently doing in our life. I’ve said for years, “praising God greases the gears of our prayer requests”.

 Maybe you are experiencing a dryness in your prayer life. You ask God for help, but very little seems to be happening. Try to incorporate praise in your prayers. It does 2 things: 1. Helps you take your focus off your problems and allows you to see what great things God has blessed you with, 2. It shows God that you trust Him enough to solve your issue by praising Him and not just giving Him the heavy burdens you want to pass along to Him. Trust me when I say, this works! Been there, done that. And when I give Him praise, it opens my eyes to the inner workings of His response to my request.

 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation. Psalm 68:19

 Your world may seem like nothing good is happening, but when you turn your attention to God’s blessings, you’ll soon see He’s providing everything you need in your moment of need. God bless!