In week two of Pray First… and Always, Pastor James Grogan continues our journey through four simple prayers: Help, Thanks, Sorry, and Wow. This week, we focus on THANKS and discover one of the biggest obstacles to gratitude: entitlement. The mindsets of “I want it now” and “I deserve more” can quietly rob us of joy and keep us from recognizing what God has already given us.
Through Jesus’ story of the prodigal son and Paul’s words in Philippians 4, we learn that contentment isn’t something we either have or don’t have. It’s a path we can practice. We may not be thankful for every circumstance we face, but we can learn to give thanks to God in every circumstance, trusting that He is present and at work even in difficult seasons.
Gratitude also means being quick to turn every blessing back into praise. Instead of taking the credit for what we have, we can recognize God’s faithfulness, live with open hands, and continually respond with thanks.
When Jesus healed ten men with leprosy, only one came back to thank Him. The challenge for us is simple: Be the one. Be the one who keeps coming back to Jesus with gratitude for His love, His grace, and His faithfulness.
","author_name":"EastLake Church"}