Prayer and the Apostle Paul

Prayer = _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Prayer = Thanksgiving

Romans 1:8 (NIV) First, I thank my God for you through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world

Colossians 1:3-4 (NIV) We always thank God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints…

1 Corinthians 1:4 (NIV) “I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.”

Ephesians 5:20 (NIV) Always [be] giving thanks to God the Father for everything.

Colossians 3:17 (NIV) Whatever you do… do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father.

1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 (NIV) Be joyful always, pray continuously, give thanks in all circumstances.

Deuteronomy 8:10 (NASB) “When you have eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you.”

Psalm 103:1 (NASB) “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name”. (Psalm 103:1 NASB)

“They brought them before the magistrates and said, ‘These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.’ The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten.

Acts 16:20-24 (NIV) After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.”

Bless the Lord, O my soul, Bless the Lord, o my soul, And all that is within me Bless His holy name.

1 Corinthians 4:7 (NIV) “What do you have that you did not receive?”

“Pray Without Ceasing” - Paul Griffiths “…whatever good things there are in us or in the world around us are not ours… [we have done nothing to deserve them]. And that is what it means to pray:

to behave as someone gifted, not as we now use that word, to mean someone who is to be admired for what they can do- ‘She’s so gifted musically’- we say proudly, usually meaning that she, rather than God, should be complimented for what she does-

but instead to mean someone who in all she does expresses gratitude to the God who made it possible for her to do anything and for there to be a world in which she can do it.

Prayer is gratitude because gratitude is the primary form of adoration and adoration is, in the end, the only things that counts because it is the form of human love most appropriate to God.”

*Compilation of 40 scientific studies

How do you cultivate a life of gratitude?

Eucharisteo- Thanksgiving Charis- grace Chara- joy

How do you cultivate a life of gratitude? Record them – Name the gifts

How do you cultivate a life of gratitude? Record them – Name the gifts Remember that All is a gift

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has allowed us to live, and sustained us and enabled us to reach this day.

Prayer and the Apostle Paul