Prayer and Gratitude

Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks. – Philippians 4:6 (NCV)

What do you worry about? Do you worry about things you need or things you want? When did you pray to God last for everything you need? Why is it important to give thanks while asking for what you need?

A friend asked me once why we should pray if God knows everything. It is a question I imagine we have all asked at some point. Maybe one of the reasons we do not pray more is the belief that if God knows everything we do not need to pray. God knows I am happy; I do not need to pray. God knows I am angry; I do not need to pray. God knows I am in pain; I do not need to pray. God knows what I need; I do not need to pray.
Maybe God does know all of these things, but do we? Do we truly know what makes us happy? Are the things that make us angry things that should make us angry? What is the root of our pain? Do we have any idea what we actually need? The problem with my friend’s question as to our need for prayer is that it centers on us as individuals and is by nature selfish. Prayer opens us to God the eternal forever, the Word, the alpha and omega. Prayer moves us beyond ourselves to discover our God in whose image we are made. Prayer is not done out of God’s need to be communicated with, but of our need to communicate with God, discover who God desires us to be and what we truly need!
Maybe that is why we are told to pray while always giving thanks. There is something about people who are grateful. Grateful for the moment regardless of circumstance. Grateful for a kind smile from a stranger. Grateful for another day with breath flowing through the lungs. Grateful for a merciful God who is by God’s very nature love. Such people always seem to have what they need.

Meister Eckhart once said, “If the only prayer you ever said in your whole life is ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.” Amen to that! Let us pray for everything we need, always giving thanks and perhaps all of our worry will disappear when we discover that somehow, we have everything we need!

With hope and joy,
Garrett

December's "Minister's Minute" from The Journal of Hope and Joy

Merry Christmas everyone!  O where must I begin this minister’s minute?  First off let me begin in the spirit of thanksgiving.  I am aware that Thanksgiving was celebrated last month, but that does not mean we cannot and should not be continually thankful throughout the year!  I am thankful for each of you who are reading this letter.  “Pastor,” some might be asking, “why are you thankful for me?”

The last month of my life has been a whirlwind of experiences.  As Melinda’s pregnancy progressed, I took comfort from the multitude of you all who told me you were praying for us.  As we found ourselves in the hospital a couple of weeks ago, I was reassured by the calls many made before hand to make sure we were holding up well.  As we stayed in that hospital looking at our son and wondering where life would lead us, I was blessed by many of your calls, visits, and gifts as you each became a part of our joy.  As we arrived home, I was honored to have so many bring us food and gently demand we call should we need anything at all.  And as I sit here today, writing this to you all, I am overwhelmed with gratitude that God would see it fit to allow the life of my family to intersect with each of your lives, and I am grateful for each of you!

While the gift of my son is undoubtedly one of the greatest gifts I will ever receive, the gift of being able to know each of you is also one of the greatest gifts I will ever receive.  As I immerse myself in Advent preparation and consider the greatest gift God has ever given anyone, Jesus, I find myself overwhelmed with gratitude for the wealth of gifts God has bestowed upon me.  So to each of you who has felt so called to bless my family, and me I thank you!

The first Sunday of December will mark the one-year anniversary when Melinda and I drove into Albany realizing that this place is our new home!  We have been here a year, wow!  We arrived in the midst of Advent, in the midst of preparation, and I declared to the church upon my arrival that not only were we preparing to accept our Savior again into our lives, but we were preparing to be made new by God.  There can be no doubt that in this last year our church has been made new.  Membership has nearly doubled, attendance has increased by 500% on average, papers have written about us, seminaries are studying us, and God has declared with emphasis, “Behold, I make all things new!”

To meet the needs of our incredible growth we have reestablished the Deacon Board and expanded the Session.  Leaders are being put in place to ensure that the newness, which God has begun, has not been done in vain.  My brothers and sisters, whatever you think about what God has done, we enter into this new season of Advent with the expectation that nothing is done!  We have laid the foundation of success, but the foundation alone does not constitute success.  There are bricks and mortar to be laid, let us build upon this foundation and let our light shine brighter and more fervent.

My hope is that by the time my family’s second anniversary in this land arrives, by the time my son’s first birthday is celebrated, we might be able to celebrate Advent 2009 with 150 members, with church services averaging 150 people, with new ministries for children, shut-ins, the needy, and many others.  In the spirit of preparation and thanksgiving, let us prepare ourselves for the work to be done in this next year to witness how much God will continue to do in our midst!

Riding the wave of the Holy Spirit,

Garrett