Next Level: PrayerSample

One of the most important things we should do when we pray is to thank God for who He is. Gratitude is life-changing because it shifts our whole perspective. If we come to God in prayer only about things that we are annoyed about, or stuff we wish was different, our prayers will turn bitter. When Jesus prayed the Lord’s Prayer, He started with this: “Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.” Before he said anything else, Jesus acknowledged the fact that God is Holy. He is perfect. He is in control. The rest of our prayer will follow suit when we first recognize that God is worthy of our praise and admiration. When we tell God about how great he is and thank him for all that he’s done for us, we also take the focus off of ourselves. It’s a lot easier to pray for other people in our lives and not get caught up in ourselves when we shift the focus off of ourselves and onto God first. Our whole attitude will change when we take time each day to be thankful! Challenge: Today, write down a list of things you are thankful for and things you love about God. Then, tell him! Take time to pray and thank him for specific things that he has blessed you with. Praise him for his goodness today.