By: Rachel Sweeney Francoforte
“Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving”
Colossians 4:2
Colossians begin with encouragement. And maybe this is a note we can take into our everyday lives, even outside this season of Thanksgiving. I received a text the other day out of the blue reading, simply: “we’re thankful for you, that is all. [smiley face emoji]”. Can you picture it? In the midst of a normal day, or maybe even a hectic day, this text comes through to your screen. It blessed us, we felt seen. Appreciated. Acknowledged. Grateful. I love the practice of gratitude because it changed my life. Thanksgiving differs from gratitude in that it is about voicing praise out loud, whereas gratitude is more of an internal journey. It’s how we are to pray, and it’s why we gather in community, lifting each other up.
The apostles address their letter to the faithful brothers and sisters at Colassae stating that when they pray for them, they’re always thanking God. Paul doesn’t leave it open to interpretation with a vague, thumbs up, “thankful for ya” message. He tells them exactly why he is thankful to God for them. He is specific in mentioning their true appreciation of God’s grace and their love in the Spirit. These things lead us to a heart of thanksgiving.
Even when the traffic is crazy. Even when Great Aunt Marge has told us the turkey is dry and our outfit isn’t flattering. When the silly frustrations creep in, we can be thankful, voicing our praises back to God because they stem from an appreciation for His grace that we are standing in. Our thanksgiving is the fruit of love, rooted in and led by the Spirit.
Are we remembering to thank God, every time we pray? Are we voicing our thanksgiving to others as encouragement? Have we taken for granted the opportunity to connect with God directly and tell Him we are thankful?
I’m in a hard season right now with family health in my aging parents. There are great unknowns that can cause me to spiral if I’m not careful. This season has blown the doors down and felt disruptive. Unfair. It is challenging my flesh and my thanksgiving. I believe it’s important that we are honest about those things, so God can use them. Those things can bring me to my knees. Maybe they should. Maybe that's where we all belong. We need to devote ourselves to prayer.
We need to be watchful of those feelings and lift our families and those around us in transformative prayer, with thanksgiving. The apostles don’t just say they’re thankful and move on, they give reasoning and it blesses the listening party. Thanksgiving isn’t just about the words we say. It’s the heart posture. Let’s stay alert in prayer, with devotion, and participate in thanksgiving. I pray this changes your approach beyond the holidays. May your prayers be filled with specific praise back to God and may your words of thanksgiving towards those surrounding you be filled with defined appreciation that stirs encouragement.