I once heard of a little boy who refused to say his evening prayers one night —
not out of defiance, but because he couldn't think of anything that he wanted.
He didn't see much point in praying when there wasn't anything to ask for.
When his mother heard his dilemma, she suggested that he give thanks instead.
So the little boy got on his knees and thanked the Lord for everything that he
could think of — from his favourite toy to the fact that he wasn't blind like
the boy down the street. His evening prayers were longer that night, because he
was thankful for more than he wanted.
We often have a similar dilemma: we find it hard to pray, not because we don't
have anything to ask for but because we're too disheartened to pray. Our prayers
seem to hit a stone ceiling. Our prayers go unanswered for years. Or we simply
don't receive the peace that we used to enjoy in times of prayer.
But maybe we can't pray because we've forgotten to be thankful. Like this little
boy, what if we took time today and turned our prayers into words of only
thanks?
Our prayers might be longer than usual, because we find ourselves thankful for
more than we want.
Prayer: Father, thank You for Your love and goodness that showers upon us more
than we deserve. Give us grateful hearts. In Jesus' name. Amen.
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
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The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.