ooh, ooh, ooh, yeah. What have you done for me lately?
ooh, ooh, ooh, yeah.
What Have You Done for Me Lately, Janet Jackson, 1986
What does your prayer list look like? Mine is a hodge-podge for family and friends, health concerns, job concerns, wants, needs, and requests. God does tell us to bring everything to him in prayer, but in thanksgiving. (Phil 4:6).
Thanksgiving probably doesn't enter our mind as we are praying for that person with cancer, or who lost their job, or who is getting a divorce. If we're not thankful, then bitterness can sink in.
We look to God, and think, "What have you done for me lately?" When God doesn't answer prayers the way we want, we can even get angry. Why God!??! Haven't I served you? Haven't I loved you? Haven't I...?
Here is the truth. God sent His Son, Jesus, to die for us to redeem us. We no longer have to spend eternity separated from God, but may have eternal life with Him. If He never did one additional thing for us on this earth, THAT ONE thing was enough.
Don't get caught up in a "what have you done for me lately" thinking. God did enough. Everything else from there is blessing. Count your blessings, and give thanks.
4 comments:
Ouch! This one really hits home. It's a fine line between pouring out our hearts to God and complaining and I've been doing the latter lately. This morning in my quiet time the Lord spoke to my heart, "Why don't you practice being thankful?" Thanks for the confirmation.
Great thoughts for an Easter Week Monday.
IN all things, rejoice. Not FOR all things rejoice. Same with thanksgiving. IN all thing give thanks. Not FOR all things.
It's really taking our mind and our words off the things in our prayers and focusing instead on the One to whom we offer our prayers. How many times do we say: "God, you know what this person needs." "Lord, I want to pray for Your will to be done."
It's not as much about what we bring to Him as it is the acknowledgment that we bring it to HIM, and Him alone. Obedience, worship, thanksgiving...all out of our love for Him....
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