Dear Prayer Warriors, I have been thinking all week about the goodness of God and thanksgiving. Early in my Christian life, I was impressed by Christ’s question concerning the ten lepers who were healed by Him in Luke 17:16-17 “and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine — where are they?”
I made it my goal to always be thankful and to begin each day with prayers of thanksgiving. When people say to me, “My life is so bad right now--I just can’t think of why I should thank God,” My mind returns to Lamentations 3:39 “Why should any living mortal, or any man, Offer complaint in view of his sins?” and it has a centering effect on me.
Thanksgiving is not about me but about Jesus. The Thanksgiving section of my prayer notebook begins with this passage and is followed by verses on Jesus-- His shed blood, His suffering and all that He endured for my undeserved salvation. True thanksgiving is the praise of God for His actions toward man without reference to man’s demands of God and man’s evaluation of God’s job in fulfilling these demands.
In thanksgiving, we are not thankful that we have gotten something but, instead, we are thankful that God would deem to give anything to us. The greatest gift of all--that which overshadows all else--is the sacrifice of Christ, which secured our eternal salvation. I think that one of the greatest perversions of the practice of thanksgiving is the current trend of thanking God for something before He has given it, rather than thanking God for whatever He has deemed to give. As I reflect on what God has given, no matter my circumstances I can still thank God with a full and abundant heart for…
1. My salvation, gifts and calling Psalms 116:7-8 “Return to your rest, O my soul, For the LORD has dealt bountifully with you. For You have rescued my soul from death, My eyes from tears, My feet from stumbling.” In light of an eternity spent screaming in agony amidst the eternal flames of Hell, all trials and disappointments pale in comparison. If all we ever received from God was our eternal salvation, we still would be eternally and deeply thankful to Him, no matter what else life brought our way.
2. My darling Eleanor Proverbs 31:10 An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. Proverbs 19:14 House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers, But a prudent wife is from the LORD. Rev. Wyman Mitchell, who led me to Christ, did our pre-marriage counseling. Long before I met Eleanor, he told me that a minister’s wife will either double or halve his ministry. There is no in-between. Mitch was certainly right and Eleanor has more than doubled my ministry. No matter how my day goes, I can begin the day with prayers of joy and thanksgiving for such a godly, loving and self-sacrificing wife.
3. My children and grandchildren Proverbs 17:6 Grandchildren are the crown of old men, And the glory of sons is their fathers It is a wonderful blessing to have loving grandchildren. When I tell people I have nine grandchildren, they pat me on the back and praise me, as if I had actually done something. Grandchildren and children are indeed a great blessing and cause for thanksgiving. We are blessed with four children who are walking with God and active in church. The three who are married, all married Christian spouses and are raising their children in the same faith as was their experience. Every morning when I wake, no matter my life circumstances, I can begin by thanking God for my children and grandchildren. (On a side note, the second half of this passage states “and the glory of sons is their fathers.) My children give me the crown of grandchildren to be a blessing. I, in turn, can assure that my final years are a blessing to my children--that I do not embarrass them by my behavior but remain a witness and servant of Christ to the very end, bringing glory to the Lord and to my children.)
4. Prayers Warriors 2 Corinthians 1:11 “you also joining in helping us through your prayers , so that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through the prayers of many.” Romans 15:30 “Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me,”
Every day I thank God for my prayer warriors. They bless, protect, open doors for the ministry and empower our ministry. God the Holy Spirit reveals in these two passages that by their prayers we are helped, favor is bestowed upon us, and they are actually co-laborers with us, striving together with us on the mission field. We have seen this over and over again.
5. Answered Prayers (visa) – we asked our prayer warriors to claim Proverbs 21:1 The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes. They interceded and over and over God has granted us “miracle visas” to such countries as Russia, Belarus, Nigeria and Islamic countries.
6. Answered Prayers (Empowering the Word of God) – we asked our prayer warriors to claim Hebrews 4:12 12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 2 Thessalonians 3:1-2 : 1Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you; 2 and that we will be rescued from perverse and evil men; for not all have faith. Ephesians 6:19-20 19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. They interceded and God has brought about conversions, baptisms, growth in churches and ministries, changed marriages and families, trained seminary students and ministers and more. Your prayers brought this about, through the empowered preaching and teaching of God’s holy, eternal, inerrant written Word. Every day I thank the Lord for your intercessions in this area.
7. Answered Payers (Open Doors) – we asked our prayer warriors to claim 1 Corinthians 16:9 “for a wide door for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” Colossians 4:3 “praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned;” Revelation 3:8 “I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut…” And God has answered these intercessions by opening doors to over 27 countries in the last ten years of our ministry. Not only tha,t but we have received new Macedonian calls, as more pastors and ministers contact us for help in Africa, Asia and Eurasia. I thank God every day for our prayer warriors who continue to expand this ministry. We are not sent by anyone, but respond to Macedonian calls. These doors are opened because of the faithful laboring or our prayer warriors in their ministry of intercession.
8. Answered Prayers (Protecting) – We asked our prayer warriors to claim 2 Thessalonians 3:1-2 1 Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you; 2 and that we will be rescued from perverse and evil men; for not all have faith. Philemon 22 “At the same time also prepare me a lodging, for I hope that through your prayers I will be given to you.” And God has answered these intercessions by preserving us in the midst of trials and returned us safely home year after year. We are so thankful for our prayer warriors. On more than one occasion, we have turned and looked at one another in the midst of a seemingly insurmountable trial and said, “Our prayer warriors are here with us and they will bring us through.”
I close this Blog, as always, with a deep and abiding thankfulness for your sacrificial and effectual prayers, which empower and drive this ministry ever forward in the cause of Christ.
By His mercy, II Corinthians 4:1 Rev. John S. Mahon Director – Grace Community Int.
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