“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

— Philippians 4:6-7

Thanksgiving is an attitude. It’s a position we take spiritually, mentally and emotionally that aligns us with God. In Philippians 4: 6-7, the Holy Spirit, through the apostle Paul, expressly mentions two attitudes about prayer, one negative - anxiety, and one positive - thankfulness.

We are told to reject anxiety and to embrace thankfulness. It’s interesting that the Holy Spirit chose to address these two attitudes regarding prayer. It seems in today’s spiritual environment, there are all sorts of teachings and opinions concerning the Holy Spirit, but very few deal with anxiety and thankfulness. Many are looking for supernatural and spectacular manifestations. The Holy Spirit, through God’s Word, says being spiritual involves rejecting anxiety and embracing thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is a key to opening God’s best for our lives, including answered prayer. Paul told the Philippians that whatever circumstance they face, they are to pray with an attitude of thanksgiving.

In many ways, prayer is like standing in front of a locked door with a bunch of keys trying to get in. We can try any key you like or go through the whole bunch of them: until we use the key of thanksgiving the door will not open.

I used to teach school kids. My position allowed me to have access to virtually every room in the school. So, I had a large set of keys to work through. It became a running joke with my classes that it was always the last key I tried that would open the door. Sometimes, even when I knew I had the right key, I would joke with the class; “I bet it will be the last key I try.” Of course, it always was the last key, because once I used the correct key, the door opened, and I stopped trying any more keys.

There are different types of prayer. There is a prayer of consecration, a prayer of worship, a prayer of dedication and a prayer of faith. Different types of prayer are used in different situations, but always, in every circumstance, we are to pray with thanksgiving.

The reason thanksgiving aligns us with God and puts us in a position to have answered prayer is that it addresses two critical spiritual issues that are essential for answered prayer, grace and faith.

“It is by grace, through faith that we are saved. (healed, delivered, set free)”

— Ephesians 2:8

An attitude of thanksgiving acknowledges the unconditional nature of God’s favour and gifts to us. Whenever we pray ‘in the Name of Jesus’, we should be acknowledging God’s unmerited favour and mercy toward us. Sometimes we say thank you out of courtesy when someone repays us a debt, but even then, being thankful is acknowledging appreciation for their willingness to oblige us. With God, the debt was ours, and He paid it for us.

In 2 Corinthians 4:15, we’re told that God’s grace towards us should cause ‘the giving of thanks’. When we approach God with thankfulness, we are positioning ourselves in righteousness: not self-righteousness, but God-faith righteousness.

Secondly, being thankful puts us in a position of faith. Faith believes it receives what it has asked for (Mark 11:24). Well, if you’ve believed you have received it, it’s only polite to say “thank you”! Faith says ‘thank you’, even before it sees the manifestation of what it has asked for.

If we want to live in victory, we need to practise the giving of sincere thanks. Thanksgiving will open the door of God’s blessings and provision in our lives.