Prayers of Gratitude
15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
I think there are a few others who would say this prayer of thanks right now as well. Grateful for the ways in which so any have taken part in the week of Serve we have just completed. For those who planned and led many pieces of the week. For those who worked in the kitchen and fed the crew. Others who opened their homes for showers and hospitality. For those who took part in worship. So many ways to be a part. When it was all over we had over 100 people from our congregation involved.
And we find that was for just one week. Yet we offer that same word of gratitude for all that takes place each week of the year. People who will teach in Sunday School, Bible Studies, GEMS, Explore, Youth, Small Groups, Coffee Break. People who will take a week in the nursery, greeting, security, coffee prep and clean-up, tech, worship leaders. Those who will be part of leadership on council, committees, and other working groups. It is a display of the faith of the congregation that all these things are taking place.
May the things we have done, the things we are doing, the things we will do, show that faith to our community and grow our faith as we take part. Because it is not just a matter of putting things in our heads and hearts, it is moving them through our hands and feet into the world that we see our faith grow deeper.
We give thanks for what has been in the past week. We give thanks for what will be the opportunity for us to show and grow our faith in the coming weeks, months and years together. And even more than the joy of Paul’s prayer in Ephesians, we take the joy of knowing that we will hear the words of Jesus from Matthew 25.23 “‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’”