Giving God Thanks
George A. Buttrick
1892-1980*

Thanksgiving is probably the most neglected area of prayer. It is so human for us to ask and seek and knock. In our praying, we are often like little children who need to be taught how to say "Please" and "Thank you."

Again the Word of God has much to teach us about prayers of thanksgiving. The Book of Psalms frequently encourages us to thank the Lord. "Glorify Him with thanksgiving" (Ps. 69:30). "Let us come before Him with thanksgiving" (95:2). "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the LORD is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations" (100:45). "Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever" (Ps. 106:1). For a refreshing devotional study look up these many references in the Book of Psalms that mention giving thanks to God: 7:17; 28:7; 30:12; 35:18; 75:1; 105:1; 106:1, 47; 107:8, 15, 21, 31; 118:1, 19, 21, 2829;119:62; 136:13, 26;147:7.

Paul often thanked the Lord for blessings in his life (e.g., Rom. 1:8; 6:17; 7:25; 1 Cor. 1:4; 14:18; 15:57; 2 Cor. 2:14; 8:16; 9:15; Eph. 1:16; Phil. 1:3; Col. 1:3; 1 Thess. 1:2; 2:13; 1 Tim. 1:12; 2 Tim.1:3; Philem.1:4). And he often encouraged believers to be thankful to the Lord, as seen in these verses: "In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" (Phil. 4:6); be "overflowing with thankfulness" (Col. 2:7); "be thankful" (3:15); "giving thanks to God the Father" (3:17); "being watchful and thankful" (4:2); "give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thess. 5:18).

Leslie Flynn told of a friend of his who, when a student at New York's Juilliard School of Music, was invited to an outdoor picnic at the home of the president of a prestigious Eastern divinity school. "Everyone sat down on the benches and started right in to eat. Commented my friend who had been raised in a strong Christian background, `I sat with open mouth in surprise, so accustomed was I to saying grace before meals. Yet here in my first contact with this prominent seminary, no one asked the blessing _ despite the presence of dozens of ministerial students and their president. I almost stood up and prayed out loud but wisely gave a silent thanks.'"

Although we must be careful not to point our fingers at others as the Pharisees would do, we do need to draw nearer to the One from whom all blessings flow. We need to ask Him for more grateful hearts, to cultivate the attitude of thanksgiving, and to express our gratitude to Him. Closing the day with specific prayers of thanksgiving is a wonderful way to calm our hearts for the night and to prepare us for the next day.

Excerpted with permission from A Life of Prayer by Paul Cedar, noted below. Published by Word Publishing, a unit of Thomas Nelson, Inc., P.O. Box 14100, Nashville, TN 37214. © 1998, all rights reserved.

* George Arthur Buttrick was born in Seaham Harbor, England, the son of a Primitive Methodist worker/minister. Dr. Buttrick left his home and background to become a minister and was educated at Lancaster Independent Theological College, University of Manchester. He came to the U.S. in 1915 and served Congregational churches in Quincy, IL, and Rutland, VT. He then was called to the First Presbyterian Church in Buffalo, NY, and to the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City, where he served 28 years. He then pastored Harvard University's Memorial Church. Dr. Buttrick wrote a dozen books, was editor of Interpreter's Bible and Interpreter's Bible Dictionary, and received more than twenty honorary degrees. After retirement from Harvard, he continued teaching in theological schools until his death.