“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
Mark 11:24 ESV
I don’t know about you, but my prayers are usually thanking God for what He has done for me and asking Him to do more. How about you?
Then a quote from Rick Warren transformed my prayer life and offered a new way to practice gratitude. Pastor Rick said, “Thanking God after he gives something is gratitude. Thanking God before he gives it is faith.” 😲
What is a new way to practice gratitude? Thank God in advance.
Why should we thank God before He answers our prayers?
More faith
Practicing gratitude by thanking God in advance strengthens and matures our faith. We learn nothing is impossible with God.
Jesus discussed salvation with His disciples when He said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God” Mark 10:27 (ESV). We are saved from eternal death only through God’s power and grace.
God delights in His followers’ prayers when we believe no situation is impossible for Him.
Jesus told us
Jesus told the disciples, and us, if we do not doubt, but positively believe, even a mountain throws itself into the sea (Mark 11:23).
In our key verse, Jesus tells His disciples to believe they have already received whatever they request in prayer, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” Mark 11:24 (ESV).
Jesus did it
In the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus practiced gratitude by thanking the Father beforehand. Scripture states, “So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me” John 11:41 (ESV). Then Jesus cried out, “Lazarus, come out” John 11:43 (ESV).
We also should thank God for hearing our prayers before He answers them.
Jesus promised it will be done
Several times in the book of John, Jesus promised He will do whatever we ask in His name to give God glory. We trust God’s response to our prayers to be in His will and will glorify Him.
Jesus said, “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it” John 14:13-14 (ESV). See also John 15:16, John 16:23-24.
If Jesus promised, it is as good as done!
Final thoughts
Transform your prayer life with this new way of practicing gratitude. Keep thanking God in advance while you wait for the answer to prayer.
What is one thing you want to thank God in advance for?
I love the idea of giving God thanks for things that haven’t happened yet. I’ll be honest- I’ve never even thought of that. But what a great way to practice gratitude!
Hi Carly! I know, it is a radical idea, isn’t it! God knows what we need and when we need it, so why not thank Him?
I thought about traveling mercies as a before, then thankful when I arrived or my children text when they get home. 🏠
Thanks for the reminder about faith.
Thank you for your comment, Mary Anne. I’m glad you were reminded to thank God in advance.Thank you for being a faithful reader too!