March 29: A Life of Thankful Expectation

By Bassey Ekong

After you have believed God, the next step is to offer thanksgiving again. Recall that step four is also to give thanks. The first time, giving thanks expresses our appreciation for God’s forgiveness and mercy. This step of thanksgiving is the highest form of faith.

You thank God for what you don’t yet see because you believe it is already done. “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). If you truly believe you have already received your request, you will thank God. We are not to wait until we begin to see the answer to our prayer manifest before we express gratitude. You don’t show God your belief until you thank Him.

Suppose you request a loan from a banker, who approves the loan and says, “Consider it done. The money will be deposited to your account.” You don’t see the money, so you don’t know if he did it, but you thank him and do business based on his word. God advises us to do even better than that with Him. We must have to thank Him even before we see the answers to our prayers manifested.

If we will believe God, the answer will come. Step eleven is to live in expectation.After you pray, continue to live in a spirit of thanksgiving-living in anticipation of the answer to your prayer. Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory…..and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.” Note: Let us live in thankful expectation. Our Lord is powerful! Thank God for His faithfulness.

Let’s pray: Father, thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Thank you for your faithfulness to answer my petition even before I see the manifestation. In you I can live a life of expectation, in Jesus’ name, amen.

Today’s reading: Judges 7-8; Luke 5:1-16

Be Thankful for Ability and Something to Pray About.