When we were growing up, our parents told us that “please” and “thank you” were the “magic words.” These days, it sometimes seems that those words truly are magical — people seemed to have made them disappear.
Of course, there are still plenty of polite people around. However, I am inclined to think that “thank you” is more magical than “please.”
If you really want somebody to do something for you or give something to you, it’s not hard to remember to ask politely. It’s often a much different story after you have gotten what you were asking or looking for. “Thank you” is much more difficult to remember for many people.
If this is true when people are dealing with others, it applies even more when people are seeking something from God. Even those who pray on a daily basis are much more likely to be even more urgent in their prayers if they really need something. They are also likely to thank God for listening to their prayers even if they aren’t granted as they hope.
Others say “please” in prayer when they have no one else to turn to except God, who is always ready to listen to the needs of His children even if He doesn’t always give them the answer they seek. When He does, chances are that the number of “thank yous” are just a small fraction of the number of answered prayers.
It might be useful to keep this in mind as we approach Thanksgiving Day. Whether we like to admit or not, everything we have and everything good that we are is a gift from God. Thanksgiving might be a good day to give thanks for all that God has given us. Then again, every other day of our life is a good day for doing the same thing.
Every day is an opportunity to give thanks to God.
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