Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Colossians 4:2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.
1 Timothy 2:1-2 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
Thanksgiving is to accompany our prayers of petition (Phil. 4:6; Col. 4:2). Giving thanks in advance
of receiving is an expression of our faith. To acknowledge a gift you’ve received is to seal the transaction with “Thank You.” After asking, thanksgiving will hold your heart steady until you physically receive it.
Thanksgiving is also to be given for all men as a part of our prayer life. “I exhort therefore, that, first
of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; (1 Tim. 2:1). It’s to be done first of all (or as a priority) as are supplications, prayers and intercessions. I believe this is a key to developing gratitude: make it a priority and regular part of your prayer life. More is said in the Bible about thanksgiving being a part of our prayer life than warfare and taking authority over the devil (which the Bible does address). Perhaps our prayer life is God’s workshop where He develops thankfulness and crafts gratitude in us.
The Apostle Paul practiced this for Believers at:
A. ROME
Romans 1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the
whole world.
B. CORINTH
Colossians 1:3, 4 We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, always praying for you, 4 having
heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love that [is] to all the saints,
C. EPHESUS
Ephesus 1:16 do not cease giving thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers.
D. PHILIPPI
Philippians 1:3 I give thanks to my God upon all the remembrance of you, 4 always, in every supplication of mine
for you all, with joy making the supplication,
E. COLOSSAE
Colossians 1:3 We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, always praying for you, 4 having
heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love that [is] to all the saints,
F. THESSALONICA
1 Thessalonica 1:2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers,3 unceasingly
remembering of you the work of the faith, and the labour of the love, and the endurance of the hope, of our
Lord Jesus Christ, in the presence of our God and Father,
What is interesting and worth noting is that all of the believers in these cities and churches he gave
thanks for:
1. Were less than perfect.
2. All had areas that needed to be corrected and addressed in his letters to them.
And yet, he still gave thanks for these imperfect people. It must not be something we do because people deserve it or act perfectly all the time but we do it because it helps us appreciate and focus on the good in people.
Pastor John Rasicci is the founder and Pastor of Word of His Grace Church in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, where we are building people who are building the Church. Pastor's ministry mission is to help people discover God's dream for their Life, the Local Church, and the Last Days' Harvest. With a strong emphasis on the grace of God and with a prophetic voice, Pastor John preaches and teaches in churches, conferences, and crusades both locally and throughout the world. He has produced books, tapes, and other teaching materials to empower, enable, and equip Believers with the Word of God. Pastor John is married to his wife Candy who with their three children, Krista, Joanna, John Anthony, and two son-in-laws, Matt and Doug, serve together in the ministry. After graduating from Kent State University, Pastor John pursued a career in professional baseball before accepting the call to the ministry. He and his wife, Candy, received their ministry training from Rhema Bible Training Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
John Rasicci 
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