Praying with Thanks and Expectancy

I was reading Psalm 136 and was reminded that we are supposed to give thanks in everything because God's love remains even when we can't see it. I certainly don't feel like giving thanks at all times.  Sometimes I feel like I'm in a long tunnel created by all my failures. I've found that just giving thanks to God for reminding me of His grace that wipes away my failures enables me to see the bigger picture before too long.

  Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting.~ Psalm106:1 NASB

Even the briefest glimpse of a love that is faithful no matter what, will change our view of everything that we experience especially trials.
  Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. ~ James 1:2-3, NLT

  The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. ~ 1 Corinthians 10:13, NLT

When we pray to God in the midst of a trial do we ask Him to teach us how to endure? Or do we ask him to save us from hardship? There have been far too many times in my life when I did the latter.

Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted to you. ~ Mark 11:24 NASB

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. ~ Hebrews 4:16 NIV
        
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
1 John 5:14-15 ESV

When we pray, do we really expect an answer? We may say we believe everything God says but if we don't expect God to answer our prayers are we speaking the truth? We are called to approach God's throne with confidence; to go boldly before the King of kings expecting an answer. We may miss the bigger picture and pray for something outside of God's will but that doesn't mean He doesn't answer. "No" and "wait" are going to remain answers no matter how much we dislike them. Other times He may use us as a vessel to answer someone's prayer whether we realize it or not.

Come and see what our God has done, what awesome miracles he performs for people. ~ Psalm 66:5, NLT

God's answer to a prayer will almost always be bigger and better than what we pictured. As we participate with God in bringing His glory to those around us, we will be transformed into servants in Christ's image.

Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. Matthew 20:28 NASB

Following Jesus' example means that we too love others unconditionally. Part of this is encouraging one other to use all of our gifts and reach our full potential in God's plan for our lives.

That their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ~ Colossians 2:2-3 ESV

I pray that God will continue to reveal himself to you and that you may receive the treasures He has for you.

May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence. ~ 2 Peter 1:2-3 ESV

May you live your lives blessed with a realization of the power that allows you to turn any situation into an opportunity to bring God's glory to a broken world.