Gratitude Series Episode 15

Hello, my walking friend! Are you ready to enter into this sacred time with Jesus? I know…sacred may seem like a strong word for a 10 minute walk accompanied by a podcast. But it is sacred because Jesus is with you and you will be spending part of your time saying prayers of thanks to him. So, yes, it is sacred!

Today is the 15th episode in the gratitude series. In each podcast during this series we will take some time to focus on thanking Jesus for something specific and we will have two different verses to meditate on. Today we will be thanking Jesus for prayer.

Our first verse to meditate on is Matthew 7:7-8:

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Do you ever feel like Jesus wants something from you? Maybe you feel guilty because you feel like you haven’t given him enough of your money or you haven’t volunteered enough of your time. The truth is that what Jesus wants from you is relationship. More than anything, he wants your love and your attention. There are several ways we express our love and attention to Jesus – but the most important way is through prayer.

Prayer isn’t about fancy words or something you have memorized. Prayer is talking to Jesus – authentically. Like you do on these 10 minute walks. The closer we are to Jesus, the more we will overflow with gratitude and the more we will want to share our blessings with others. But it starts with our relationship with him, through prayer. And Jesus is telling us that he is waiting for us to come to him and ask him for what we need – physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual needs.

The fact that Jesus made it possible for us to be heard by our perfect and holy creator is something that should make us cry with thankfulness. The fact that Jesus is telling us to come to him in prayer and ask for anything, should fill our hearts with the same excitement and joy a child feels Christmas morning. Think about it – Jesus is saying, come, seek me, talk to me, ask me – my door is open for you. My heart is waiting to bless you. Walk with me.

Our second verse for today is Colossians 4:2:

Devote yourself to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Now, let’s take a little time to meditate on today’s verses.

Did Jesus reveal anything special to you as you meditated on these two verses?

Do you feel inspired to do as the apostle Paul said in his letter to the Colossians, to devote yourself to prayer? Remember, prayer is simply talking to Jesus. You can do that all day long throughout your day!

But the rest of the verse is important, too… being watchful and thankful. Being watchful to what is going on around you. Is there something Jesus wants you to do? Someone he wants you to bless? A circumstance he wants you to steer clear of? Jesus wants you to be in relationship with him always, telling him anything, asking him for anything (according to his will) and being watchful for the ways he will reveal things to you and speak to you. And we are to be thankful. That is the whole purpose of this particular series! Be thankful! It does a body… and spirit good!

Now let’s take some time to tell Jesus how thankful we are for the awesome gift of prayer.

You are now at the halfway point of your walk. If you need to be back in 10 minutes, this would be the time to turn around and head back.

Now I am going to pray for us:

Dear Jesus,
Thank you for the gift of prayer. Forgive me for the times I have taken this gift for granted. Thank you for making a way for us to be in a relationship together. Thank you for making a way for me to enter the presence of the Father. Thank you for encouraging me to come to you with everything. Even when I let so much time pass before I seek you, you are still always there for me. Thank you for being faithful. Thank you for making prayer easy and comfortable and not requiring fancy or complicated words or rituals in order to talk to you. Help me remember you all throughout the day – when things are going well and when things are challenging. Thank you, Jesus, for never closing the door on me and for always walking with me when I invite you. Amen.

Here are some questions for you to consider:

How does it make you feel to know that God the Father invites you and welcomes you into his presence because of your relationship with Jesus? Take some time to think about that now.

Do you ever feel yourself holding back when you pray to Jesus?

Do you think there are some things that are off-limits to talk about or ask Jesus for? Consider your answer now.

Take some time to thank Jesus for the gift of prayer and for the gift of authenticity with him.
Before we wrap up, listen again to today’s verses:

Matthew 7:7-8:

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Colossians 4:2:

Devote yourself to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Is there anything else you would like to talk to Jesus about? Remember, he is right there with you, walking with you, and he is eager for you to share all that is on your heart and mind with him. Take some time to talk to and thank Jesus now.

Well, you did it, my friend! Another 10 minutes of walking with Jesus. And not just walking, but praying to Jesus, asking of Jesus, talking to Jesus and thanking Jesus!

And thank you for taking the time to walk with me today! But more importantly, you walked with Jesus, the one who hears every prayer.

For more Walk with Jesus resources, including the Walk with Jesus 21 day scripture, devotional, and guided prayer journal book for walkers, go to WalkwithJesusDevotional.com. The November edition focuses on gratitude and is a part of this podcast series. You will find the URL for this book and other resources in the podcast show notes.

I hope we can walk together again tomorrow, friend. In our next episode we will be thanking Jesus for our future. Until then, God bless you as you walk with Jesus.