Special Thanksgiving Gift

Scripture - 1 Thessalonians 3:8-12 8 Knowing that your faith is alive keeps us alive. 9 What would be an adequate thanksgiving to offer God for all the joy we experience before him because of you? 10 We do what we can, praying away, night and day, asking for the bonus of seeing your faces again and doing what we can to help when your faith falters. 11 May God our Father himself and our Master Jesus clear the road to you! 12 And may the Master pour on the love so it fills your lives and splashes over on everyone around you, just as it does from us to you.

Observation - Thanksgiving is a time a time when families get together. There are all kinds of goodies to eat and family made traditions that once again get dusted off and shared. In the verses above Paul shows the depth and importance of his relationship with the Christians at Thessalonica. He states that their faith keeps them alive. They ministered to Paul as much as he minister to them. Then he asks, "What would be an adequate thanksgiving to offer God . . . because of you?" His answer - pray for you". He then offers up a prayer in verses 11,12. He prays that they may be able to see one another again and that their God's loves fills their lives so much that it "splashes over" on everyone. What a great prayer! What a great gift to receive - the prayers of someone else.

Application - I know the day after Thanksgiving everyone begins to focus on all the Christmas gifts they have to buy. Let me suggest something that may be the most meaningful gift you could give. Write a letter, an old fashioned, pen and paper letter, to someone you care a lot about. In that letter tell them that you appreciate them a lot and that you want to give them a special gift - a gift of prayer. Then write a prayer for them specifically and tell them you will continue to pray for them. That is definitely a gift worth giving.

Prayer - Lord, help me give the gift of prayer to someone this year.

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