One Sunday evening I asked the Lord to give me a message for Prayer Fellowship the following morning. After praying, I hopped into bed with confidence that I would have something the following morning. True to God’s faithfulness, I woke up with the thought, “Have a Heart of Gratitude.” My mind started racing to find the appropriate scripture and after some research, I came across Luke 17:11-19.
On the day I was asked to be a Prayer Fellowship speaker, I remember having a conversation about answered prayers. I wondered if any of the people that we pray for on Monday mornings come back to let us know that their prayers have been answered. After reading the passage of scripture in Luke, I could immediately see the connection God was making. With renewed excitement, I prepared my message.
In the parable, Jesus described how he visited a town where there were 10 lepers who cried out to him for mercy. They needed to be healed. Jesus gave them instructions to go show themselves to the priest. They followed his instructions and on their way, healing took place. One of the 10 came back to say thank you. Jesus basically asked a rhetorical question: “What happened to the other nine?”
We could conclude many things from their lack of gratitude, but I would like to concentrate on the valuable lesson I learned. They asked Jesus to have mercy on them. They followed his instruction, and healing took place. It was their obedience to Jesus that mattered. Many times I have made a prayer request and waited for something to fall out of the sky. Of course, I know that God can do anything, but there so many biblical examples where obedience to God’s instructions brought about amazing results.
I also learned that I need to always keep a positive attitude. I have the choice to see the glass half-full or half-empty. Jesus took notice of the one who came back to say thank you. That it is mentioned shows its importance. I want to be remembered by the Lord for having a heart of gratitude.
My prayer point is to read the passage in Luke 17:11-19. Take a look around you and count the blessings that you have. One thing I shared during Prayer Fellowship that I am grateful for is working in a non-hostile environment. We actually like being around one another and working together. Maybe everything is not going the way you would want, but try to find one thing that puts a smile on your face. Pray and ask God to give you new eyes to see his hand in your life and help you to walk in obedience to his word. Ask him also to help you choose to have good thoughts on a daily basis. We can choose what we think about. I would like to hear how the Lord speaks to you after you have read the Luke passage.
God bless you!
