I have written before about Thankfulness. Thankful for the blessings in my life. I explored the command to be “thankful in all things.” which is a harder task because giving thanks in hard times and trials is a real challenge.

Lately I have been going to physical therapy for my shoulder. Yesterday while talking to my therapist, Yasti, I told her I was a little tired because I had been up late because my son was not feeling well. He had gone to the Emergency Dept and I stayed up texting with him while he was there as moral support.

I have written in the past about his health issues and his 14 year struggle with IBD. It is so much more than a bowel disease, as an autoimmune disease it can affect every part of your body, other organs, skin, joints, eyes, blood and your bones.

She asked what was wrong with him and I went down the long list of complications like many above that the disease has caused. In the end I said, “He needs a miracle.”

I say that often. I pray that often. I pray for healing. I pray for answers.

Then Yasti said something that had not occurred to me before. Instead of praying for what I want, pray prayers of thankfulness that God is already working in his life and healing his body.

She said, pray, “Thank you God that you are healing my son. Thank you that his pain is less. Thank you that you are helping him. Thank you that he is getting better.”

It is a step of faith. Thankfulness before the answer confirms your trust that God has the answers, it changes your perspective and turns your attention from the problems to the promises.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand…”
Philippians 4:6-7 NLT