There is an old parable about how the Lord once sent two angels down to earth to gather up the prayers of men and women. The first angel was tasked with collecting up all the prayers that might be classified as requests, wherein people were shown to be asking God for something.
The second angel was tasked with collecting up all the prayers of thanksgiving, wherein people were shown to be expressing gratitude to God for some thing or things He had already done for them.
Before departing, the two angels agreed to meet back in one month with their respective collections of prayers. They then mounted up on their angel’s wings and flew off in search of all the prayers of men and women.
The first angel, the one collecting prayers that appealed to God for something, quickly became busy. In fact, he was soon overwhelmed. It took an ever-increasing number of baskets to hold all the prayers; and in short order, basket after basket overflowed with prayers asking God for money, health, cars, jewelry, clothing, success, and the like.
At length, there were so many prayers that the angel had to enlist numerous other angels just to help transport all the baskets back to Heaven.
Meanwhile, the second angel, the one looking for prayers of thanksgiving, travelled far and wide across the world looking for even the smallest utterances of appreciation. Sadly, several days and even weeks went by with hardly a prayer of gratitude ever being found.
At the end of a month, as planned, the two angels returned to Heaven with their respective tasks completed. The first angel, the one charged with collecting prayers for requests, presented baskets as far as the eye could see.
By comparison, the second angel, the one charged with collecting prayers of thankfulness, had only a pitifully small amount of prayers - barely enough to cover the bottom of one single basket. Heaven was silent as the awkward truth quickly set in!
Of course, this story is fictitious. Nevertheless, it well illustrates the condition of the human heart! How many of us excel at making requests, both of God and of others, yet fail miserably at expressing gratitude to these same entities?
If this applies to you, then why not take a little time this Thanksgiving week to talk to God and let Him know how much you appreciate what all He has already done for you? Any such prayer will surely be well received up in Heaven! And I assure you that there will be time enough to ask for more things later on!
While you are at it, remember that one of the ways God so often chooses to bless us is through the intervention and provision of others in our lives. For this reason, why not take a little time to offer any overdue appreciation to others as well? Both you and they will be glad you did.
PARABLE SOURCE: Available widely on the internet in differing versions. See, for instance:
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/blogs/the-speaking-tree/try-saying-thank-you/;
as well as:
https://media.mywonderstudio.com/files/en/0-5/001-100/pdf/239_TwoBaskets_en.pdf.
The second angel was tasked with collecting up all the prayers of thanksgiving, wherein people were shown to be expressing gratitude to God for some thing or things He had already done for them.
Before departing, the two angels agreed to meet back in one month with their respective collections of prayers. They then mounted up on their angel’s wings and flew off in search of all the prayers of men and women.
The first angel, the one collecting prayers that appealed to God for something, quickly became busy. In fact, he was soon overwhelmed. It took an ever-increasing number of baskets to hold all the prayers; and in short order, basket after basket overflowed with prayers asking God for money, health, cars, jewelry, clothing, success, and the like.
At length, there were so many prayers that the angel had to enlist numerous other angels just to help transport all the baskets back to Heaven.
Meanwhile, the second angel, the one looking for prayers of thanksgiving, travelled far and wide across the world looking for even the smallest utterances of appreciation. Sadly, several days and even weeks went by with hardly a prayer of gratitude ever being found.
At the end of a month, as planned, the two angels returned to Heaven with their respective tasks completed. The first angel, the one charged with collecting prayers for requests, presented baskets as far as the eye could see.
By comparison, the second angel, the one charged with collecting prayers of thankfulness, had only a pitifully small amount of prayers - barely enough to cover the bottom of one single basket. Heaven was silent as the awkward truth quickly set in!
Of course, this story is fictitious. Nevertheless, it well illustrates the condition of the human heart! How many of us excel at making requests, both of God and of others, yet fail miserably at expressing gratitude to these same entities?
If this applies to you, then why not take a little time this Thanksgiving week to talk to God and let Him know how much you appreciate what all He has already done for you? Any such prayer will surely be well received up in Heaven! And I assure you that there will be time enough to ask for more things later on!
While you are at it, remember that one of the ways God so often chooses to bless us is through the intervention and provision of others in our lives. For this reason, why not take a little time to offer any overdue appreciation to others as well? Both you and they will be glad you did.
PARABLE SOURCE: Available widely on the internet in differing versions. See, for instance:
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/blogs/the-speaking-tree/try-saying-thank-you/;
as well as:
https://media.mywonderstudio.com/files/en/0-5/001-100/pdf/239_TwoBaskets_en.pdf.