Now That You Believe in Jesus Christ
Prayer in Thanksgiving
This morning, God led us to the book of Psalm 118, and through this passage, I began to understand another dimension of thanksgiving. Sometimes, we think giving thanks simply means saying, “Thank You, God. I am grateful for everything.”But thanksgiving can also involve prayer.
However, the kind of prayer I am talking about today is not simply a prayer asking God to give us something. It is a prayer of declaration and acknowledgement – declaring what God has done and acknowledging His faithfulness in our lives.
You may ask, “Isn’t that also thanksgiving?”
Yes, it is, but there is a difference.
When you thank God, praise Him, and worship Him for what He has done, you are expressing your gratitude. But when you acknowledge what He has done, you begin to recognise the depth and significance of His work in your life.
Acknowledgement takes us into a place of deeper reflection.
It makes us look back.
It makes us think deeply about what happened.
Sometimes, it can even bring tears to our eyes because we suddenly realise how much God has actually done for us.
For example, there is a difference between saying:
“God, thank You that I did not die in that accident.”
and saying:
“God, I recognise that You preserved my life. I remember when my car overturned, and I remember how You saved me. I recognise that You came through for me in that moment. I recognise that my life is still here because You still have a purpose for me. You still want me alive for the purpose for which You created me.”
That is acknowledgement.
It is another way of saying:
“God, I see what You have done, and I recognise the weight of it. I am grateful.”
Acknowledgement helps us understand the gravity of God’s goodness in our lives. It allows us to look back and recognise moments when God came through for us, even when we did not fully understand what He was doing at the time.
This is what I believe we can see in Psalm 118.
If we begin reading from verse 5, the Psalmist says:
“When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; he brought me into a spacious place. The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? The Lord is with me; he is my helper. I look in triumph on my enemies. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans.”
Psalm 118:5 – 8 NIV
As we read this passage, we can see the Psalmist moving from thanksgiving into acknowledgement.
He is not only saying, “Thank You, God.”
He is recognising why he is thanking God.
He remembers that when he was hard-pressed, he cried to the Lord, and the Lord answered him. He acknowledges that God was with him. He acknowledges that God was his helper. He acknowledges that he had no reason to be afraid because of the presence of God.
He even declares that it is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in human beings.
Can you see the depth of this?
He is acknowledging who God is and what God has done.
He continues to declare God’s goodness even when he cannot explain everything God has done.
Further down, in verse 15, he says:
“Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: ‘The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!’”
Psalm 118:15 NIV
He is proclaiming from the depth of his heart:
“The Lord has done mighty things.”
He may not be able to explain every single thing God has done.
He may not be able to put everything into a complete sentence.
But he knows one thing:
God has been faithful.
And that is where I believe God is taking us during this season of thanksgiving.
God is teaching us not only to say, “Thank You,” but to recognise and acknowledge His faithfulness.
The Psalmist continues to declare the greatness of God:
“The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things; the Lord’s right hand is lifted high; the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!”
Psalm 118:15 – 16 NIV
He is proclaiming it from the depth of his heart.
He is recognising what God has done, even when he cannot fully express everything God has done for him.
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And eventually, he says:
“I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation.”
Can you see what is happening?
This person is simply pouring out his heart before God.
And I believe that is what God wants us to do today.
You don’t necessarily need to have a long list of specific things to mention.
You can simply acknowledge His faithfulness.
“God, You have been faithful to me.”
“God, You have kept me.”
“God, You have sustained me.”
“God, You have been my help.”
“God, You have been my salvation.”
“God, You have been faithful not only to me but to the people around me.”
Look around you and recognise the goodness of God – not only in your own life, but in the lives of other people.
Think about the people you see every day.
Think about those you casually pass on the street.
God has been faithful to them too.
This is why I believe God wants us to shift our hearts from simply bringing our requests to Him into a place of worship and acknowledgement.
I know that many of us have prayers we are still carrying.
We have things we are asking God for.
We have things we are trusting Him to do.
But God is saying:
“Bring your heart of prayer into a place of worship.”
You can say:
“God, I know You have not done this yet, but I know You will.”
“You saved me before, and I know You can do it again.”
“You have come through for me before, and I know You will come through again.”
“You have a plan for my life, and because I know who You are, I can trust You.”
Therefore, I praise You.
I worship You.
I acknowledge You.
I thank You.
I believe You.
This is the heart of thanksgiving that I believe God is bringing us into – a place where our gratitude is not dependent on receiving everything we have asked for.
We can thank Him for what He has already done.
We can acknowledge who He is.
And we can worship Him for what we believe He will still do.
PRAYER
I pray that as we meditate on this Word from Psalm 118, the Holy Spirit will lead us into a deeper place of gratitude, acknowledgement, prayer, and worship.
May God teach us to recognise His faithfulness, remember His goodness, and continually bring our hearts before Him in thanksgiving.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
‼️Copyright
NOW THAT YOU BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST
© 2026 S. Adeola. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from the copyright holder, except for brief quotations permitted by copyright law.
First Edition | 2026
Author: S. Adeola
