Sermon Outlines

By Frederick F. Schwindt, Evangelist

THE PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

1. The prayer of thanksgiving:
   1. What incense was to the sacrifice of thanksgiving, thanksgiving is to prayer.
   2. "And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand." - Rev. 8:4
2. There is a promise to all who mix their prayer with praise and thanksgiving:
   1. "Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me" - Ps. 50:23
   2. That is the major part of the prayers of the angels - Luke 2:13, 14; Isa. 6

1. Comes from grateful hearts:
   1. Heartfelt gratitude to God for His mercies is the very foundation of the prayer of thanksgiving.
   2. One is awed with the spirit of praise and thanksgiving of the Psalmist - Ps. 145; 146; 147; 148; 149
   3. Could God have made a memorial of our inner urge to praise Him for all His mercies to us?
2. Must be spontaneous to be accepted by the Lord:
   1. When the heart is filled with gratitude, praise to God will be as easy as breathing for those who love the Lord.
   2. Ingratitude is a mark of the ungodly, and God is very displeased with them.
3. Our prayers should always begin with praise and thanksgiving:
   1. "Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Zion." - Ps. 65:1
   2. "Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: Sing forth the honor of his name: make his praise glorious. O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise heard." - Ps. 66:1
   3. "Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honor all day long." - Ps. 71:8

1. An expression of love and adoration of the children of God:
   1. "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: To shew forth thy loving kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night." - Ps. 92:1
   2. "O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with Psalms. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand." - Ps. 95:1-7
2. When our prayers are motivated with praise and thanksgiving to our heavenly Father:
   1. They will be a pleasure for us, and not a recurring burden.
   2. "Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." - Ps. 16:11
   3. Let us, therefore, count our many, many blessings before we bow our knees before the Lord our God.
   4. If we do that, praise and thanksgiving will flow freely from our hearts and over our lips.
   5. This writer is convinced that true Bible Christianity is marked by the spirit of inner gratitude.
   6. When that is true, our experience will be one of renewed vitality and spiritual vigor.
   7. To me, personally, that is the very foundation of prayer.
   8. How sad the picture, when we look into the prayer life of the church!
   9. How few among us show evidence of the spirit of thanksgiving!
   10. Let us heed the admonition of our opening text and let the praises of our God ring forth hearts and lips.