We do not forget to turn to God. Especially in difficult life situations. And there are problems with gratitude. There is a parable on this topic in the church environment.
One angel is resting on a cloud, and the second is flying back and forth. And the first asks the second: “Why are you flying?” He answers: “I carry requests to God.” Why are you lying there? To which the first angel answers: “And I give thanks to God.”
And this makes me somehow sad. God does not forget to wake us up in the morning, but how do we answer Him? By and large - no way.
What is gratitude?
This is an expression of one’s gratitude for some kindness done. If you look at the composition of the word, you get “I give thanks.” That is, thanks to the Creator, we express our recognition to Him. And your love.
Proper gratitude
How to thank God correctly? Is it better to use the word “thank you” or “thank you”? The last word will be more true. Because “thank you” is interpreted as “God save.” But God has no need and nothing to be saved from. He himself is the Savior of the human race.
What to be grateful for?
For all. For every day that has come and passed. Because we are healthy. Because God gives us the opportunity to walk on earth and breathe air. In illness and sadness, you also need to thank the Lord God. For without His will nothing happens. He rules the world. And if the Lord allowed grief to happen to us, then that means we need it.
Every day without forgetting
It is imperative to thank God for the day that has come and lived. The Lord does not forget about us, He gives us days of life. And one must treat His gifts with gratitude.
How to offer it to the Lord daily? With help, there are special morning prayers and prayers for the coming sleep. We woke up, took the prayer book in our hands, and thanked us for awakening. We go to bed, also take a prayer book and pray for the night. We thank you for another day of living and ask for protection for the coming sleep.
You can add your own to prayerful gratitude. In your own words, coming from the soul.
Life is a gift from God
How often do we hear the following words: I thank God for the life given to me? Alas, no. And this needs to be done. To give thanks that the Lord allowed us to come into this world, to see it with our own eyes, to become part of the universe created by the Lord.
How to give thanks for the priceless gift - life? Order a thanksgiving prayer to the Lord. Pray at home, in your own words. Go to the temple, light a candle and pray in front of the icon and the Crucifixion of the Lord.
In sorrow and illness
How to thank God in times of illness, sadness and sorrow? When our wings are clipped and we don’t want anything. How can we fly here? We crawl with difficulty. Everyone has gone through this.
How to cope with this condition? Well, firstly, we should always remember that all our sorrows are sent by God. He has prepared for everyone their own path to salvation. And God leads the foolish man this way. And the person grumbles and is indignant, trying to break away from the Savior and go on his own. And of course, like a small child, he falls, hurts himself and doesn’t understand why this happened. To admonish those who are especially independent, illnesses and sorrows are sent.
Secondly, you cannot be discouraged. No matter how bad it is. Dejection is man's most terrible enemy. When people are discouraged, everything falls out of hand, thoughts go around one thing. The person stops fighting and begins to slowly give up.
How to return to the fight? Get out of a state of despondency? We must thank God for sending us sorrows and illnesses. Read the gratitude akathist “Glory to God for everything.” This akathist is sold in any church shop, its price is quite affordable.
For family
Everyone has a family. For some it is only their parents, for others it is their spouse and children. And the phrase “thank God for mom and dad,” unfortunately, is almost impossible to hear from children. Of course, in Christian pious families, where children are taught to pray and thank the Lord from a young age, perhaps there is something similar. But in ordinary life, quarrels with loved ones occur more often than gratitude is offered to God for the fact that they exist.
And it needs to be raised. Because the parents are alive and well, the husband doesn’t drink or party, the children study and don’t disappear in bad company on the street. More often we swear at children, saying they sit at the computer all day long. What's the point of this swearing? Pray and God will help you resolve the problem.
For your help
Making requests to God is in the order of things. Every day people ask their Creator about their everyday problems and needs. The Lord helps if this request does not harm the person. And what? The supplicant, having received what he wants, immediately forgets about God. Until the next time you turn to Him for your needs. Is this right?
When we help a person and they don’t say “thank you” in return, it hurts. What is it like for a God who loves his creation and helps it? The Lord patiently bears with our ingratitude. But this is wrong, God helped you, thank him. Help comes through neighbors, friends, acquaintances. And sometimes God controls in such a way that a person receives help from where he did not expect. And we thank those people who helped us achieve what we wanted. Forgetting to thank the Lord.
How to thank God for helping you fulfill a request? Go to church and order a thanksgiving prayer service. Light a candle, thank in your own words, standing in front of the icon of the Savior or His Crucifixion.
You need to know this
Thank God more often for everything that happens in life. Remembering that the ways of the Lord are mysterious. We think it should be this way, but God knows what is best for you and me.
Go to church, offer your prayers in the house of God. Confess, partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. And be sure to wear a cross. The cross is “a bell around the neck of God’s lamb.”
General rules for visiting the temple
We sometimes run into the temple to light candles. Someone sends notes about the health and repose of loved ones. But how often do we attend church services? For the most part, very, very rare.
How to prepare for service? How to get there? What is needed for that? How to get to confession and receive communion? Let's talk about all this in order.
- Preparing for the service, if a person does not plan to receive communion, does not require any effort. You just need to find out the schedule of services of the nearest church and go to the service there.
- You need to arrive to the service early, without being late. This will help you light candles without fuss, venerate icons, ask the Lord for something and thank Him.
- It is advisable for women to attend services in a skirt. The head should be covered with a scarf or hat.
- A man comes to the temple in trousers. Shorts are not allowed.
- During critical days, a woman is allowed to enter the temple. But you cannot light candles, kiss icons or touch shrines. You can take a blessing from a priest these days.
- Those who wish to confess and receive communion must prepare for these Sacraments.
- We confess our sins. In the face of the Lord, and the conductor between us and God is the priest. Before you go to confession, you need to sit down and think seriously. Disturb your memory in search of the sins hidden in it. For those who are confessing for the first time, there is a special helper book with a list of all the main sins. It is sold in church shops.
- Participants prepare to begin the Sacrament in the following way: fast for three days - do not eat meat, dairy products and all products related to animals. In the evening, on the eve of Communion, you need to read the prayers for Holy Communion, as well as the three canons. To the Lord, Mother of God and Guardian Angel.
- In the morning before Communion they do not eat. First, they approach the priest for confession, and then, having received his blessing for Communion, they proceed to this Sacrament.
- After Communion, it is necessary to listen to the words of the thanksgiving prayer. This is about the question of how to thank God. Prayers of thanksgiving after Holy Communion can and should be read at home. For this we thank that God allowed us to receive communion, accepted repentant sinners and allowed us to come to Him.
Reading at home
At home, you can read not only thanksgiving akathists and prayers. Morning and evening prayers, the Gospel - at least a chapter a day, the Psalter - daily according to kathisma, this is the basic minimum rule of an Orthodox Christian.
If you have time and opportunity, you can read an akathist to the saint, who is most often resorted to for help. For some it is Nicholas the Wonderworker, for others it is Sergius of Radonezh. Both Matrona of Moscow and Ksenia of St. Petersburg help us, and every saint will help if a person sincerely asks him for something. After the request has been fulfilled, do not forget to thank the Lord God and the saint to whom you addressed.
Conclusion
So how do you thank God? This can be done in church by ordering. Or you can do it at home by reading the akathist “Glory to God for everything.” You need to thank the Lord every day, offering him prayers in the morning and evening. Do not be afraid to turn to God in your own words, sincere and heartfelt.
And probably the most important gratitude is to live according to God’s commandments. To fulfill the law that the Lord himself decreed for each of us. Go to church, repent, and partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. In general, thank God with your correct, Christian life and wise attitude towards your loved ones. Do not offend anyone, do not judge and remember that “every lamb will be hung by its own tail.”
Complete collection and description: how to properly thank God, prayer for the spiritual life of a believer.
For many people, even churchgoers, spiritual life is often consumerist and represents a huge list of requests to the Lord. In most cases, people in the bustle of worldly life do not notice that the Almighty constantly sends us many mercies and we are in great debt to Him.
Why is a prayer of thanksgiving necessary?
A prayer of gratitude to God for everything is those grateful words that each of us is obliged to offer to Heaven for help, support, consolation, joy, and even for the diseases and troubles sent.
You can give thanks through prayers, but it is also not prohibited in your own words. The soul of a person is alive, and it is alive as long as faith glows in it. And it is necessary to nourish the life of the soul with daily prayers, giving mercy to those in need, and making feasible donations to the temple.
Ingratitude is unbelief. Ungrateful people are unworthy of salvation; they do not see the good paths that the Lord shows them. It seems to such people that everything that happens in their fate is accidental, and sometimes they are visited by thoughts about the meaninglessness of life.
Advice! The Orthodox prayer of gratitude to God for everything is the praise to the Almighty that must be offered constantly.
Our heavenly mentors teach us to thank God for everything. What does the concept of “thank God” include? This means completely, completely trusting Him with yourself and your life, knowing that the Savior will never leave His faithful children in trouble and will definitely help.
This faith in the help of the Almighty helps us, Orthodox Christians, to find those true words of gratitude to the caring and loving Heavenly Father for everything, both for earthly sorrows and for joys.
Prayerful thanks to God
My many-merciful and all-merciful God, Lord Jesus Christ, for the sake of love you came down and became incarnate, so that you would save everyone. And again, Savior, save me by grace, I pray to You; Even if you save me from works, there is no grace and a gift, but more than a duty. He who is abundant in generosity and unspeakable in mercy! Believe in Me, O my Christ, you will live and will not see death forever. And I also have faith, I am in You, saves the desperate, behold, I believe, save me, For You are my God and Creator. Let faith instead of works be imputed to me, O my God, for you will not find works to justify me. But let that faith of mine prevail in place of all, that let it answer, that let it justify me, that let it show me to be a partaker of Thy eternal glory. Let Satan not kidnap me, and boast to the Word that he has torn me from Your hand and fence; But either I want, save me, or I don’t want, O Christ my Savior, I will soon foresee, I will soon perish: For you are my God from my mother’s womb. Grant me, Lord, now to love You, as I have sometimes loved that very sin; And again I worked for You without laziness, I worked for the skin first of the flattering Satan. Most of all, I will serve You, my Lord and God Jesus Christ, all the days of my life, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
We thank Thee, Lord our God, for all Thy good deeds, even from the first age to the present, in us, Thy unworthy servants (names), who were, known and unknown, about those revealed and unmanifested, even those who were in deed and in word: who loved us as and You deigned to give Your Only Begotten Son for us, making us worthy to be worthy of Your love. Grant with Your word wisdom and with Your fear inhale strength from Your power, and whether we have sinned, whether willingly or unwillingly, forgive and not impute, and keep our soul holy, and present it to Thy Throne, having a clear conscience, and the end is worthy of Thy love for mankind; and remember, O Lord, all who call upon Thy name in truth, remember all who desire good or evil against us: for all are men, and every man is in vain; We also pray to You, Lord, grant us Your great mercy.
The Cathedral of Saints Angel and Archangel, with all the heavenly powers, sings to Thee and says: Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts, heaven and earth are filled with Thy glory. Hosanna in the highest, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest. Save me, Who art thou King on high, save me and sanctify me, Source of sanctification; For from You all creation is strengthened, To You countless warriors sing the Trisagion hymn. Unworthy of You, who sits in the unapproachable light, of whom all things are terrified, I pray: enlighten my mind, cleanse my heart, and open my lips, so that I may worthily sing to You: Holy, Holy, Holy art thou, Lord, always, now, and ever and to endless ages of ages. Amen.
We praise God to you, we confess the Lord to you, the whole earth magnifies the eternal Father to you. To You all the angels, to You the heavens and all the powers, to You the unceasing voices of the cherubim and seraphim cry: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts, the heavens and earth are full of the majesty of Your glory. To you is the glorious apostolic face, to you the prophetic number of praise, to you is praised by the bright martyr’s army, to you throughout the entire universe the Holy Church confesses, the Father of incomprehensible majesty, the worship of your true and only begotten Son, and the Holy Comforter of the Spirit. You, the King of Glory Christ, You are the ever-present Son of the Father: You, having received man for the deliverance, did not disdain the Virgin’s womb. Having overcome the sting of death, you have opened the Kingdom of Heaven to believers. You sit at the right hand of God in the glory of the Father, the Judge is confident to come. We therefore ask you: help your servants, whom you have redeemed with your honest blood. Make it worthy to reign with Your saints in Your eternal glory. Save Thy people, O Lord, and bless Thy inheritance, I will correct and exalt them forever: we will bless Thee all the days, and we will praise Thy name forever and ever. Grant, Lord, that on this day we may be preserved without sin. Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us: may Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, as we trust in Thee: in Thee, O Lord, do we trust, that we may not be ashamed forever. Amen.
God! What will I bring to You, how will I thank You for Your constant, greatest mercies to me and to the rest of Your people? For behold, every moment I am enlivened by Your Holy Spirit, every moment I breathe the air You have diffused, light, pleasant, healthy, strengthening, I am enlightened by Your joyful and life-giving light - spiritual and material; I feed on sweet and life-giving spiritual food and the same drink, the holy Mysteries of Your Body and Blood and material sweet food and drinks; You dress me with a bright, beautiful royal robe - with Yourself and material clothes, you cleanse my sins, heal and cleanse my many and fierce sinful passions; You take away my spiritual corruption in the power of Your immeasurable goodness, wisdom and strength, and fill me with Your Holy Spirit - the Spirit of holiness, grace; You give my soul truth, peace and joy, space, strength, boldness, courage, strength, and you endow my body with precious health; You teach my hands to fight and my fingers to fight with the invisible enemies of my salvation and bliss, with the enemies of the holiness and power of Your glory, with the spirits of wickedness in high places; You crown with success my deeds done in Your name... For all this I thank, glorify and bless Your all-good, fatherly, all-powerful power, O God, our Savior, our Benefactor. But be known by Your other people as You appeared to me, O Lover of Mankind, so that they may know You, the Father of all, Your goodness, Your providence, Your wisdom and power, and glorify You, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
I thank Thee, Lord my God, for giving me existence, for giving me birth in the Christian faith, for the Most Pure Virgin Mary, Intercessor for the salvation of our race, for Thy saints praying for us, for the Guardian Angel, for public worship that supports us faith and virtue, for the Holy Scriptures, for the Holy Sacraments, and especially Your Body and Blood, for the mysterious grace-filled consolations, for the hope of receiving the Kingdom of Heaven and for all the blessings You have given me.
Glory to Thee Savior, Almighty Power! Glory to Thee Savior, Omnipresent Power! Glory to Thee, most merciful Womb! Glory to Thee, ever-opening Hearing to hear the prayer of the accursed me, to have mercy on me and save me from my sins! Glory to Thee, brightest Eyes, I will look upon me with kindness and insight into all my secrets! Glory to Thee, glory to Thee, glory to Thee, Sweetest Jesus, my Savior!
Thanksgiving prayers
In every Orthodox church, at the end of the Divine Liturgy, the clergy serve thanksgiving prayers - during their reading, the priest says special prayers to the Lord. Dates of services can be found in each church shop or on cathedral websites.
How to order a prayer service correctly:
- At the temple you need to order a thanksgiving service and write a note. It is necessary to indicate the names of the thankers (in the genitive case, i.e. “from whom?”), writing them down in a column.
- It is allowed to add “statuses” next to names: bol. - means “sick”, mld. - infant (child under 7 years old), neg. - youth, cont. - not idle, pregnant.
- There is no need to indicate the reason for gratitude; Heavenly Father already knows everything.
- People who order a thanksgiving prayer must be baptized in the Orthodox faith.
- Before starting the prayer service, it is advisable to purchase a church candle and place it in a candlestick in front of the icon of Christ.
- If the candles in the candlestick are not lit, there is no need to act without permission and light them. This will be done by a candle maker - a servant who has obedience in the temple.
Attention! Personal presence at the prayer service is required! After all, the Lord fulfilled the request of the prayer book, and the prayer book itself is trying to thank Christ for his good deeds, without even bothering to spend 20-30 minutes praying in the temple. This is, to put it mildly, ugly.
Prayers of thanksgiving should be offered in church. Relief is given only to those who, due to weakness, illness, old age and other valid reasons, cannot visit the holy monastery of God. You can pray to them and thank Christ at home. The main thing is that words of gratitude must come from the depths of the heart.
- Sit in silence and think about what good and kind things have happened in your life.
Many people do not attach much importance to what they have in life. Some complain that their house is too small, but they want a big one, not realizing that they have the benefit of a roof over their heads, which is the only dream for those who do not have their own shelter. Others are not happy that there is food in the refrigerator, but they want something more refined, more tasty. At this time, they do not think that there are people who eat “empty” pasta every day or even go hungry.
Churched Christians believe that nothing happens to them for nothing, and the Lord sends all trials to them to repent of their sins and guide them on the right, true path.
Advice! Even if you don’t understand the meaning of the psalms, don’t stop reading, read anyway and the Almighty will spiritually strengthen you and your faith. Important! Remember that the size of the candle has no effect on the “quality and size” of gratitude. The icon of Christ is usually located in front of the church altar on the right side. If you don’t know the text of the prayer by heart, then buy a prayer book - a book that contains basic prayers for different occasions.
This money will be used to restore the church, purchase icons and church utensils. A monetary sacrifice to the temple - the house of God - is also gratitude to the Lord.
Do any good deeds, give alms - this is the best gratitude to Heaven!
Orthodox prayer “In gratitude to God for everything”
How often do we turn to God, the Most Holy Theotokos and the Holy Saints for help, and if the prayers are sincere, then help always comes. A prayer of gratitude to God for everything: help, support, getting rid of problems - this is the gratitude that certainly needs to be offered to the Almighty! In addition to faith in the Lord and love for him, you need to be able to be grateful.
The Orthodox prayer of gratitude to God for help is the praise that is recommended to be offered to the Almighty.
If you receive what you ask for, be sure to thank God. You can give thanks in your own words, but it is best to read the prayers given below. The human soul is alive as long as faith is alive, and the life of the soul must be nourished with daily prayers. In addition to prayer, you can express your gratitude by giving alms or donating to the temple.
Prayer eight, to our Lord Jesus Christ
This prayer should be read when the Lord Jesus Christ heard your request, and you received what you asked him for. And also, the prayer is read when cardinal changes have occurred in life, even those that at first glance do not seem joyful. For example, you were fired from your job, the landlady from whom you rented the apartment evicted you, your husband left. And it seems like - what is there to thank for? And because a new page is beginning in your life, the door has opened for new discoveries and impressions.
For example, your previous job hampered your professional development, and you deserve more, the old apartment was poorly located, but a new apartment will contribute to some changes in life - meet your love, make new friends, etc. And the husband, who left and did not love at all, turned out to be a traitor and it’s good that this was revealed, you will meet a new one - honest and decent. As you can see, you can find advantages in everything. It is not always possible for us to understand the Divine plan, but know that nothing happens by chance. Everything happens in the best possible way.
My most merciful and all-merciful God,
Lord Jesus Christ,
For the sake of love, you came down and became incarnate for many, so that you would save everyone.
And again, Savior, save me by grace, I pray to You;
Even if you save me from works, there is no grace and a gift, but more than a duty.
Hey, abundant in generosity and ineffable in mercy!
Believe in Me, thou art,
O my Christ, he will live and never see death.
And yet I have faith, I am in You, saves the desperate, behold, I believe, save me,
For You are my God and the Creator. Let faith be credited to me instead of works,
My God, you will not find any works that will justify me.
But may my faith prevail instead of everyone else,
Let her answer, let her justify me,
May she show me to be a partaker of Your eternal glory.
Let Satan snatch me away and boast,
Word, to tear me away from Your hand and fence;
But either I want, save me, or I don’t want, O Christ my Savior, let me soon, I will soon perish:
For you are my God from my mother’s womb. Vouchsafe me
Lord, now love You,
As if I sometimes loved that same sin;
And again I worked for You without laziness, I worked for the skin first of the flattering Satan.
I will work for You most of all,
To my Lord and God Jesus Christ,
All the days of my life, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
An ungrateful person is worse than an animal. As the Prophet Isaiah said: “The ox knows his owner, and the donkey his master’s manger.” It turns out that if a person does not think about who his creator is and who gives him everything he has, then he becomes worse than an ox and a donkey, who know who feeds them. And only by being grateful to God for all his gifts in life can we accept these gifts with any dignity.
A strong prayer of gratitude to God for everything, it must be read as soon as you receive what you asked from the Almighty. Do not forget to thank him every day in your own words, even for the smallest help, for the smallest pleasant event, and then our Lord will never leave you and will always help.
Here is one example of words of gratitude to the Blessed Virgin Mary
The next prayer is words of gratitude to the Most Holy Theotokos. She is the patroness of young girls, mothers, pregnant women, travelers, they ask her for health, love, and prosperity. Therefore, do not forget about this prayer of gratitude to the Mother of God. The Mother of God is greatly revered by believers; she is the mother of the entire human race.
All her life she lived according to God's laws, helped everyone, never offended anyone, never said a bad word, the Mother of God was a meek, kind woman. Her life ended easily and quickly, as if she had simply fallen asleep. Before her death, the Mother of God promised to be their intercessor and pray for them. This is how it happens. Everyone who turns to the Most Pure One is sure to receive healing, requested help and intercession.
Prayer of gratitude to the Mother of God
To the Mother of God, Mother of God, I direct my song,
I praise and thank the Virgin Mary!
All the Angels and Archangels serve and worship you,
All authorities and rulers obey you.
Glory to Your belly, glory to Your greatness!
You gave the world a human Savior,
You gave everyone a chance to live and exist!
You protect all women and mothers, You endow them with strength and fortitude!
You helped me in my life, for which my gratitude is limitless!
I am destined to glorify Your name and trust in the mercy of the Lord!
For all that I have, I thank You, worldly, I bow to You.
In this song I’m not asking for help, but I’m paying tribute, thanking you for peace!
I pray for the sins of my family and for my family, I ask for mercy!
Prayer of gratitude to our Creator - the Almighty God
How often do we thank our creator, the Almighty God? Few people know that the name of our creator is Hosts. Do not forget to thank him for everything, despite the fact that Jesus Christ said, “I and the Father are one.”
I praise and thank the Lord God for his mercy,
I turn to my Guardian Angel, With gratitude, with worship, with feeling!
Thank you for your daily help, for your participation!
For intercession before the face of the Lord, for mercy!
My gratitude knows no end,
Every day it increases and grows! Amen!
Just from the mere thought of God, our heart should be filled with gratitude for all his gifts to us. The most important and greatest gift is our life. We will never be able to repay God equally for this priceless gift of his, and therefore we must at least be grateful.
Peter and Fevronia
If you have any questions or need help in your current life situation, you can consult with our experts.
- Firstly: as soon as something good happens in your life through your prayers, you must immediately go to church and offer a prayer service of thanksgiving to our Lord Jesus Christ.
- This is a requirement, read after the service by the priest in your presence: buy a candle, light it. Pre-order a prayer service for all people close to you.
- Secondly, or rather, firstly: remember the indispensable rule of how to read prayers of thanks:
- PRAYERS OF THANKS
- It is advisable to read these prayers every day.
- Thank the Lord for every day you live, for the blessings sent down to you, for the great gift of health, for the happiness of your children. For everything you have at the moment, even if, from your point of view, it is not that much.
- If you begin to thank the forces of Heaven for your life and everything connected with it, your life will definitely change for the better. After all, good begets good. Having learned to appreciate what we have, we will perceive differently all the opportunities that the Lord will give us through our prayers.
- Prayer of gratitude to the Guardian Angel
- Having thanked and glorified my Lord, the One God of the Orthodox Jesus Christ for His beneficence, I appeal to you, holy angel of Christ, Divine warrior. I appeal with a prayer of gratitude, I thank you for your mercy towards me and for your intercession for me before the face of the Lord. Be glorified in the Lord, angel!
- A short version of a prayer of gratitude to the Guardian Angel
- Having glorified the Lord, I pay tribute to you, my guardian angel. Glorious be you in the Lord! Amen.
- Thirdly, important information regarding your question:
- The Lord gives us everything, so we should thank Him for everything. “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus in you,” teaches the holy Apostle Paul (1 Thess. 5:18). Saint John Chrysostom calls for giving thanks for all blessings “both great and small.”
- And since God arranges everything for our good, we should thank Him for the disasters that befall us.
- “For the Lord loves him and punishes him,” says the word of God (Heb. 12:6). “We must admit from the heart,” teaches Saint Tikhon, “that God does great mercy to us when he beats us with the rod of fatherly punishment, although our flesh is weak and sorrowful.”
- That is why Saint Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow, after the end of the destructive plague in 1848, called on the people to thank God for this kind of disaster, for he increased prayer, repentance and humility among the people, which was forgotten by them before suffering.
- Definition of Thanksgiving Prayer
- The fulfillment of our requests for both spiritual and physical needs is naturally followed by thanksgiving. The prayer of thanksgiving is such a disposition of our spirit in which we consider God the source of all our true good and in the fullness of our feelings we prostrate ourselves before Him as a sign of our filial gratitude.
- The basis for prayer of thanksgiving is Divine Love, pouring out its great bounties on us. If we receive some service from our neighbors, then we involuntarily develop a feeling of gratitude towards them. This is all the more necessary to say in the case when the benefits of God are meant, since they are received by man in abundance and, moreover, constantly. Man has nothing of his own; he owes everything to God. Hence thanksgiving is necessary.
- The naturalness of the prayer of thanksgiving is emphasized by the word of God. It excites us to it and inspires it (Ps. 49:14-15; Col. 3:17; Phil. 4:6).
- “Whoever does not give thanks,” says St. Philaret of Moscow, “does such injustice to the heavenly Giver of all blessings that even among people in relation to earthly benefactors is condemned and punished with general contempt.” Elsewhere he calls ingratitude an unnatural state of mind.
- What should we thank the Lord for?
- The Lord gives us everything, so we should thank Him for everything. “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus in you,” teaches the holy Apostle Paul (1 Thess. 5:18). Saint John Chrysostom calls for giving thanks for all blessings “both great and small.” And since God arranges everything for our good, we should thank Him for the disasters that befall us. “For the Lord loves him and punishes him,” says the word of God (Heb. 12:6). “We must admit from the heart,” teaches Saint Tikhon, “that God does great mercy to us when he beats us with the rod of fatherly punishment, although our flesh is weak and sorrowful.” That is why Saint Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow, after the end of the destructive plague in 1848, called on the people to thank God for this kind of disaster, for he increased prayer, repentance and humility among the people, which was forgotten by them before suffering.
- We need to thank God not only when we receive what we ask for, but also when we do not receive it, “because not receiving, when it happens according to the will of God, is no less beneficial than receiving,” teaches St. John Chrysostom. Because of this, the prayer of thanksgiving approaches in its meaning the prayer of praise and therefore is often placed after it - in second place.
- Finally, you need to thank not only for yourself, but also for others. In this way we will destroy envy towards them and cultivate sincere love, “for,” as St. John Chrysostom says, “it will no longer be inappropriate to envy the one for whom we give thanks to the Lord.”
- Samples of Thanksgiving Prayer
- As an example of a prayer of thanksgiving from the Old Testament, one can cite the 17th Psalm, sung by the holy King David after the Lord delivered him from all his enemies.
- In the introduction, the psalmist expresses his ardent love for the Lord, his firm hope for His everlasting help (v. 24) and then moves on to the main subject of his song - an account of how in his life he turned to the Lord with prayer and was saved by Him from enemies and dangers. First, the prophet David depicts the dangers of his life, the calling of the Lord and His quick intercession (vv. 5-20), and then he explains the reasons for the Lord’s mercy shown to him (vv. 21-29) and tells what exactly God sent him His mercies (vv. . 30-46). In conclusion, the psalmist thanks the Lord, his Protector and Savior, and promises to glorify Him among foreigners: “for this reason we will confess to You among the nations” (vv. 47-51).
- In the New Testament one can point to the prayer of thanksgiving of our Lord Jesus Christ on the occasion of the joy of His seventy disciples returning from preaching (Luke 10:21; Matt. 11:25-26).
- A wonderful example of a prayer of thanksgiving is indicated by St. John Chrysostom in the prayer of one holy man, who thanked God in this way: “We thank you for all your blessings shown to us unworthy from the first day of our life until the present - we thank you for everything that we know and that we do not know, for everything explicit and implicit, revealed by deed and word, done according to our will and against our will, for everything that happened to us unworthy, for sorrow and weakening of sorrow, for Gehenna, for torment, for the Kingdom of Heaven.”
- The divine service of the Holy Orthodox Church contains many exemplars and prayers of thanksgiving. This should include prayers for the thanksgiving service and prayers for communion of the Holy Mysteries. The central part of the service itself is called the Eucharist, which means “thanksgiving.”
There is a story about a Protestant pastor who, while visiting the sick, went into a hospital for the mentally ill. Here one of the patients, who apparently had a moment of mental enlightenment, approached the shepherd and asked him: “Have you ever thanked God for your sanity?” The shepherd was dumbfounded by such an unexpected question. No, it never occurred to him to thank God for such an obvious gift. Only here in the hospital, seeing so many unfortunate mentally ill people around him, did he realize that reason is God’s great gift! The shepherd immediately promised the sick man and himself that he would thank God daily for his sound mind.
E That incident from the life of a shepherd characterizes the general feature of human attitude towards the blessings of life, due to which people are accustomed to accepting everything, as a matter of course. It is rare that any person thanks his Creator, who constantly takes care of him and sends him countless material and spiritual benefits.
“Wherever I look with the eyes of my heart,” the saint writes, “whether inside or outside myself, everywhere I see a strong reason for thanksgiving and glorification of the Lord!”
D Indeed, our whole life is an unbroken chain of God’s blessings! He created our body, which is better and more perfect than any mechanism or computer. He breathed into us this immortal, god-like soul, which animates our mortal body, and which is more precious and dear to us than anything else. He gave us intelligence, which elevates us above animals; – free will, thanks to which we can improve physically and spiritually and direct our lives towards good; – feelings capable of enjoying the gifts of God’s goodness, finding happiness and joy in life.
Although we do not see God with our eyes, we know that He constantly cares for our welfare more than the most loving mother. He commands the sun to shine over us, which illuminates and warms, cheers and revives us. He does us good by sending rain and fertility, filling us with food and gladdening our hearts. He commanded the earth to produce various fruits with which our body feeds and lives, and makes animals serve us. Thus, according to His will, mountains and valleys, seas and rivers, trees and stones, birds and fish, earth and air - everything serves our benefit and pleasure. His divine power sustains, continues and preserves our lives in the midst of everything hostile and dangerous in the world. In a word, “In Him we live and move and have our being.” Every moment of our life is a gift of His infinite goodness, every breath of our chest is a sign of His fatherly favor, every beat of our heart is a work of His highest love and mercy.
N this is not enough! When, by violating God’s commandments, people exposed themselves to all kinds of disasters, became obscene before God, unworthy of life and blessedness, God the Father did not leave them to die. On the contrary, because of His infinite love, He “He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”().
E heterogeneous God's Son, taking pity on us prodigal children, came into our world and took on our mortal nature. He “He humbled Himself, taking on the form of a servant, becoming in the likeness of men, and becoming in appearance like a man, and humbled Himself, being obedient even to death, even death on the cross.”(). He taught us to live righteously and showed us the path to the Kingdom of Heaven. He took upon Himself the sins of the human race, for our sake endured humiliation, spitting, slaps, beatings, suffering on the cross and shame with evildoers, shed His blood for us and laid down His soul for us, “in order to destroy the power of him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and to deliver those who, from the fear of death, were subject to slavery all their lives.”().
Consubstantial with the Father and the Son - Holy Spirit, for the sake of the atoning sacrifice of the God-man, descends on us, cleanses our conscience from sinful deeds, revives and sanctifies our nature, gives us His divine power necessary for a righteous life and makes us children of God.
P In all this, we often forget God and upset His mercy with our stubbornness, stupidity, and malice! But the Lord not only does not destroy, but continues to forgive and have mercy on us, patiently waiting for our correction. Despite our frequent falls, He, with great care and wisdom, leads our lives to salvation, to endless joy in the heavenly abodes. Few people think about how many obstacles they create for God in the work of their salvation!
WITH V. John of Kronstadt shares his experience, which is familiar to many believers: “How many times death entered my heart, then passing to my body (there is no number), and the Lord delivered me from all deaths!” The feeling of the flow of mercies from God evoked the following inspired words from the psalmist:
“Bless, my soul, the Lord and everything within me - His holy name! Bless the Lord, my soul, and do not forget all His benefits: He forgives all your iniquities, heals all your ailments, delivers your life from the grave, surrounds you with mercy and bounty, fulfills your good desires, your youth will be renewed like an eagle’s. The Lord shows mercy and truth to all those who are offended... The Lord is generous and merciful, long-suffering and abounding in mercy” (Psalm 103).
In moments of trial, many become discouraged and grumble. But we must understand that the Lord sometimes allows troubles and sorrows to happen to us, not because He has forgotten us or wants to punish us. No! He admits them like bitter things, but necessary medicine, healing us from pride, frivolity, arrogance, self-love and other shortcomings. Realizing this, the great Saint John Chrysostom said at the end of his days: “Glory to God for everything, and especially for the sorrows!”
N We, Orthodox Christians, must especially thank God for deigning us to be children of His true Church, which, by the power of the Holy Spirit, contains pure Gospel teaching, which sanctifies and strengthens us with its grace-filled sacraments. This is the one to which belonged the Prophets, Apostles, martyrs and all the saints who are in the abodes of heaven and at the same time constitute with us, their younger brothers, one great family of God. This is the Church in which we are honored with the communion of the life-giving Body and Blood of our Savior, which gives us immortality.
AND So, when we delve into the ways of God's providence in our lives, we see that it is not so much duty and obligation, but our whole being, our whole life in the present and in the future, that requires us not to remain insensitive to the benefits of God! To this we must add that our gratitude is not needed by God, but by ourselves. When we thank God, we remember His love for us, His constant care at about us and the sea of material and spiritual benefits that He pours out on us daily. This is a memory clarifies our intelligence, gives us the opportunity to clearly understand, what is the purpose of our life helps us weed out the unimportant from the main.
TO In addition, gratitude to God dispels despondency, removes sadness, returns to us vivacity and cheerfulness. Gratitude to God can be likened to warm rays of sunlight penetrating the dark cellar of the soul. From contact with the Spiritual Sun the soul warms up, a person becomes kinder and ready for love.
B Let us try every day, and especially on Sundays, to thank our Creator and Savior - this will serve as an excellent medicine for our soul!
Prayer of Thanksgiving (from the prayer service)
Lord Jesus Christ our God, God of all mercy and generosity, whose mercy is immeasurable and whose love for mankind is an immeasurable abyss! We, falling before Your greatness, with fear and trembling, like unworthy slaves, bring thanks to You for the mercies shown to us. As the Lord, Master and benefactor, we glorify You, praise You, sing and magnify You and, falling down, thank You again! We humbly pray to Your ineffable mercy: just as now You have accepted our prayers and fulfilled them, so in the future let us succeed in love for You, for our neighbors and in all virtues. And make us worthy to always thank and glorify You, together with Your beginningless Father and Your all-holy, good, and consubstantial Spirit. Amen.
Some thanks and praise psalms:33, 65, 66, 91, 95, 96, 102, 103, 116, 145, 149, 150. Psalms praising God: 8, 17, 92, 102, 103.
Akathist of gratitude
Compiled in the forties by Archpriest Fr. Grigory Petrov in one of Stalin’s concentration camps, in which he probably died.
Imperishable King of the ages, containing in His right hand all the paths of human life, by the power of Your saving providence. We thank you for all Your known and hidden blessings, for your earthly life and for the heavenly joys of Your future Kingdom. Extend Your mercies to us henceforth, singing: Glory to Thee, O God, forever!
I was born into the world as a weak, helpless child, but Your Angel spread bright wings, guarding my cradle. Since then, Your love has shone on all my paths, miraculously leading me to the light of eternity. The gloriously generous gifts of Your providence have been revealed from the first day until now. I thank and cry with all who have come to know You: Glory to You, who called me to Life; Glory to Thee, who showed me the beauty of the universe; Glory to Thee, who opened heaven and earth before me as an eternal book of wisdom; The glory of Your eternity in the midst of a temporary world; Glory to Thee for Thy secret and obvious mercies; Glory to You for every step of life, for every moment of joy; Glory to You, God, forever!
Lord, how good it is to visit You: the fragrant wind, the mountains stretched into the sky, like boundless mirrors, reflecting the gold of the rays and the lightness of the clouds. All nature whispers mysteriously, everything is full of affection, and birds and animals bear the stamp of Your love. Blessed is mother earth with her fleeting beauty, awakening longing for the eternal homeland, where in imperishable beauty it sounds: Hallelujah!
You brought me into this life as into an enchanting paradise. We saw the sky, like a deep blue bowl, in the azure of which birds were ringing, we heard the soothing sound of the forest and the sweet music of the waters, we ate fragrant and sweet fruits and fragrant honey. It’s good with You on earth, it’s joyful to visit You.
Glory to Thee for the celebration of life; Glory to Thee for the fragrance of lilies of the valley and roses; Glory to Thee for the sweet variety of berries and fruits; Glory to Thee for the diamond shine of the morning dew; Glory to You for the smile of bright awakening; Glory to Thee for eternal life, the harbinger of heaven. Glory to You, God, forever!
Every flower breathes with the power of the Holy Spirit, the quiet wafting of aroma, the tenderness of color, the beauty of the Great in the small. Praise and honor to the life-giving God, who spreads out the meadows like a flowering carpet, who crowns the fields with the gold of ears of corn and the azure of cornflowers, and the souls with the joy of contemplation. Rejoice and sing to Him: Hallelujah!
How beautiful you are in the celebration of spring. When all creation is resurrected and joyfully calls out to You in a thousand ways: You are the source of life, You are the conqueror of death. In the light of the moon and the singing of the nightingale, valleys and forests stand in their snow-white wedding dresses. The whole earth is Your bride, she is waiting for You, the Imperishable Bridegroom. If You dress the grass like this, then how will You transform us into the future age of resurrection, how our bodies will be illuminated, how our souls will shine!
Glory to You, who brought out various colors, tastes and aroma from the darkness of the earth. Glory to You for the hospitality and affection of all nature. Glory to You for having surrounded us with thousands of Your creatures. Glory to Thee for the depth of Thy mind, imprinted throughout the world; Glory to You, I reverently kiss the footprints of Your invisible feet. Glory to You, who lit the bright light of eternal life ahead; Glory to Thee, for the hope of immortal, imperishable beauty; Glory to You, God, forever!
How You delight those who think about You, how life-giving is Your holy Word, softer than oil and sweeter than a honeycomb is conversation with You. Inspires and lives towards You; what trembling then fills the heart and how majestic and reasonable nature and all life then become! Where You are not there, there is emptiness. Where You are, there is the wealth of the soul, there the song pours out like a living stream: Hallelujah!
When sunset descends on the earth, when the peace of eternal sleep and the silence of the fading day reigns, I see Your palace under the image of shining chambers and cloudy shadows of dawn. Fire and purple, gold and azure prophetically speak of the indescribable beauty of Your villages, they solemnly call: let's go to the Father! Glory to Thee in the quiet hour of the evening;
Glory to You, who has poured out great peace into the world; Glory to Thee for the farewell ray of the setting sun; Glory to Thee for the rest of blessed sleep; Glory to Thee for Thy goodness in the darkness, when the whole world is far away; Glory to Thee for the tender prayers of a touched soul. Glory to Thee for the promised awakening to the joy of the eternal non-evening day; Glory to You, God, forever!
The storms of life are not terrible for those who have the lamp of Your fire shining in their hearts. All around there is bad weather and darkness, horror and the howling of the wind. And in his soul there is silence and light. There is Christ! And the heart sings: Hallelujah!
I see Your sky shining with stars. Oh, how rich You are, how much light You have! Eternity looks at me with the rays of distant luminaries, I am so small and insignificant, but the Lord is with me, His loving right hand protects me everywhere. Glory to You for your constant care for me; Glory to Thee for providential meetings with people; Glory to Thee for the love of relatives, for the devotion of friends; Glory to Thee for the gentleness of the animals that serve me; Glory to You for the bright moments of my life; Glory to Thee for the clear joys of the heart; Glory to You for the happiness of living, moving and contemplating; Glory to You, God, forever!
How great and close You are in the powerful movement of a thunderstorm, How Your mighty hand is visible in the bends of dazzling lightning, Your greatness is wondrous. The voice of the Lord over the fields and in the noise of the forests, the voice of the Lord in the birth of thunder and rain, the voice of the Lord over many waters. Praise be to You in the roar of the fire-breathing mountains. You shake the earth like a garment. You raise the waves of the sea to the sky. Praise be to the one who humbles human pride, who emits a cry of repentance: Hallelujah!
Like lightning, when it illuminates the halls of the feast, then after it the lights of the lamps seem pitiful, so You suddenly shone in my soul during the most intense joys of life. And after Your lightning light, how colorless, dark, and ghostly they seemed. My soul was chasing you. Glory to You, the edge and limit of the highest human dream!
Glory to Thee for our tireless thirst for communion with God; Glory to Thee, who breathed into the soul an eternal longing for heaven; Glory to Thee, who has clothed us with Thy subtlest rays; Glory to You, who crushes the power of the spirits of darkness, who doomed all evil to destruction; Glory to You for Your revelations, for the happiness of feeling You and living with You; Glory to You, God, forever!
In a wondrous combination of sounds, Your call is heard. You open to us the threshold of the coming paradise in the melody of singing, in harmonious tones, in the height of musical beauty, in the brilliance of artistic creativity. Everything truly beautiful with a powerful call carries the soul to You, makes you sing enthusiastically: Hallelujah!
With the influx of the Holy Spirit, You illuminate the thoughts of artists, poets, and geniuses of science. By the power of superconsciousness they prophetically comprehend Your laws, revealing to us the abyss of Your creative wisdom. Their deeds involuntarily speak about You: oh, how great You are in your creatures, oh, how great You are in man.
Glory to Thee, who has revealed incomprehensible power in the laws of the universe; Glory to You. All nature is full of the laws of Your existence; Glory to Thee for everything revealed to us through Thy goodness; Glory to Thee for what Thou hast hidden according to Thy wisdom; Glory to Thee for the genius of the human mind; Glory to Thee for the life-giving power of labor; Glory to Thee for the fiery tongues of inspiration; Glory to You, God, forever!
How close You are in days of illness. You Yourself visit the sick, You Yourself bend down at the suffering bed and the heart talks with You. You illuminate the soul with peace during times of severe sorrow and suffering, You send unexpected help. You console, You are testing and saving love, We sing a song to You: Hallelujah!
When I first consciously called upon You as a child, You fulfilled my prayer, and a reverent peace overshadowed my soul. Then I realized that You are good and blessed are those who resort to You. I began to call You again and again, and now I call You.
Glory to You, who fulfills my good desires; Glory to Thee, who watches over me day and night; Glory to Thee, who heals sorrow and loss with the healing passage of time; Glory to You, with You there are no hopeless losses, You give everyone eternal life; Glory to You, You have bestowed immortality on all that is good and lofty, You have promised the desired meeting with the dead; Glory to You, God, forever!
Why does all nature smile mysteriously on holidays? Why then does a wondrous lightness spread in the heart, incomparable to anything earthly, and the very air of the altar and the temple becomes luminous? This is the breath of Your grace, this is the reflection of the Tabor light, when heaven and earth sing in praise: Hallelujah!
When You inspired me to serve my neighbors and illuminated my soul with humility, then one of Your countless rays fell on my heart, and it became luminous, like iron in fire. I saw Your mysterious, elusive Face.
Glory to You, who transforms our lives with deeds of good; Glory to Thee, Who has imprinted unspeakable sweetness in every commandment of Thy; Glory to You, who dwells where mercy is fragrant; Glory to You, who sends us failures and sorrows, so that we are sensitive to the suffering of others; Glory to You, who has placed the great reward in the intrinsic value of good; Glory to You, who accepts the high impulses of our soul; Glory to Thee, who exalted love above all earthly and heavenly things; Glory to You, God, forever!
What is broken into dust cannot be restored, but You restore those whose conscience has decayed, You return their former beauty to souls who have hopelessly lost it. There is nothing irreparable with You. You are all love. You are the Creator and Restorer, We praise You with the song: Hallelujah!
My God, who knows the falling away of the proud angel of the star. Save me by the power of grace, do not let me fall away from You, do not let me forget all Your benefits and gifts, do not let me doubt You. Sharpen my hearing, so that at all moments of my life I hear Your mysterious voice and cry out to You, Omnipresent.
Glory to Thee for the providential coincidence of circumstances; Glory to Thee for the gracious premonitions; Glory to Thee for the instructions of the secret voice; Glory to Thee for revelations in dreams and in reality; Glory to Thee, who destroys our useless plans; Glory to You, who sobers us from the intoxication of passions through suffering; Glory to You, who saves the pride of the heart; Glory to You, God, forever!
Through the icy chain of centuries, I feel the warmth of Your Divine breath, I hear flowing blood. You are already close, the network of time has dissipated. I see Your Cross - it is for me. My spirit is in the dust before the Cross: here is the triumph of love and salvation, here praise never ceases forever: Hallelujah!
Blessed is he who tastes supper in Your Kingdom, but You have already shared this bliss with me on earth. How many times have You extended Your Body and Blood to me with your Divine right hand, and I, a great sinner, accepted this shrine and felt Your love, unspeakable, supernatural.
Glory to Thee for the incomprehensible life-giving power of grace; Glory to You, who has erected Yours as a quiet refuge for the tormented world; Glory to Thee, who revives us with the life-giving waters of baptism; Glory to You, You restore to the repentant the purity of immaculate lilies; Glory to Thee, inexhaustible abyss of forgiveness; Glory to Thee for the Cup of life, for the Bread of everlasting joy; Glory to Thee, who took us to heaven; Glory to You, God, forever!
I have seen many times the reflection of Your glory on the faces of the dead. With what unearthly beauty and joy they shone, how airy and immaterial their features were, it was a triumph of achieved happiness, peace, in silence they called to You. At the hour of my death, enlighten my soul, calling: Hallelujah!
What is my praise before You. I have not heard the singing of cherubs - this is the lot of high souls, but I know how nature praises You. In the winter I contemplated how, in the silence of the moon, the whole earth quietly prayed to You, clothed in a white robe, shining with diamonds of snow. I saw how the rising sun rejoiced in You, and how the choirs of birds thundered in glory. I heard how mysteriously the forest rustles about You, the winds sing, the waters murmur, how the choirs of luminaries preach about You with their harmonious movement in endless space. What is my praise! Nature is obedient to You, but I am not; but while I live, I see Your love, I want to thank, pray and cry out.
Glory to Thee, who showed us the light; Glory to Thee, who loved us with deep, immeasurable, divine love; Glory to Thee, who overshadows us with light, hosts of angels and saints; Glory to Thee, All-Holy Father, Who commanded us Thy Kingdom through the blood of Thy Son; Glory to Thee, Holy Spirit, life-giving sun of the future century; Glory to Thee for everything, O Divine Trinity, all-merciful; Glory to You, God, forever!
Oh, all-good and life-giving Trinity! Accept thanks for all Your mercies and show us worthy of Your benefits, so that, having multiplied the talents entrusted to us, we may enter into the eternal joy of our Lord with victorious praise: Hallelujah!
Sometimes a person notices only negative events in his life, focusing on what he does not have, and forgets to thank the Lord. But it's not right. Whatever emotions you feel, thank the Creator for everything he has provided for you. Remember what was and what is good in your life now. Very often people do not pay any attention to the good things that they have and complain, for example, that they do not have a luxury car, although they drive a middle-class car, they do not have their own home, although they own a good apartment, and so on. They do not understand what to thank God for and are subsequently left with nothing: without shelter, without a car, and so on. Everyone wants to eat deliciously, forgetting about the hungry - people in dire need of help.
When we express our gratitude to God, we acknowledge our dependence on Him. The Holy Scriptures give reasons why people should thank God. Our great example is Jesus, the Son of God, who gave thanks to the Father in his prayers. A person’s heart should be filled with gratitude to God for the fact that, by His mercy, the Lord introduced us into His Kingdom of light, in which Christ will reign forever.
How to thank God
- If you don't know the right prayer, you can thank God in your own words. Having done this, cross yourself three times from right to left, saying: “In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen".
- Also, if there are quite a lot of people around you, you can simply say to yourself: “Thank you, Lord!” Based on the Orthodox faith, Christians thank the Lord for everything. Even if something bad happens in life, Orthodox believe that these trials are sent to them by God, so that a person admits his mistakes, repents of his sins and takes a new path - the path of correction.
- If you carefully read the Psalter, a book that is part of the Bible, you will find 150 songs in it, most of which are dedicated exclusively to thanking the Lord. Read this holy book, and you will certainly feel that you have become stronger spiritually.
- Visit any Orthodox church. Buy a candle from church officials and place it in front of the icon with the image of the Savior. Often, this face is placed on the right in front of the altar. You can buy a prayer book at the church store (in case you don’t know the prayer of thanksgiving). This special book contains not only thanksgiving, but also prayers for all occasions. You can put as much money as you see fit into the alms boxes installed in the temple. Usually these alms go towards the purchase of church utensils, restoration of the temple, etc. This way you will thank God.
- You can also order a thanksgiving prayer behind the candle box in the church - this is a special service at which the priest reads certain prayers to the Lord. To do this, write on a piece of paper the names of those from whom the prayer service will be performed.
- Do any good deed - it will be the best gratitude. Give alms, feed a hungry cat or dog, help your relatives, etc.
Christian parable
One man felt that he was very indebted to the Lord God, since he happily escaped the danger that threatened his life. Once, in a conversation with a friend, he asked what he should do to properly thank God. In response, his friend told him the following story.
A young man loved a girl very much and asked her to become his wife. However, the young woman had other plans. And then one day, while walking down the street at an intersection, the girl was almost hit by a car. She did not die only thanks to the skill of the guy who sharply pulled her back. After which the girl turned and said: “Now I will become your wife.”
How do you think the guy felt at that moment? - asked a friend.
And instead of answering, his comrade only curled his mouth in displeasure.
“You see,” the friend turned to him again, “maybe your behavior now evokes the same feelings in God.