Continue earnestly in prayer, being VIGILANT in it with THANKSGIVING (Col 4:2, emphasis mine).

Being vigilant in prayer is tied to thanksgiving.

I keep praying because I’m thankful for a God who answers prayers.

A thankful heart inspires hope.

Hope leads to prayer.

And by thankful, I mean grateful.

There’s such POWER in a grateful heart. It impacts us and spurs on our prayers.

A few years ago, I sat in the hospital with my Dad as he lay waiting for his blood thinners to get out of his system so his surgeon could work on his fractured hip from yet another fall at his house. His arm was also broken and in a sling.

He would drift off to sleep, but every little movement would cause him to cry out in pain. He even asked one of my sons to tie him to the hospital bed so he couldn’t move as he slept.

It’s was hurt-your-heart HARD to watch.

But I also watched my Daddy thank every person he came in contact with for their care for him.

I listened as he told me how beautiful his hospital room was and how nice those people were to him.

Despite his pain, he still managed to find reasons to be grateful.

And I realized, once again, it’s true…. Gratefulness is a powerful weapon that defeats the enemy and gives us hope to keep praying.

As we look for, and call out the blessings, in even the hardest of situations, our hearts glimpse the eternal, where pain and suffering are no more.

We remind ourselves, and the evil one, that death and sickness and sorrow have been defeated and what troubles us now, will one day be swallowed up in rivers of joy. Forever.

Forever, for those who know call on the Lord as Savior.

Those aren’t just words. It’s truth. It’s help-you-get-through-your-stuff hope to keep praying right now -on this side of Heaven.

As the hospital doctor left dad’s room one day, he told my dad to “have a good day” to which Dad responded, “Yes, Jesus has really been with me.”

Counting those blessings helped my Dad remember that Jesus really HAS been and will KEEP being with Him.

And friends, knowing that Jesus is with us, and living with thanksgiving keeps us praying earnestly and with confidence. And reminds us of the REAL HOPE we have!

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