The Strongest Point in prayer

Sunday12 February
READ: Matt. 6: 9
MORE LESSON: Psa. 65: 1 - 2

Jesus gave us a prototype of prayer that is acceptable to Heaven. In Matt. 6: 9, Jesus taught the disciples to pray by addressing the Father who is in Heaven. The very first statement He taught them to say to the Father is, ...Hallowed be thy name. If in all the long lines of the prayer, the very first thing that the Lord taught them to do was to praise God's name, then praise and thanksgiving must be the most important part of prayer. In ranking of things, the highest is always put first. When you say a thing is number one, it means that it is the most important and the best.
Even in writing exams, it is good to give your strongest points first. You should first attempt the question you know best because when the examiner marks your first point and he is already impressed, it will motivate him to make sense out of the rest of your points as he already has a good impression of you. Who knows, some examiners might even be too impatient to read carefully through your work, they just scan through your initial points and judge your entire work based on your initial points. This is why your strongest point should always come first.
In prayer, your strongest point should come first. However, contrary to what many think, the strongest point is not praying about the most pressing problem. Your strongest point is simply to say 'thank You Jesus.' Jesus taught the disciples to pray by giving the strongest point first and the strongest point was Hallowed be thy name. That is the equivalent of saying, “Thank You Father.” Giving thanks is the highest point of prayer. It doesn't matter how pressing the problem is; whether you are sad or happy; come what may, the first and strongest point in prayer is to thank Jesus. Thanking God in prayer should not be a religious prelude that one routinely skims through so that one can get into the 'real prayer'. Thanking God is not the introductory part of prayer as many use it today; thanking God is the real prayer.
Jesus showed us this in the prayer that He taught and the prayers He prayed. When Jesus was faced with a situation of feeding thousands of people with a few loaves of bread and fish, He simply blessed God and the food multiplied (Matt 14: 19). When Jesus was at the tomb of Lazarus, He simply said, “Thank You Father,” and he who was dead for four days came back to life (John 11: 41). Thanksgiving is the heart and height of prayer. This is why saying “Thank You Jesus” should be a part of your daily life. Start your day by saying it and end your day saying it. Say it both formally and informally, say it consciously and unconsciously. Thanksgiving is the most important prayer and it is the strongest point in prayer.

Prayer/Action
* Give God thanks for the gift of a new day, in the name of Jesus.
* Thank the Lord for the things you believe He will do for you today, in Jesus’ name.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Father, in the year of shining light, my life shall not be barren of glory, in the mighty name of Jesus.