Our heartfelt giving of thanks should always coincide with our prayers to God. Today's passage from Philippians confirms this truth, as do a host of other passages (Daniel 6:10; Ephesians 1:16; Colossians 1:3; Colossians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 1:2; 1 Timothy 2:1). However, an unthankful spirit always affects one's prayer life eventually developing into a vicious repetitive cycle. A lack of prayer instills a lack of thankfulness. Those who fail to be thankful, fail to cultivate a consistent prayer life. Fortunately, this lack of thankfulness exposes our true problem which is a heart lacking humility. As our heart fills with pride, we fail to realize the goodness of God and our need to continually seek His face with this spirit of thankfulness. The solution involves conditioning ourselves to have a prayer life consisting of a genuine time of thanksgiving. True thankfulness should eliminate many of the prayers consisting of nothing but self-serving desires.
Christians in every age have faced varied battles ranging from small skirmishes to life-ending combat. God’s word tells the believer to equip himself as a good soldier of Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 2:3) by putting on “the whole armour of God.” This armour enables those engulfed in the battle to “stand against the wiles of the devil.” The apostle Paul identifies this armour and the importance of every element. Interestingly, as he refers to “the shield of faith,” he suggests taking it “above all.” Faith, though often overlooked, remains a crucial element within the saint’s spiritual arsenal. The Bible drives home this truth by pointing out that the shield of faith can “quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” Without faith, the believer stands exposed and vulnerable. It is utterly impossible to “be strong in the Lord” apart from a steadfast faith in God and His word. While the sword (the Bible) works on the offense, faith protects and shields.
