“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace.” Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)

In Philippians 4:6-7 you’ll find one of the most difficult teachings to obey in the entire Bible: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace” (NLT).

It’s not easy to stop worrying about the often-scary, everyday parts of your life, but God tells you how. He says you should pray about everything and thank him for all he has done. Grateful prayer brings peace. God says that when you start to worry, you should pray.

Parents understand the power of grateful prayers. Most parents wouldn’t appreciate their children always making requests and never saying “thank you” for the things they’ve received.

God sees it the same way. He is waiting for you to ask him for what you need and want. More than 20 times in the New Testament, you’re told to “ask” him. But he wants you to ask with gratefulness.

The Bible urges you to be specific in your requests—and in your praises. Instead of a simple “thank you for everything,” God wants you to tell him what you’re grateful for.

When I say to my wife, “I’m so grateful for you,” she tells me to be specific. She likes to hear what I appreciate about her and what makes me grateful for her. God does too. So when you pray, tell God what you’re thankful for, and be specific.

Something that can require an even bigger step of faith is when you thank God in advance. When you have the faith to thank God ahead of time—before you can see how he’s working—miracles happen. 

The more thankful you are, the easier it is to see God at work in your life. The Bible says that God inhabits the praise of his people. He uses your thanksgiving as an instrument of power in your life.

So, take a moment now, and tell God what you’re grateful for. Then keep going, moment by moment, practicing gratitude for who God is, what he has done, and all that you believe he will do.