Who Gets the Credit? 

I was the youth pastor of a church in Seattle. The ministry was flourishing, and God was changing lives. A guy named Brad (a pseudonym) was a regular participant in our senior high ministry. A short time after graduating from the local high school, he was hired for the summer by a construction company. He was working on a residential construction site near a local landmark known as Three Tree Point. They were excavating on a very steep hillside, almost a cliff, above Puget Sound when part of the hillside above Brad collapsed, burying him alive. His coworkers worked furiously with shovels to dig him out. After several minutes they finally reached him and pulled him out unconscious. A short time later, still unconscious and not breathing, he was medevacked by helicopter to the trauma center at Harborview Hospital. 

I received a call from his frantic dad telling me Brad was on his way to Harborview and asking for prayer. I called Ellie (my wife) and told her about the emergency and requested prayer for Brian as I raced downtown to the hospital. I met Brad’s panicked parents in the E.R. waiting room.

A short time later, a doctor led me into the room where the trauma team was working on Brad. I had never seen anything like it before or since. Brad was lying on a table, unconscious, surrounded by a crowd of doctors, nurses, and technicians— three deep. He was hooked up to several machines. I moved to a corner at the back of room, careful not to interfere with the trauma team and prayed. There was a sense of urgency, but no panic. These were professionals and they were good at doing their job. After a while, the doctor who invited me into the room came over to talk with me. He told me Brad had been without oxygen for much too long while he was buried. When they found him, they discovered his throat and airways had been blocked by dirt. The physician said the prognosis was grim. Brad might survive but not thrive. If he survived, he would likely be in a permanent vegetative state because of oxygen deprivation. Then I went with him as he shared the message with Brad’s parents. 

After praying with Brad’s parents, I returned to the church, and joined the group of youth and adults praying for him. Though it seemed hopeless, we asked for a miracle. After a while, the prayer meeting wound down and there was just quiet conversation as we encouraged one another not to give up hope. Then the church phone rang. I answered it. Brad’s dad was calling from the hospital. He sounded ecstatic! Brad had regained consciousness and was aware of what was happening around him. He could move his extremities. God had done the impossible! 

Returning to the hospital, I found Brad still hooked to the machines, but conscious and able to respond by nodding his head. I continued to visit Brad in the days that followed. After he was taken off the ventilator and able to breathe without assistance, his raw throat made it difficult for him to talk, but he still expressed gratitude to God. He didn’t remember the accident but believed he was alive because God had miraculously saved him. 

As the summer passed, Brad recovered completely, but his perspective radically shifted. Within a few weeks he returned to work. Everyone who had prayed or had heard his story considered him to be a walking, talking, breathing miracle, except Brad. He had rethought things and concluded that God had not saved him, but he had saved himself. He claimed he was still alive because of his inner strength and determination to live. He believed, even though he had been unconscious, his will to live had saved him. By the end of the summer, he had distanced himself from us.

Brad’s gratitude for God’s saving grace had morphed into a claim he had saved himself without God’s help. His story was no longer about God, but about Brad. Now, decades later, I still shake my head and find it hard to understand his shift from gratitude to self-congratulation. We all must deal with the same question Brad faced: do we give God the credit by thanking him or do we steal the credit and mentally pat ourselves on our backs for what God has done for us? 

Kingdom Giving and Living 

The Scriptures encourage us to thank God at all times and in all circumstance but, to the best of my knowledge, giving thanks is an important biblical theme, but not imperative like the Ten Commandments. Let’s consider giving thanks as a voluntary expression of the heart, not a rule. Like forgiveness, thanksgiving is easy to say, but is often difficult to do. The root word behind the second syllable of both words is “give.” God’s nature is to give and to give sacrificially. The cross is the supreme expression of God’s heart to give. But our human nature is bent toward sin, and giving must be learned. We typically value getting more than giving. Sharing or giving toys is a sacrifice for a child and so a child may vigorously resist it by crying out “mine!” as he or she clings to a favorite toy. Adults are more sophisticated and subtle in how we cling to what we call “mine.” 

As we reflect on cultivating thankful hearts, it is helpful to remember that disciples “are apprentices of Jesus is Kingdom living.” Jesus clearly exemplified giving was more important than receiving. I believe God’s coming Kingdom will be built around giving, not getting. In that kingdom nothing will be purchased or hoarded. The early Church must have believed this too. If not, how do we interpret these descriptions of the first century Church in Jerusalem: 

³² All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. ³³ The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. ³⁴ There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them ³⁵ and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need. Acts 4:32-35

⁴⁴ And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. ⁴⁵ They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. ⁴⁶ They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—⁴⁷ all the while praising God…. Acts 2:44 47 

We will consider these passages and the radical generosity they reveal in more depth in the ninth challenge. In the meantime, both Scriptures challenge us to become sacrificial givers, not takers. The process of becoming a sacrificial giver begins with giving thanks. If we don’t cherish gratitude and practice giving thanks to God (also called a “sacrifice of thanksgiving”), we are subverting kingdom living which is characterized by sacrificial giving. 

Thanksgiving: The Gateway Into God’s Presence 

Even more importantly, giving thanks to God is the gateway into God’s presence. Without a thankful heart, it is impossible to find and follow the Jesus Way. Gratitude characterizes those who follow Jesus. Understanding the OT background helps us appreciate this wonderful privilege because exercising this privilege is a prerequisite for authentic worship and prayer. Giving thanks to God is like giving God a valuable coin called worship. One side of the coin is thanking God and the flip side is praising God. The fourth verse of Psalm 100 shows the relationship between the two sides of the worship coin. 

⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. ⁵ For the Lord is good. 

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving” tells us the psalmist has Solomon’s temple in his mind (see notes after the discussion questions). Everyone entered the temple through gates into the outer courtyard of the temple. After passing through a gate, he or she was walking on holy ground. They had entered God’s house where people came to meet and worship God. Every step they took in the outer courtyard brought them closer to the inner courts and God. The psalmist encouraged them to continue to offer God the sacrifice of thanksgiving. To do so shifted their attention away from themselves to God. We cannot pray or worship God if our focus is on ourselves.

Years ago, I toured the White House, the presidential residence. I entered the grounds through a gate after showing my ticket and photo I.D. Passing through the gate and seeing the famous house before me was different than looking through the fence. As I walked towards the designated door with my tour group, I realized this was the home of the most powerful person in the world and remembered the names of presidents who had lived there. The ground I was walking on was the same ground Abraham Lincoln had walked on. It seemed surreal. 

We entered the house through the designated door. A guide led us through various rooms on the first floor. She told stories of events that had happened in each room and how different presidential wives had redecorated one room or another. Every part of the White House was interesting, but my sense of anticipation soared as we moved closer and closer to the West Wing, where the President and his staff worked and the Cabinet met. The climax of the tour was entering the Oval Office. We were allowed to walk around as long as we stayed on the clear plastic runner spread around the room. We were free to look at everything but told not to touch anything. After a few minutes, we exited by the same door we had entered. Fortunately, the president was out of town, which made it possible for us to enter the Oval Office. 

I expect the Israelites visiting the Temple for the first time would have felt similar awe and wonder, only more intensely. Anticipation would have started before they even entered Jerusalem because the temple was located on Mt. Zion, the highest mountain in sight. The pilgrims usually traveled in groups and were fatigued from their long walks on the steep roads up to Jerusalem. Singing the psalms of ascent (Ps 120-134) they would pause when the temple came into view. Their weariness was replaced with awe. The temple was magnificent. 

As they came to the gates, they offered thanks. Approaching God was a holy privilege. After passing through the gates, they walked through the outer court. During Jesus’ lifetime, the outer court was crowded with other pilgrims, money changers, and sacrificial animals for sale. But their eyes would be locked on the entrances to the inner courts. They could see the altar and perhaps the very entrances to the holy places, which reminded them that coming closer to God required a sacrifice. Every step brought them closer to God, whose throne was on the other side of the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place. They knew they could not enter the two innermost courts. Only the High Priest could approach God’s presence beyond the curtain, and he could do that only once a year. As they entered the inner courts, their thanksgiving would naturally morph into praise of God. 

Entering the Oval Office is a privilege, but entering God’s holy presence is a much greater privilege. That is what happens in prayer and worship. We enter God’s presence with thanks and praise on our lips, whether private or corporate. The thanks and praise express humility and keeps us focused on the Lord. Worship is not about us getting our way, but about honoring God and his ways. 

Thanks and Praise 

Thanksgiving and praise are closely related. In giving thanks to God, we are thanking him for what he has done for us, individually and corporately. When we offer praise to God, we are praising him for who he is. The distinction between thanksgiving and praise are of secondary importance. Offering thanks easily turns into praise and praise may slip back into thanksgiving without a disciple even being aware of it. For instance, we may thank God for giving us particular gifts (life, love, grace, forgiveness, food, family, etc.) and then praise him for who he is, his attributes, his kindness, goodness, power, justice, mercy, generosity, and so on. Another example is to thank God for the gift of life and praise him as the Creator of all. 

Giving thanks and praise to God are the gateway into his holy presence. They are acceptable sacrifices and confirm God is the one we worship. Our attention is focused on God, what he has done for us and who he is. As we do this, we realize the privilege of entering God’s presence ultimately depends upon the cross of Jesus, the blood sacrifice that cleanses us from sin and makes us acceptable and righteous in God’s sight. Our thoughts and words are lifted to him. We are released from our self-absorption and self-centeredness. By coming with thankful hearts, we tune ourselves to God’s frequency. 

Recognizing and Welcoming Mystery 

There is mystery associated with the infinite God which we, as finite human beings, cannot fully understand. Theologians affirm God is omni-present—is everywhere at once. We have already seen that disciples are living temples in which God lives through the Holy Spirit (sometime called Spirit of Christ). God lives in us and yet we enter God’s presence through the gates of thanksgiving and praise as we worship him and commune with him through prayer. How can that be? Like the doctrine of the Trinity, it is wrapped in mystery. If we try to reduce some aspects of faith to what human reasoning and mathematics can comprehend, we’ll never grasp the greatness of God. If we could fully understand him and his ways, we would elevate ourselves to his level or reduce God to our level—created creatures, not the Creator. 

Such mysteries can trigger further awe and wonder. In a sense, every answered prayer has the capacity to deepen our sense of awe and wonder because every answered prayer is like a mini-miracle. Such awe and wonder may accompany our worship as well as our prayers. We live in the presence of God but are often oblivious to his presence. Prayer and worship are the antidote because we recognize we are in the holy presence of Almighty God. Thanking and praising God are essential components of the Jesus Way—the way to God. 

Getting Started 

New disciples often ask, “How should I pray?” or say, “I don’t know how to pray.” They may be surprised to learn that they are praying every time they thank God or praise God. To pray is to enter God’s presence, and it often starts with thanksgiving. Giving thanks helps us become mindful of God, that we are in God presence, and helps us become attentive to God. Simultaneously, we are tuning our hearts to listen for God’s voice. Prayer is not merely talking at God but communing with him. To be in God’s presence through prayer is a sacred privilege and confessing our sins and failures and asking for his forgiveness are always appropriate. 

We simply share our hearts, including our personal needs and desires. Such requests are called petitions. At some point, we will naturally pray for the needs of others. These are prayers of supplication or intercession. We intercede on behalf of others. Like in other conversations, we also seek to listen. Challenge #4 will consider this in more depth. 

Prayer is not mechanical, like the directions for assembling a bicycle. Learning to pray is similar to a child learning to talk, starting with a few words, like mama or dada. When the child’s language skills improve, so do that child’s conversations with his or her parents. As disciples, we simply share our hearts with God. Beginning with giving thanks to God, we learn to pray.  

Privileged People 

Entering God’s presence was a weighty matter in the Old Testament, not to be taken for granted. You had to prepare yourselves, perform rituals, sometimes travel long distances, and offer animal sacrifices. But Jesus was “the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). He became the sacrificial lamb and, through the blood he shed on the cross, we become right or clean in God’s sight. Jesus paid for our sins; his blood atoned for (covered) our transgressions. Through him, we are reconciled to and adopted by God. 

We no longer have to travel to a temple in Jerusalem in order to enter into God’s presence. On this side of the cross, there is no altar where sacrifices must be offered before we enter God’s presence. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice that opened the way through the curtain into God’s presence. We have become God’s beloved and forgiven children who are accepted unconditionally by God because of Jesus’ sacrifice. As children of the King, we are always welcome to enter our Father’s presence. He welcomes us with open arms. We can figuratively climb up on our Daddy’s lap and feel the warmth of his embrace. 

The main gateway for entering God’s presence is through an offering of heartfelt thanks. Those simple prayers usher us into his presence, which is the main purpose of prayer. We essentially enter the most holy place, which was completely off limits to the ancient Israelites. How much more should we feel joy, gratitude, and praise for this amazing privilege we have been given? 

THINKING IT THROUGH

“Come close to God, and God will come close to you.” James 4:9  

THE TRUTH: The Lord has given us myriads of priceless gifts. 

THE CHALLENGE: Disciples respond by cultivating thankful hearts. 

Each part of every four-part challenge concludes with a “Thinking it Through” segment which consists of a list of Scriptures related to the topic being considered, questions for group discussion and personal reflection, and notes. Part D of each challenge will end with an exercise to guide you through the process of naming lies, believing the truth, and clarifying the personal implications and applications of the truth to your life. Truth, if believed, must be lived, and living the truth brings personal transformation (Kingdom living). Please consider this section as a tool to help you to understand the truth, not as a test or as busy work. 

Related Scriptures 

Colossians 4:2 ² Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ¹⁶ Always be joyful. ¹⁷ Never stop praying. ¹⁸ Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 

Jeremiah 17:5, 7 ⁵ This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the LORD.

⁷ But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.” 

Matthew 6:5-11 ⁵ “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. ⁶ But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. ⁷ “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. ⁸ Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! ⁹ Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. ¹⁰ May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. ¹¹ Give us today the food we need, 

Luke 11:9-13 ⁹ “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. ¹¹ “You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? ¹² Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! ¹³ So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” 

1 Chronicles 23:30 ³⁰ And each morning and evening they [Levites while serving at the temple]stood before the Lord to sing songs of thanks and praise to him. 

1 Chronicles 29:10-14 (David’s Prayer after the people had given generously to build the Temple) ¹⁰ Then David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly: “O Lord, the God of our ancestor Israel, may you be praised forever and ever! ¹¹ Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. ¹² Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength. ¹³ “O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name! ¹⁴ But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us!

Psalm 35:18 ¹⁸ Then I will thank you in front of the great assembly. I will praise you before all the people. 

Psalm 136 A Psalm of Thanksgiving. This pattern of the first three verses (below) is repeated throughout the entire psalm (26 verses).
¹ Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. ² Give thanks to the God of gods. His faithful love endures forever. ³ Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His faithful love endures forever. 

Psalm 138:1 ¹ I give you thanks, O Lord, with all my heart; I will sing your praises before the gods. 

Psalm 147:7 ⁷ Sing out your thanks to the Lord; sing praises to our God with a harp. 

Psalm 100 A Psalm of Thanksgiving
¹ Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth! ² Worship the LORD with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. ³ Acknowledge that the LORD is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. ⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. ⁵ For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation. 

Questions 

You are encouraged to use these questions for group discussion or personal reflection. Respond to the questions that are most relevant or interesting to you (I urge you to write your responses in a journal or notebook). 

1. Part D has suggested that the central purpose of prayer and worship is to enter God’s presence. If this is true, what are some of the implications? 

2. Have you ever thought the purpose of prayer was to move God to act according to your desires? What are some of the implications of praying with that purpose? 

3. Part D states that the normal gateway into God’s presence is through giving thanks and praise to God. Is this helpful as you think about prayer and worship? Why or why not? 

4. Did the brief overview of how people in OT times approached God help you appreciate our privilege of instant access to God’s presence at any time or did it confuse you? Why? 

5. Was the distinction between thanksgiving and praise clear? State the distinction.

6. The NT says individual disciples are the temples of the Holy Spirit and that collectively we are the temple of God (the church). Can both be true? And if both are true, what are some of the implications? 

7. How would you respond if someone asked you, “Where can I find God?” 

8. Write a list of things (or review your list in progress, see 3A, question 4) that make you feel grateful. Then offer God thanks for everything on your list. 

9. Describe how some truth which is inexplicable (mystery) can bring a greater sense of awe and wonder as you approach God.

Notes 

Solomon’s Temple 

David became king of Israel, conquered Jerusalem, made that city his capital, and moved the Ark of the Covenant there after years of neglect (the tabernacle no longer existed). David also built a palace for himself (1 Sam 5:6-12; 2 Chron 15:1- 16:3). But David felt it was wrong for him to live in a luxurious palace when God did not have a home. King David began collecting materials and money to build a temple for God. But God told him that Solomon (David’s son and heir to the throne) would build it, not David. Yet David continued to collect building materials and money to aid Solomon in building the temple after his death. 

The temple Solomon built is called the first temple or Solomon’s temple. It was a magnificent edifice, one of the wonders of the ancient world. The temple followed the template or design of the tabernacle that preceded it, only larger and more beautiful. Solomon prayed at the temple dedication ceremony, and after the prayer the Lord entered the Temple: 

¹ …the fire flashed down from heaven and burned up the burnt offerings and sacrifices, and the glorious presence of the LORD filled the Temple. ² The priests could not enter the Temple of the LORD because the glorious presence of the LORD filled it. ³ When all the people of Israel saw the fire coming down the glorious presence of the LORD filling the Temple, they fell face down on the ground and worshiped and praised the LORD…. 
2 Chronicles 7:1-3

This description seems remarkably similar to what happened the day the tabernacle was completed: God came in glory and filled that holy space (Ex 40:34-35).

Like the tabernacle, Solomon’s temple had a large outer court (Court of the Gentiles) just a little lower and much further from the inner court. The inner court started with the Court of Women, next came the Courts of Israel, and then the Court of the Priests. Behind the Court of the Priests was the entrance to the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. These two were the most important places in the Temple and closely followed the pattern of the tabernacle and contained the table of the showbread on one side, candlesticks or candelabras on the other side, and the Altar of incense between them but very close to the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies (or most Holy Place) from the Holy Place. It contained the same items as the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle: the Ark of the Covenant (containing the contents as in the tabernacle), with the golden top serving as the Mercy Seat (God’s throne), between and under two statues of two cherubim (angels). 

People entered the temple, God’s house, through a gate. Once they were in his house, they came closer to him by moving from one court to the next, every step moving them closer to the Lord. The psalmist described it in this way: 

Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. 
Psalm 100:4

This described a way to approach the LORD in the OT and remains a wonderful way for disciples, those on the Jesus Way, to approach the LORD in prayer and/or worship. We start with thanksgiving and then naturally transition into praising God. We thank God for what he has done and then we praise him for who he is—his attributes (God is love, good, powerful, just, kind, gracious, merciful, all-knowing, forgiving, source of life, truth, patient, compassionate, faithful, the Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer, and beyond).

Solomon’s temple was completely destroyed in about 586 BC when Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians. The Babylonians killed most of the residents of Jerusalem but took some as captives into exile in Babylonia. Seventy years later they began to return from exile and rebuilt the wall around Jerusalem and the temple within it under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah. This second temple was razed by Herod the Great who built the third temple (or rebuilt and expanded the second temple). Construction was still underway when the Romans completely leveled Jerusalem and the last temple in AD 70. There has been no temple in Jerusalem since that time.

Completing the Challenge

1. UNDERSTAND.

Prayerfully process (reflect, reread, discuss, question, write, and review your journal entries) until you understand the most important truth Jesus is teaching you in Challenge #3. To accomplish this, you may also need to re-read and reflect on the commentary on Parts A through D. You are welcome to consult your mentor, other disciples, and use other resources. But do not start question 2 (BELIEVE) until you have articulated the chief truth revealed to you in Challenge #3, Parts A through D by completing this sentence: “The chief truth revealed in this challenge is ... 

2. BELIEVE.

Embracing the truth requires you to “change your mind” by ceasing to believe one thing (a lie) in order to believe the truth. To follow Jesus means you must continually repent (literally: “change your mind”— your mental map of reality) to personally embrace the truth he embodied and taught. The goal is to internalize the truth in your heart until it becomes like DNA—at the core of your being. 

Write the thing you no longer believe (the lie) by completing this sentence, “I no longer believe... 

Rewrite the new truth (part 1 above) you now believe by completing this sentence, “I now believe... 

3. DO.

Jesus expects the truth you now believe to change the way you live. What you believe determines what you do and how you live. Commit to doing something differently (be specific) because of your new and/or deepening faith. Write it by finishing this sentence, “I believe Jesus is leading me to ... 

Then pray, asking the Lord to help you do whatever you have determined he is asking you to do. 

4. SHARE.

Finally, share in your small group, or tell your mentor or your study partner the specifics of how you completed this challenge (the sentences you have written above) and ask for feedback. 

NOTE: It is best to write your statements at the end of each challenge in a journal/notebook. If you get stuck on this last exercise, skip it for the time being, and complete it at a later date. As you make progress on the Jesus Way, you may want to modify and improve these concluding statements. Feel free to do so at any time. Whenever you receive new insights, it may change what you have previously written. Your journal/notebook is intended to document your growing faith. It may become a useful tool to help and mentor others.

Copyright © 2024 Don Waite

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