Thanking God for the good people in our lives is a good idea. It’s more than just a good idea. In 2 Thessalonians 1:3, the Apostle Paul says, “We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting…”[1] Giving thanks to God, particularly for and about other people, seems like a good and admirable thing. But many of us may think such thankfulness is going above and beyond. But Paul felt that such thankfulness was bound upon him—not just something that would be a good idea, but something he ought to do.
How compelled are we to pray for others? How important is it to us to thank God for those special people in our lives and our church family? I don’t mean to imply that prayers of thanks should be some mandatory burden or legalistic checklist. But our commitment to thanksgiving and its importance to our prayers is likely an excellent barometer of our spiritual outlook.
[1] NKJV