“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” – Philippians 4:6 (BSB)
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” – Colossians 4:2 (BSB)
“Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (BSB)
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” – James 1:17 (BSB)
The Psalms, which form the foundation of Anglican spirituality, are filled with thanksgiving as both command and expression. Canon David Roseberry (ACNA, Christ Church Plano) notes, “The rhythm of thanksgiving must be practiced until it becomes instinctive. When we give thanks in prayer, we remind our souls of God’s unchanging faithfulness.” (Giving Up on Yourself, 2020)
Bishop Terrell Glenn (formerly AMiA; now with PEARUSA) emphasizes the transformative power of gratitude: “Thanksgiving in prayer recalibrates the heart. It turns us from anxiety to confidence, from scarcity to abundance. It is not escape—it is warfare.” (Formation and the Heart, 2013) Gratitude disciplines the believer to see God’s hand even in affliction and to resist the entitlement and complaint that plague the human soul.
Dr. Stephen Noll (former Vice Chancellor, Uganda Christian University) reflects, “To give thanks is to worship rightly. In an age of self-centeredness, thanksgiving directs our gaze upward, anchoring our lives in the grace of God and not our shifting circumstances.” (Anglicanism and the Bible, 2018)
Thanksgiving also guards our prayers from becoming self-absorbed. As Fr. Michael Guernsey (ACNA, Church of the Ascension, TN) teaches, “Gratitude resets the posture of prayer. We do not pray to change God’s mind, but to be changed by His presence. Giving thanks aligns our hearts to receive whatever He gives.” (Homily on Philippians 4, 2021)
“Let the Christian always be giving thanks. Even when in distress, he should remember that he has been redeemed and called to eternal life.” – Cyprian of Carthage, Exhortation to Martyrdom, c. 250 AD
“We glorify God by offering thanks, not as though He needs it, but because our thanksgiving is fitting and profitable for us.” – Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies, c. 180 AD
“Gratitude is the memory of the heart. The soul that forgets to give thanks has forgotten the Source of all it receives.” – Basil the Great, Homily on Thanksgiving, c. 370 AD
An Anglican Catechism (Expanded) offers over 350+ Scripture-based answers to the core truths of the Christian faith. Each entry includes biblical texts, theological insight, and reflections from historic and contemporary Anglican voices. Rooted in the classical tradition, it is designed for teaching, discipleship, and spiritual formation.
An Ancient Worship Movement invites readers into the rich, historic worship of the early Church rediscovered through the Anglican tradition. This book calls believers into a deeper, Spirit-filled encounter with Christ through timeless practices.
St. Thomas Church
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St. Thomas Church is a Church planting movement in ancient tradition.
