Reflections: Prayer and thanksgiving in the mundane

Sometimes, I pray “911” prayers, my term for the desperate prayers during a crisis, sometimes unexpected, when I know only God can intervene: My daughter-in-law fighting to carry Baby Gil to viability; a friend’s child in a car crash; a relative’s health crisis; a mass shooting in a community where I have friends. Sometimes, including for my grandson, God has intervened miraculously; other times, the miracle doesn’t come right away, but the peace and strength do. 

Those prayers are often recorded in my little devotional notebook, and I also occasionally go back and review, thanking God for his presence and provision following those prayers. I also have ongoing prayers—a family member’s chronic battle with illness, safety for missionary friends, things like that. What I recently noticed, though, was that I usually record my thanks for the most desperate stuff, but not often for God’s faithfulness in the mundane. 

Do I thank God for all the times my husband has paused to lead us in prayer before driving to visit family, and we’ve made it safely; or when I know my kids are traveling and pray, and they arrive safely? That time we almost got hit by a huge truck—yes, we thanked God right on the spot. That time our son Luke and an oncoming driver collided when both took a curve too fast? You bet, when I arrived at the scene and saw Luke’s SUV hanging precariously over a steep drop-off, I thanked God my son was standing there, shaken but unhurt. 

But what about the times there were no major issues? Jesus’ response to the disciples’ request, “Teach us to pray,” that we know as the Lord’s Prayer, is powerful in its simplicity. Have I thanked God for all the times I open the refrigerator and find food to prepare? We’ve lived on a pretty tight budget a couple of times and been thankful when a job came through, but what about when things are going reasonably well? Christian brothers and sisters in restricted or war-torn parts of the world literally trust God for each day’s food, and I wonder if Jesus included that part of the Lord’s Prayer to remind us to pray for seemingly mundane things, thank God for them, and remember people whose situations are more desperate than our own. And the part about “Thy Kingdom come”—as my husband and I pray briefly together before heading out for a busy day, is it just a good habit, or do I really trust God to help me reflect His kingdom in my words and deeds? And then thank Him for the opportunities He sends?  

So, I’m flipping back through my most recent prayer notebook with fresh eyes, to thank God for all the times he’s answered my daily, routine prayers, even last-minute ones or the ones that felt like I was in a rut. Habits built during the mundane, both the prayer and the thanksgiving, can help boost our faith and trust when the tough days hit!