Last holiday season the British charity Mother’s Union proposed a ban on one of the most enduring Christmas traditions: the Christmas list. Parents should ditch the list, the charity said, because they create disappointment at what should be a time of happiness for all the family. The charity’s research showed that a majority of parents had been pressured into buying gifts beyond their budgets or inappropriate for the child’s age. Noting the influence of “pester power” on her son from relentless advertisers, one supporter of the campaign noted that “the world just seems full of people wanting to make money out of him.”

I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers.

Philemon 1:4

Too often, your prayers are little more than Christmas lists in which you pray for the things you want while forgetting the blessings God has already given. The apostle Paul was imprisoned when he wrote his epistle to Philemon, but look at the focus of his prayer: he was expressing gratitude, not soliciting gifts.

Today as you pray for America’s leaders and the concerns of the day, balance your petition with words of thanks for the blessings already received – especially for friends who, like Philemon, have brought “much joy and comfort” to your life. (Philemon 1:7)

Recommended Reading: John 15:9-17