Consider Hannah's example. Her story is well known. Hannah longed for a child, but it was denied her until after much prayer she was granted her request, and received the desire of her heart. She was to become a mother, and so fulfil the wish of every woman in Israel. Motherhood was an honored position in Israel for the covenant promised that the "seed of the woman" would bruise the serpent power, and every Godly woman desired to contribute to that end. So Hannah hoped, and prayed, and hoped and prayed gain, until, in the goodness of God, her ardent ambition was realised in the birth of little Samuel.

Did Hannah then, in her excess of joy, and the love that she poured out upon the child, forget her obligations to God? By no means. Having experienced the goodness of Yahweh in the birth of Samuel, she turned to the Lord in fervent thanksgiving. More, she attempted to repay God, and so endorse the genuineness of her thanks, by a most generous act of unselfishness: she gave the child back to the Lord. Her thanks were endorsed by sacrifice. Yahweh's gift to her found response in her gift to the Lord.

What a wonderful example. We often pray for things; do we remember to thank God in return when the prayer has been answered? Thanksgiving is a gracious act of recognition of benefits received. What is the normal reaction to circumstances when a generous, warmhearted deed that has been unselfishly done for another is taken for granted, or is received coldly, or with indifference? Is it not one of hurt? Is it not a divine command that we "in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you?" (1 Thess. 5:18). Let us be warm in expressions of our thanks one to another; and above all, to God.

Consider the miracle of the ten lepers who were healed by the Lord. They appealed to Christ for help, requesting: "Master, have mercy on us." In doing so they acknowledged his power to cure them, and testified to their faith in him. Moreover, they acted in faith, for when the Lord instructed them to "Go shew yourselves unto the priests," they instantly obeyed, although at that point they had not been cured. The narrative states that, "as they went, they were cleansed"
(Luke 17:13-14).

Those lepers recognised their need of Christ; they manifested faith in him; and were obedient to his command. So far they had done well. But one thing was lacking, and that was manifested by the action of one of them who was a Samaritan. When he saw that he was healed, he turned back, "and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at the feet of the Lord, giving him thanks" (Vv. 15,16).

His action pleased the Lord. Christ had been waiting for some such act of gratitude; some voice of thanksgiving. "Were there not ten cleansed?" he enquired. "But where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger."

This surely teaches that that which is due to God is not complete by the manifestation of belief, faith and obedience. One final gesture is required: acknowledgment of benefits received in thanksgiving. Turning to the leper who had returned for that purpose, the Lord declared: "Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole" (v. 19). The word sozo rendered whole signifies to save, and that, not merely from disease, but spiritually (Acts 2:47; 16:31). The nine had been cleansed, the one had been promised salvation. What a lesson!

Let us appreciate to the full the great benefits that God has granted us, both spiritually and materially, and let us express our thanks to Him with warm feeling. Remember the action of Hannah who wanted to do something for Yahweh to show her thanks; or that of the leper, who in excess of gratitude prostrated himself at the feet of the Lord to express his deep appreciation of God's goodness. Our prayers will become more powerful if we recall what God has done for us, and thank Him accordingly.