Most people sooner or later have a question: why thank God? Such thoughts usually wander in the minds of non-believers or unchurched citizens. Indeed, how can everything that happens in life be connected with a mythical Spirit that no one has seen? Even if a person admits the existence of a "higher mind", there is no need to thank him. After all, a successful entrepreneur or a sought-after specialist "made himself", without outside interference. But God did not help, he only sends cancer to small children and gives maniacs and officials good he alth so that they live longer and torment ordinary people.
Among the believers and churchgoers, such thoughts also slip through. The main problem among the Orthodox lies in the lack of knowledge of the Holy Scriptures. To be honest, rarely anyone will read the Bible to the end, because there are 78 books! Strength is usually only enough for half of the OldTestament, the rest of the picture is made up of fragments of what was once heard, seen in movies, read in books.
Of particular interest are the scenes where Abraham is about to sacrifice Isaac or how Laban deceives Jacob, using his love for Rachel and forcing him to serve as a shepherd for another seven years. What about the Egyptian plagues? And the extermination of Jewish boys in Egypt? Modern high-tech society, brought up on the laws of humanism, does not understand why God in the Old Testament is so evil. Either he burns Sodom and Gomorrah, then he destroys the Tower of Babel, then he pours the waters of the Great Flood onto the earth …
From the lack of knowledge and faith in the soul doubts come. All sorts of sects like to use this very much. They are well aware of human psychology, they freely operate with phrases from the Gospel, they are specially taught at meetings to confuse and unsettle the interlocutor. There are even such desperate followers who dare to ask a cassocked priest the question: "Do you believe in God?"
So, why should God be thanked and for what? What words should be used? Let's consider these and other questions in detail.
Evil God of the Old Testament
Somehow one well-known professor of theology in his lecture mentioned the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. One of the consequences of eating the notorious apple, he called stupidity. Indeed, the first people, having eaten from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, lost their minds. How else can you explain their attempt to hide from God? Ever sincemore than one millennium has passed since then. With each new era, a person accumulates more and more experience, tries to restore the lost wisdom. But we will never reach such a level of understanding of the mechanisms of the world around us as God has.
The Holy Fathers explain the cruelty of the Old Testament by the realities of that time. If you look at the book from a different angle, it becomes clear that the flood, the destruction of entire nations and other human misfortunes are a manifestation of the Creator's love for his creation. From the moment of the Fall, the Lord knew that He would save mankind through Jesus Christ. And for the successful incarnation of God the Word, the best representative of the people was needed.
Jewish education
On the earth of that time, paganism was rampant, only the cult of Moloch with the sacrifices of children is worth something. And so the Lord leads the Jews to the promised land. And that's where the pagans live. The corruption of the Jews and the betrayal of God is the logical outcome of such a neighborhood. If you remember the walk of Moses in the wilderness. As soon as he stayed on the mountain for 40 days, the Jews immediately made a golden calf and began to worship him. Therefore, God had no choice but to exterminate the Gentiles, so that the connection of the chosen people with the Lord would not be broken within a month.
And the entire Old Testament is saturated with the Creator's love for his people. He leads them through the ages, with a hard hand cutting off everything superfluous that can be harmful. As soon as the Creator gave them a little respite, the Jews immediately betrayed God, fell into paganism, Satanism and other terrible deeds. Perincredible concern for the people, the Jews did not forget to lift prayers of thanksgiving to heaven.
The result of such care was the apostles, the Mother of God and the saints - the only people who managed to rise to the desired level. Reminiscent of the upbringing of Olympic champions: daily grueling workouts, significant physical activity, a special diet. Athletes are many, but champions are a minority. Because not everyone can keep up with the frantic pace of the race for a medal.
New Testament - new page
As soon as the incarnation of the Savior became possible, the Lord ceased to closely monitor the Jews, severely restricting their activities. Now all His attention was directed to the realization of the Divine plan. Jesus Christ, who began to preach, says these words about the Old Testament:
Do not think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or one tittle will pass from the law (Matthew 5:17-18)
Comparing the Old Testament commandments with those given by the Savior, one can see that the latter do not cancel the former, but only reveal their deep meaning. Moses was given a decalogue - strict rules of conduct for the whole people. The main message of the commandments is how to keep from sin. Jesus Christ in the Sermon on the Mount does not establish the laws of behavior, but shows the way to the Kingdom of Heaven.
God is love
The human mind cannot comprehend the Lord, itimpossible. But one can try to comprehend the Savior's sacrifice on the cross. This step once again proves the absolute love of the Creator for humanity. We invite the reader to watch a short excerpt from the foreign Christian film "The Shack", which shows a quote from the Gospel very well:
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him. He who believes in Him is not judged, but the unbeliever is already condemned, because he did not believe in the name of the Only Begotten Son of God. The judgment is that light has come into the world; but people loved the darkness more than the light, because their deeds were evil; for everyone who does evil hates the light and does not go to the light, lest his works be reproved, because they are evil, but he who does what is right goes to the light, that his works may be manifest, because they are done in God.
In., 10th credit, 3: 16–21
Evolution or Creation?
Any sin is a wall between creation and Creator. That is why modern people do not hear the Creator and do not see signs of His presence in the world. This gives rise to such opinions that we descended from primates. That after death there is emptiness, therefore one must "take everything" from life. The idea of atheism, like the theory of the origin of life from the big bang, is easy to refute, just look at the world around us.
The wise laws of physics and mechanics, the diversity of plant and animal species and the dominance of man over nature leave no doubt aboutthat the world was created. For those who deny this idea, the holy fathers offer to answer for themselves a simple question: why do mankind need musicians, artists or philosophers? Since evolution is the best adaptation of an organism to the environment. Such a phenomenon as philosophy does not fit into these concepts.
Thank God for what?
"I made myself." "Where was your God when I was starving?" "If He exists, why are the children dying?" - these and other questions constantly arise among militant and doubting atheists. The Creator exists outside of time and space, unlike people. He knows who is capable of what and what kind of life this or that person will have. Any person leaves the mortal world at the best time. That is, if he stays alive, the path to heaven may be closed to him because of his atrocities. So God takes him early before he does anything.
The phrase "I made myself" is incorrect. Because everything that a person has, the Lord gave him. Talent, he alth, entrepreneurial spirit, the ability to think and feel - all this is a gift from God. For everything that a person has, it is not bad to offer up a prayer of thanksgiving. Believers have noticed an interesting trend. The more prayers of thanksgiving are addressed to God and the saints, the more bounty the Lord sheds on a person. Therefore, one must learn to accept everything that He sends in life with faith and hope. Because all this is aimed at saving the soul.
Prayers of Thanksgiving
Prayerthanksgiving for all good things:
We thank Thee, Lord our God, about all Your good deeds, even from the first age to the present, in us, unworthy servants of Yours (names), former, theirs are vem and not veme, about the manifest and unrevealed, even the deed of the former and in a word: whoever loves us, as well as Your only begotten Son, give for us, vouchsafe us worthy of being Your love.
Give by Your word wisdom and Your fear, inhale strength from Your strength, and if we sin willingly or unwillingly, forgive and do not blame, and save our holy soul, and present to Your Throne, I have a pure conscience, and the end is worthy of Your humanity; And remember, Lord, all who call upon Your name in truth; in the same way we pray to you, Lord, give us your goodness great mercy.
Prayer of thanksgiving for every good deed:
Cathedral of the Holy Angel and Archangel, with all heavenly powers sings to Thee, and says: Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts, heaven and earth are full of Your glory. Hosanna in the highest, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, hosanna in the highest. Save me, Thou art in the highest King, save me and sanctify me, Source of sanctification; From Thee, for all creation is strengthened, To Thee without number howls sing the thrice-holy song. You and I am unworthy, sitting in the light impregnable, everyone is horrified of him, I pray: enlighten my mind, cleanse my heart, and open my mouth, as if I could worthily sing to You: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord, always, now, and forever and ever. for endless ages. Amen.
Prayerthanksgiving to the Lord Jesus Christ:
Lord Jesus Christ our God, God of all mercy and bounty, whose mercy is immeasurable and philanthropy is an immeasurable abyss! We, bowing down to Your majesty, with fear and trembling, like unworthy slaves, offer thanks to You for the mercies shown to us. As the Lord, Lord and benefactor, we glorify You, praise, sing and magnify and, bowing down, thank You again! We humbly pray to Your unspeakable mercy: as now You have accepted our prayers and fulfilled them, so in the future, let us prosper in love for You, for our neighbors and in all virtues. And make us always give thanks and praise You, together with Your Father without beginning and Your all-holy, good, and consubstantial Spirit. Amen.
Thanksgiving for every good deed of God. Prayer of St. John of Kronstadt:
God! What will I bring to You, how will I thank You for Your unceasing, Your greatest mercy to me and to Your other people? For behold, every moment I am quickened by Your Holy Spirit, every moment I breathe the air poured by You, light, pleasant, he althy, strengthening, I am enlightened by Your joyful and life-giving light - spiritual and material; I feed on spiritual food, sweet and life-giving, and drinking the same, the holy mysteries of Your Body and Blood, and food and drinks of material sweetness; You dress me with a bright, beautiful royal robe - by Yourself and material clothes, cleanse my sins, heal and purify my many and fierce passions of sin; you will take away my spiritual corruption in the power of immeasurable goodness, wisdom andThy strength, fill with Thy Holy Spirit - the Spirit of holiness, grace; you give my soul truth, peace and joy, space, strength, boldness, courage, strength, and you endow my body with precious he alth; you teach my hands to fight and my fingers to fight with the invisible enemies of my salvation and bliss, with the enemies of the sanctuary and the power of Your glory, with the spirits of malice in high places; you crown with success my deeds done in your name … For all this I thank, glorify and bless your all-good, paternal, all-powerful power, God, Savior, our Benefactor. But be known by Your other people as well, as if Thou appeared to me, Lover of mankind, may they know You, the Father of all, Your goodness, Your providence, Your wisdom and strength, and glorify You, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord God:
Thank you, Lord my God, for giving me life, for giving birth to me in the Christian faith, for the Most Pure Virgin Mary, Intercessor for the salvation of our family, for Your holy Satisfiers, praying for us, for the Guardian Angel, for the public worship that supports faith and virtue in us, for the Holy Scripture, for the Holy Mysteries, and especially Your Body and Blood, for the mysterious grace-filled consolations, for the hope of receiving the Kingdom of Heaven and for all the blessings You have bestowed upon me.
It is not necessary to contact the Creator from the texts, if this is impossible for some reason. The holy fathers say that it is enough to say such words: "Glory to God for everything!" Try it and see for yourself how it will changelife.
