Topical Bible: Ingratitude: should be Met With: Prayers

◄ Ingratitude: should be Met With: Prayers ►

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Topical Encyclopedia

Ingratitude, the failure to acknowledge or express thankfulness for kindness received, is a condition of the heart that is addressed throughout the Bible. It is often seen as a symptom of a deeper spiritual issue, such as pride or forgetfulness of God's blessings. The Scriptures provide guidance on how believers should respond to ingratitude, emphasizing the importance of prayer as a means of addressing this issue both in oneself and in others.

Biblical Understanding of Ingratitude

Ingratitude is depicted in the Bible as a serious failing. In Romans 1:21, the Apostle Paul describes the consequences of humanity's ingratitude towards God: "For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts." This passage highlights the spiritual darkness that can result from a lack of thankfulness.

The account of the ten lepers in Luke 17:11-19 further illustrates the issue of ingratitude. Jesus heals ten lepers, but only one returns to give thanks. Jesus asks, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where then are the other nine?" (Luke 17:17). This narrative underscores the expectation of gratitude and the disappointment when it is absent.

Prayer as a Response to Ingratitude

Prayer is a powerful tool for combating ingratitude. It serves as a means of aligning one's heart with God's will and cultivating a spirit of thankfulness. Philippians 4:6-7 encourages believers to present their requests to God with thanksgiving: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Praying for a grateful heart is a proactive step in overcoming personal ingratitude. Psalm 51:10 is a model prayer for seeking a renewed spirit: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." Through prayer, believers can ask God to transform their hearts and instill a deep sense of gratitude.

Intercessory Prayer for Others

In addition to personal prayer, intercessory prayer for others who exhibit ingratitude is vital. James 5:16 emphasizes the power of prayer in the community of believers: "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail." Praying for others can lead to spiritual healing and a change of heart.

The Apostle Paul often prayed for the spiritual growth of others, as seen in Colossians 1:9-12, where he prays for the Colossians to be filled with knowledge and to live a life worthy of the Lord, "giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light."

Conclusion

While the Bible does not shy away from highlighting the sin of ingratitude, it also provides a clear path for addressing it through prayer. By seeking God's help in cultivating a thankful heart and interceding for others, believers can combat the spiritual malaise of ingratitude and foster a community marked by gratitude and grace.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 35:12,13
They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 109:4
For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself to prayer.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Twenty Second Sunday after Trinity Paul's Thanks and Prayers for ...
... Now, if when ingratitude is met with, you angrily wish ... in the world where vice and
ingratitude hold sway ... Christianity should be begun in youth, to give practice ...
/.../luther/epistle sermons vol iii/twenty second sunday after trinity.htm

Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity Treasure Christians have in the ...
... these evils may be traced to our ingratitude; we have ... And they met with retribution,
the worst of it being ... For this reason we should, with a thankful heart and ...
/.../luther/epistle sermons vol iii/eighteenth sunday after trinity treasure.htm

Of God, and his Anger and Affections.
... He may not be liable to the charge of ingratitude which is ... right that, when He sees
such things, He should not be ... [1740] An objection is here met and answered. ...
/.../a treatise on the anger of god addressed to donatus/chap xvi of god and his.htm

The House of Zacharias.
... When they met, the burden of conversation, which flowed ... neglect by more assiduous
exertions, its ingratitude by more ... from between his feet, Shiloh should come. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/meyer/john the baptist/ii the house of zacharias.htm

Making the Man.
... journeys to England, and there he met his future ... elements of a monk, and we should
not have ... had decided objections to his apparent ingratitude and stubbornness ...
//christianbookshelf.org/maclean/william black/ii making the man.htm

Letter v. Prayer and Fasting.
... ourselves on account of our ingratitude; and lifting ... Your prayers should be very
particular, mentioning everything ... all the hindrances you have met in seeking ...
/.../letter v prayer and fasting.htm

Of Saint Francis
... little sisters, beware of the sin of ingratitude, and study ... but slay the body; how
much then should men fear ... a tender pity for gentle creatures, met him, and ...
/.../wells/bible stories and religious classics/of saint francis.htm

Paul in Athens.
... in the market daily, with them that met with him ... Yet, with base ingratitude, they
turn the benefit which ... stolen their light, is useless, and should be blotted ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture xx paul in athens.htm

Upon Our Lord's SermonOn the Mount
... And herein he has met with no small success among ... upon themselves, for their past
folly and ingratitude, in turning the things which should have been ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 27 upon our lords.htm

His Passion and Crucifixion.
... trials, vexatious, and hindrances, which should serve the ... with human misery as it
met him in ... weakness and infernal wickedness; of ingratitude, desertion, injury ...
/.../schaff/the person of christ/his passion and crucifixion.htm