There is a prayer of thanksgiving in almost all of Paul’s letters because he is truly following a normal standard of looking at the church, not only of writing his letters. He can give thanks to God because he starts with God.

That Paul starts his letter by giving thanks should have a sobering effect on us. Often our view of the church is horizontal. When we talk about the church, we often tend to see the people more than we see God. Our discussions are always about what people are doing. However, if we were to follow Paul, we would realize that our view of the church should always be vertical. This should be our starting point, in order for us to have a right view of the church. We should start by asking the question: what is God doing among his people? When we see God at work, then thanksgiving is the only proper response.

Imagine if you meet Christians who are in a conflict and you ask each of them, Are there things that you see God doing in the life of this believer? Can you thank God for those things? This is the same for a church that is facing challenges or problems. Always start by asking, What is God doing in this church? Where you see God at work, thanksgiving is the only proper response.