Giving Thanks Always

Then our giving thanks to God has no specific occasions but it is “Always”. And as long as it is continuous, it covers the whole life and therefore the expression “Life of Thanksgiving” applies to it. The same teaching was explained in the first epistle of the Thessalonians, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks” (1 Thess 5:16-18).

On account of this, the Prayer of Thanksgiving precedes all prayers:

All the church rituals and masses begin with the prayer of Thanksgiving, also the seven prayers (in the Agbia) either in the morning or at night. We always give thanks to God “evening and morning and at noon”. Also we says the Psalmist “at midnight I will rise to give thanks to you, because of  your righteous judgments”. In addition to the general prayer of thanksgiving, we give thanks in absolutions of the hours: In the first Hour we say ” We thank you O Eternal King, for you permitted us to pass this night in peace and brought us to the day break ” … we thank Him for keeping us safe during the night and giving us a new day in life. In the Third Hour we say “We give you thanks for raising us up to pray at this holy hour, where you poured Your Holy Spirit in abundance, upon your disciples and honourable apostles like tongues of fire” In the Sixth Hour, we say “We give thanks to you O our King The Almighty, Father of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ, we glorify you because you made the time of suffering of your Only Begotten Son , a time of prayer and comfort”.

In the Sunset prayer, we say ” We thank You , O our Compassionate King, for you granted us to pass this day in peace, and brought us thankfully to the evening, and made us worthy to see the light until sunset. We thank God for every hour that passes in peace. Then, it is a continuous thanksgiving either at the beginning of every prayer or at certain occasions.

SOURCE : LIFE OF THANKSGIVNING BY POPE SHENOUDA 3RD.

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