The Surprise of Giving Thanks (in Advance)
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard
your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV)
I discovered the power of gratitude in one of my gravest moments.
It started when my son Seth walked in the back door with back pain the night before we were moving him to the university he’d dreamed of attending since he was a boy.
I suggested a hot shower, my go-to mom remedy for such aches and ailments.
But he never made into the shower. Minutes later, holding back tears, he said he needed to go to the ER.
The ER visit was inconclusive. We were sent home with meds that weren’t enough to manage his pain and the next morning, our family doctor surmised Seth had pulled muscles from a bad golf swing. In an abundance of caution, he ordered an MRI.
At 8:15 am the next morning, a Saturday, the doctor called. The MRI revealed a lemon-sized mass on Seth’s lower spine. Seth had been in grueling pain, unable to sleep or find relief from the pain, and now we knew why. But we wouldn’t know more until we could get into a neurosurgeon on Monday.
Familiar fear rose in me. A few years earlier, I’d woken unexpectedly to the last breaths of my husband on the pillow next to me and now my world was closing in on me again. Trying to absorb the doctor’s call, I got my own hot shower where my tears could flow freely.
A host of dire scenarios tumbled into my thoughts, beginning to undo me. I needed to rein in my worry to focus on my son.
I realized that while the outcome of this was unknown, I could thank God in advance for what I did know.
Gratitude Before the Breakthrough
Practicing gratitude had been a game-changer after my husband had died. Life felt so bad and I desperately needed to see God’s goodness. In the midst of my grief and pain, I’d seen that even when we’re not grateful for a circumstance, we can give God thanks in the circumstance.
Kneeling under the spray of the hot shower, I began thanking God. Thank you God that you will provide every need in this. Thank you for holding our tomorrow and the next day. I am thanking you for loving Seth more than I ever could. Thank you for walking with us in this. Thank you for having the wisdom we need to find answers for this.
As I thanked God in advance, something shifted. Where fear had been unraveling me, God’s supernatural peace now steadied me.
I could give you dozens of ways God took care of Seth — a neurosurgery appointment when the office firmly declared they had no appointments, Seth getting moved to surgery because of two patient no-shows (who doesn’t show up for neurosurgery?), our pastor arriving to pray just as Seth was wheeled out for surgery, a friend who happened to be the pre-op nurse, Seth’s dream university moving him to a full online schedule after one phone call, and his proton radiation physician who was an international specialist in this particular tumor.
In the end, we learned the tumor in Seth’s spinal sac had burst causing the acute pain. Though he was chillingly close to permanent nerve damage, the surgery was successful and the tumor, though serious, was benign. Seth finished the semester at his dream university and underwent proton radiation in our hometown the next summer.
Everything I had thanked God for in advance, I witnessed him do in real time.
In His Word
Ephesians 5:20 “…giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (ESV)
1 Thessalonians 5:18 “…give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (ESV)
In Your Life
How can you thank God in advance in a situation that’s worrying you?
Maybe it’s something you’ve been praying about for a long time, or an immediate situation that feels completely out of your control. Start by whispering a simple “thank You,” not because you see the answer yet, but because you know He’s already there in it.
When gratitude comes before the breakthrough, peace often follows. Trust that God is working in ways you can’t yet see, and let your thankfulness draw you closer to His steady heart.
We Recommend
God has not left you alone in pain. If you’re walking through loss, find practical help and real hope to take steps forward in Lisa’s book Life Can Be Good Again: Putting Your World Back Together After It All Falls Apart.
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Lisa Apello is a speaker, Bible teacher, and author who equips women to cultivate deep faith in the midst of grief, loss, and life’s unexpected detours. After becoming a sudden widow and single mom to seven, she now helps others anchor their hearts in God’s promises through her writing, online community, and podcast, Hope in the Hard Places. Find more at lisaappelo.com and follow her on Instagram @lisaappelo.