Phenomenology of Prayer I

During the seasons of Thanksgiving and Christmas, many individuals like to acknowledge what they are thankful for. The book, "The Phenomenology of Prayer," edited by Bruce Ellis Benson and Norman Wirzba, mentions the difference between praise and thanksgiving. "We can distinguish praise from thanksgiving as follows: to give thanks is to praise God for the good things I have received from God, while to praise is to thank God for who God is... without reference to how I may benefit from it" (Benson, Wirzba, 14). Wouldn't it be better for individuals to praise God instead of give thanks during the winter months? Many individuals, when they give thanks to God, thank him for materialistic things, such as a roof over their head, their food, and family. Shouldn't we at least thank God for our health, for waking us up this morning? The most selfless thing to do would be to praise God, and thank him for who he is, instead of what he gives us.