A good friend of mine, a minister in his church, told me recently how to make my prayers more meaningful.

“If you feel like your prayers aren’t going anywhere,” he said, “try being thankful. Instead of giving God a laundry list of things you need Him to do for you, go to Him on your knees and thank Him for what He’s already given you.

“Let that be your entire prayer,” my friend said. “Don’t slip in any, ‘Oh, and by the ways . . .’ Don’t ask for anything. And don’t rely on generalities. Be specifically thankful for things that have meaning to you right now at this point in time in your life. You’ll be surprised how much of a difference it will make in your attitude and your relationship with God.”

So I tried it, and I’ve got to tell you – it worked. Which is why I’m wondering: if an attitude of gratitude can help my prayers, how about my column?

Hey, it’s worth a try!

I’m thankful to live in a country where people are free to speak their mind – even when what they are advocating is diametrically opposed to everything I believe and value.

I’m thankful for skilled medical professionals who staff hospital emergency rooms and intensive care units. They work long, hard hours, usually with people’s lives depending on their actions and responses. Which reminds me . . .

I’m thankful I don’t have a job where people die if I make a mistake.

I’m thankful for technology that allows me to communicate with loved ones instantaneously – like when we’re hundreds of miles apart and we’re watching the same football game on TV and our team’s quarterback THROWS ANOTHER INTERCEPTION and I need to have someone talk me out of throwing the TV remote at the screen.

I’m thankful that there is room at the megaplex for a gentle love story about vampires – and that my wife and daughters don’t expect me to go with them to see it.

I’m thankful no one has announced the start of their campaign for the presidency in 2012 – yet. Still . . .

I’m thankful for those who are willing to give them time and energy to represent me at City Hall, the Statehouse, in Congress and in the White House. I may not agree with everything they do, but for the most part the system works.

I’m thankful for the wondrous mix of chemicals that make Diet Dr Pepper possible.

I’m thankful for M*A*S*H reruns.

I’m thankful for a talented and dedicated high school teacher who seems to be able to reach my son at a time in his life when my influence is waning.

I’m thankful for laptop computers and wireless Internet, both of which simplify my life by doing incredibly complicated things . . . simply.

I’m thankful for oldies radio stations.

I’m thankful that I was able to fill up my little car yesterday for half of what I filled it up for two months ago (I don’t really understand why it was up so high then or why it is down so low now – but hey, I’m not complaining! At least, not now).

I’m thankful for all of the smart people who are working so hard to try to figure out how to fix our fractured economy (and I’ll be even more thankful if they can figure out how to fix it without pushing the gas prices back up).

I’m thankful to have so much for which to be thankful.

Without even asking.