[0:01]One of the things that baffles me the most in life is the simple, yet powerful impact of gratitude. From the littlest of persons to the greatest of individuals, gratitude is appreciated and it makes a world of difference when done appropriately. If gratitude is so powerful to people, how much more so to God? Today, let us read and meditate from the book of Psalm 34, verse 1, and then we will pray together. It says, I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth. One of the ways you can bless the Lord at all times, as the psalmist says here, is by showing gratitude continually. Saying thank you again and again for all he has done, for all he will do, and for all he has made available to you. Have you said thank you today? Thanking God every day I believe is one of the ways we can include gratitude into our daily routine. I strongly believe that gratitude is important to God. He delights in our Thanksgiving. Several verses speak about us coming to the Lord with Thanksgiving and praises. A few of those verses include first Thessalonians 5, verse 18, which says, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. In Psalm 100, verse 4-5, the Bible says, enter his gates with Thanksgiving, and his courts with praise, give thanks to him, bless his name. For the Lord is good, his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 136, verse 1-3 says, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of Gods, his love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of Lords, his love endures forever. This chapter of the Bible in particular is full of Thanksgiving and praise to the Lord. We also see from scriptures that it was a continuous habit of the Psalmist of old to give thanks to the Lord. And that should also be how we live in this day, constantly giving thanks to the Lord. Now, we will find that Thanksgiving flows naturally when we have something to thank God for,
[2:57]that is nothing spectacular or miraculous has happened that you want to shout thank you Jesus for. Well, that is where we have to begin to make changes because the Bible says in first Thessalonians 5 verse 18, our second verse of the day tells us to give thanks in all circumstances. Other verses of the Bible also speak on this, on the need to always have a heart of gratitude in every circumstance we find ourselves in. It is not only when the grass is green and everything is going perfectly as we want it to that we thank God. In fact, living in that kind of thought is the reason it may be hard to build a life of daily Thanksgiving as a believer. Another thing is, indeed many of us wait for the spectacular testimonies before we can thank the Lord. But Thanksgiving is not always about the spectacular. Sometimes, our thanks lies in the repetition of things we experience, the simple things, the way his grace, his love, protection and presence covers us through the day without hesitation. We must find God in the simple things as well. Thank him for the simple things, like seeing a new day for instance. Not everyone goes to see it, and it is by no means a right that you or I have. The Psalmist speaking in Psalm 118, verse 24 says, This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Think on that for a second, is this not a day that the Lord has made?
[5:00]It not a miracle in itself? I call those the small miracles of life and while it is important to thank God for the big things, we must remember to thank him for the little things as well because everything deserves Thanksgiving. Our souls should keep blessing the Lord for all that he has done for us. I have also found that not only does Thanksgiving please God, it also helps us as people. It helps our hearts, particularly in hard times or times when we are finding it a bit difficult to remember that God has been good to us, you know, those days of trials. I have found particularly that whenever I get into Thanksgiving as a person, I feel better instantly. I remember one particularly hard day, I had been expecting something, and I didn't get it, so I just started thanking God for what he had done. And I realized that that action jogged my memory somewhat and reminded me that God has done wondrous things before and he can do it again. One peculiar thing happens to us as believers. In our days of trials, sometimes, it's really easy to forget that God has once been good and he has done things before. In fact, because of the pain we are in at that moment, all those other testimonies may seem a little dull or a little far away. But Thanksgiving gives us that little trip of remembrance. Immediately, it comes to us again that God is always good. All those testimonies also gladdens our hearts and strengthens our faith in the Lord. Our joy is renewed, our hope and faith is renewed simply by giving thanks. And also, I believe that it is necessary for us to remember that for our Thanksgiving to matter, it must be true, it must be from a joyful heart, and it must be from a truly grateful heart. I think God being God can probably tell from a mile away when we're not being sincere with him. God values sincere and genuine Thanksgiving. In fact, in all we do, we must be sincere and genuine. Sincerity matters to God. We also must come joyfully. The Psalmist says in Psalm 118, verse 24 that we will rejoice. Thanksgiving isn't really Thanksgiving if we are doing it solemnly and without joy. Also, when we show a heart of gratitude to God for what he has done, he is inclined to do more. John 6, verse 11, in the feeding of the multitudes, the Bible records that Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. Jesus gave thanks first for what he had on hand, and there was the testimony of multiplication. Thanksgiving brings more blessings than a lack of Thanksgiving will ever bring. I am yet to see one person be blessed for being ungrateful. So let's get in the habit of thanking God today. Let's start our day by saying thank you, Lord, and see how it brings God on the scene and how it changes our hearts. If you would like to get into this habit today, I believe there is no better time to start than right now. Let's join our faith together and say a prayer of Thanksgiving to the Lord for who is and for all that he has done.
[9:07]Heavenly Father, I thank you this morning for this message. I thank you for your words within it. I thank you because these words have blessed me today, they have opened my eyes to the importance of Thanksgiving and why it is important to a believer's life. For this Lord, I say thank you. I also ask this morning, Lord, that you forgive me for being ungrateful in the past. Forgive me for forgetting your goodness and your mercy in the face of trials. Forgive me for forgetting at times that you are always in my life and that you are always making a way for me. Forgive for not seeing the little things you do daily and for only being open to the spectacular ones. I pray that you have mercy on me this morning. I also pray, Lord, that today, you help me to see the little things in my life that I have taken for granted. The miracle of life, of breath, of being able to feed myself, of being able to sleep and wake up, of being able to laugh, being able to rejoice, Father, I thank you for all these things. Today, I also ask that you help to live a life of gratitude from this moment on, a life that sees your goodness every day, even when the days are not so good. Help me to change my perspective and to always see the possibilities in you, even as I give thanks. Help me to stay grateful and help me to always remember your goodness in my life. I ask this morning for an attitude of joy as well. Help me to be joyful, even as I give thanks, help me to be sincere and help me to be genuine.
[11:17]Help me to always bring true Thanksgiving to you every single time. Help me never do it to get from you. Help me to offer my thanks and praises from a truly grateful heart. I also ask this morning that even as I thank you, Lord, let my life be changed. Everything associated with being thankful, Father, I pray that it comes into my life today in Jesus name. I receive a renewed perspective, your abundant blessings, strength and joy. Heavenly Father, I thank you this morning because I know that you have heard and answered my prayers. Thank you for listening to my voice and for caring about every part of my life. I am grateful that I can come before you with confidence, knowing that you are a loving and faithful Father. Today, I choose to rest in the assurance that you are with me and that you are already working on my behalf. I know that from now on, I am empowered to live a life of gratitude. Teach me to remain thankful in every season and to remember your goodness each day. Fill my heart with true joy, and let my Thanksgiving come from a sincere and honest heart. May my praise not be empty words, but a genuine response to your faithfulness, mercy, and love. Lord, I declare that the circumstances around me will no longer overwhelm me. Fear will not control me, worry will not consume me, and discouragement will not overcome me. You are greater than every challenge I face, and in you I find peace, strength, and hope. I thank you because from this moment on, I rise above every burden by your grace. I walk forward with faith, confidence, and joy. In Jesus' name, amen. If you have prayed this prayer with me this morning, then welcome to living a life of gratitude. Don't forget to always start your day with a thank you God and remember to stay thankful throughout your day. Thank you for joining us on today's devotion on being thankful. Please do tell us in the comment section what you felt was the highlight of the message for you. What stood out? What blessed you? And also, if you have any prayer requests that you want to share with us, please don't hesitate to drop them below. We'd love to pray for you. May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always.
