Dear Ones,
God bless you in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ. Thanksgiving is essential to thanks living, and thanks living is essential to joyful living.
Philippians 4:6 - Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God
Thanksgiving is a voluntary expression of gratitude and is a very important part of prayer and all of life. Thanksgiving is giving something to God which He completely deserves. Most often, we concern ourselves with receiving from God. “Thanksgiving” is just what the word signifies, the giving of thanks to God. It is the proper response to God for His great goodness to us. It is putting into words what we feel in our hearts.
- Thanksgiving is a freewill, heartfelt expression of gratitude.
- Thanksgiving is a significant and vital part of prayer.
- Thanksgiving is about giving and not focused on getting.
- Thanksgiving is right response to God for kindness to us.
- Thanksgiving is putting into words the gratitude held in our hearts.
Gratitude arises from contemplation of the goodness of God and is fed by serious meditation on what God has done for us.
Psalm 103:1 and 2 - Bless Yahweh, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless Yahweh, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
When we consider the great benefits of God, out of our mouths thanksgiving flows. He has been so merciful, gracious, loving, patient, forbearing, and forgiving, how can we be anything other than humbly thankful? Ponder and write out some of the great blessings you have experienced from your God.
When we consider the heavens and the earth and realize they are God’s handiwork, we have abundant grounds for thankfulness. The great key to thankful living is slowing down and considering God, His goodness, and His creation. When our lives are so busy that we do not have time to think, then we fail to be thankful. Contemplate, and write down some of the things in nature that you are thankful for such as trees, water, air….
When we are not thankful, we are also not happy. Happiness is not based on what we have or do not have, but on our attitude towards our circumstances. When we are thankful, we are happy because we are content. Ingratitude breeds unhappiness because our desire and longings rule our thinking. As a poor diet and lack of exercise invite sickness, so ingratitude and discontent attract sin. When we are unthankful, mentally we are disturbed and disquieted, then we become magnets for lust, covetousness, and greed. Romans 1 clearly shows the beginning of humanity’s downfall. They did not glorify God and were not thankful.
Romans 1:21 - Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Thanksgiving should indeed be an active part of our prayer life and, for that matter, of every aspect of our lives. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says it well – “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
We have just one life to live. Why not give thanks unto God while we can? At the end of each day, take time to thank God for all He has done for you, and first thing in the morning before getting out of bed, thank God for another day to live with thanksgiving in your heart.
Mimi and I pray your holiday season is filled with blessings and gratitude.
Vince Finnegan
