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Thanksgiving

By Chidi Okoroafor
14 May 2017   |   3:36 am
Many Christians are grounded because they take God for granted. Anyone you show favour to and does not know how to say, ‘thank you,’ you are restrained to show further favour to such one.

Chidi Okoroafor

Text: Psalms 103: 1-22; Psalms 69:30; Psalms 95:2; Psalms 100:4
Key Verse: Psalm 103:2, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”

Thanksgiving in the Bible is the giving of thanks to God for everything that you receive from Him. You receive from Him life, food, shelter, protection, deliverance, blessings, good job, promotion, victories for the battles you fought and other good things. Every good thing in your life comes ultimately from God and you owe Him thanks for all. The Psalmist says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” Acts 17:25… seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.

The word ‘thanksgiving’ connotes that you give God thanks and accompanied with a sacrifice (giving) (Leviticus 7:12). God does not compel you to offer to Him sacrifice of thanksgiving; it should be a free will offering to God. Ephesians 5:20 instructs that we give thanks always to God.

Thanksgiving is a way you respond to God for His uncountable blessings you enjoy every day. Many Christians are grounded because they take God for granted. Anyone you show favour to and does not know how to say, ‘thank you,’ you are restrained to show further favour to such one. ‘Thank you’ qualifies you for another act of favour.

Thanksgiving should be a kingdom addiction. Destiny opens up to you when you give thanks to the Lord. God does not need your money and materials. The only thing God requires from you is to give Him Praise and that is why He values those who give Him thanks.

There is nothing God benefits from man except praise and thanks. When you pray, you give God extra duty to function. When you praise Him, you attract His presence.

Thanksgiving is a debt you owe and must be paid for all that God Has done for you. Thanksgiving and praise qualifies you to carry divine presence and divine presence is what you need to have a smooth ride in life.

Your degree of gratitude determines your altitude in life. The more grateful you are, the more colourful your destiny becomes. The fuller your thanks, the greater your glory.

It is a worthy addiction to be grateful to God. Praise is only to God. We are stranded because we are addicted to complains and murmur. Those that murmured in the wilderness were killed by the destroying angel (Exodus 16:2).

The Herodias daughter danced to the pleasure of the King and her dancing brought favour to her (Mathew 14:6). Imagine when you dance to the King of kings, you will walk in unspeakable favour. When you give thanks and praise Him, God comes down. If God be for you, nobody can be against you (Romans 8:31).

When you give God thanks, God comes down and envelopes you, that the arrows of the wicked cannot touch you. Thanksgiving is an open cheque and you can praise your way to fortune, beauty and glory. David praised his way into the heart of God. David praised God 7 times a day and prayed 3 times a day. Psalms 119:164, “Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments.”

Thank God for what is done and praise Him for who He is. There is no spiritual force that is more potent than the power of thanksgiving. Jesus took 5 loaves of bread and two fishes and gave thanks to God and baskets of bread landed on the earth. Five thousand people were fed and there were about 12,000 baskets were left over (John 6:11&13).

God reacts very violently to people who appropriate His praise to themselves, Nebuchadnezzar is a good example in the Bible (Daniel 4:31). You must know why you are thanking God; it is not just a mere exercise without knowing the purpose of the thanksgiving. You respond to God in thanksgiving, it is a debt you must pay day in-day-out.

Constantly find reasons to thank God continually. Thanksgiving is a weapon of deliverance. The evil spirit in the life of Saul left him when David played musical instrument. Paul and Silas praised God and God stepped into the prison and loosed them (Acts 16:25).

Today’s Nugget: It is a worthy addiction to be grateful to God. Prayer: Father, help me to develop the addiction of thanking You always in Jesus Name, Amen.

Dr. Chidi Okoroafor, General Superintendent, Assemblies of God Nigeria
09078154261. E-mail: evangelgospel@yahoo.com

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