During this time of the year, people all around the world start to think about what they are most grateful for in their lives. Can I tell you the truth? This is something we have to practice daily. Being thankful isn’t just once a year, it’s a continual sacrifice that we offer to the Lord on a daily basis, every day of the year. Being in the spirit of praise and thanksgiving shows the Lord that we appreciate the small things He does for us on a daily basis. Did you wake up this morning? Are you breathing? Do you have a roof over your head? We can’t disregard these blessings because they are just as important as other blessings and answered prayers.
Psalm 103:1-2 says “Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise His holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things He does for me.” I want to point out the word, never. The Psalmist says may I NEVER forget the good things He does for me which means this is current and continuous. In this case, we are never going to stop thanking the Lord for all the good things He does for us daily. This also shows that when we thank the Lord, we praise Him with every part of our being. This is very powerful and when it’s done on a daily basis, nothing can steal your joy.
Praise and thanksgiving puts you in a place of peace. Philippians 4:6 says “don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” When we continue to pray and thank God for all He has done, we experience the peace that surpasses all understanding. This peace then guards our hearts and our minds. How powerful is that? We can be at such peace that nothing can steal our joy! We can freely bring our petitions to the Lord and ask Him for what we need and what we are believing Him for, but there is a pace that comes when we begin to thank Him!
When we praise Him, these are one of the sacrifices that please the Lord other than doing good and being generous to those in need. Hebrews 13:15-16 says “therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.” So the sacrifices that please God are praising the Lord, doing good and sharing our resources with others that need them.
Praise is sacrificial because at times we don’t want to praise the Lord when we are struggling or are feeling sad about something. It’s sacrificial because instead of feeling sorry for ourselves, we sacrifice the feeling of the flesh and instead replace it with praise. How amazing is it to know we have a choice in the matter? How awesome is it to know that even during those stressful times in our lives, we can experience peace of mind and heart when we praise and thank the Lord! I want to encourage you to speak and journal gratitude daily even if it’s 10 things you are grateful for. This puts you in a different position to bless yourself with joy and peace and to place yourself in a perfect position for the Lord to bless you! Happy Thanksgiving brothers and sisters!
