Communication Key: Thanksgiving
#41 in the Series: Daddy, It's Me--Conversations of an Ordinary Person
with an Extraordinary Heavenly Father
When I was studying
about things that can block our communication with God, another one that should
not have been a surprise was ungratefulness.
Which of us, when we give a gift, or time, or even a compliment doesn’t
appreciate a heartfelt “Thank you!” We
are
made in God’s image, so it is safe to say he feels the same way. But we don’t have to imagine. There are plenty of scriptures to verify this. In fact praise and thanksgiving are the very key to the throne room of God. In Bible days, when someone wanted to see a king uninvited, they would approach the throne room with trepidation. If the king held out his scepter, they were approved and invited to have an audience. If not, they would be put to death! (See the book of Esther, especially Esther 4:11)
made in God’s image, so it is safe to say he feels the same way. But we don’t have to imagine. There are plenty of scriptures to verify this. In fact praise and thanksgiving are the very key to the throne room of God. In Bible days, when someone wanted to see a king uninvited, they would approach the throne room with trepidation. If the king held out his scepter, they were approved and invited to have an audience. If not, they would be put to death! (See the book of Esther, especially Esther 4:11)
Thank God, because
of Jesus we can come boldly to the throne, but here is a principle of prayer:
“Enter his gates with
thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his
name.”
Psalm 100:4 NIV
“do not be anxious about
anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let
your requests be made known to God.”
Philippians 4:6 ESV
And the
opposite holds true as well:
“For although they knew God,
they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in
their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”
Romans 1:21 ESV
So what
do we give thanks to God for?
“give thanks in all
circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV
“Oh give thanks to the Lord;
call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!”
Psalms 105:1 ESV
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he
is good. His love endures forever.”
Psalm 136:1 NIV
“Praise him for his acts of
power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.”
Psalm 150:2 NIV
“He is the Maker of heaven and
earth, the sea, and everything in them— he remains faithful forever. He upholds
the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets
prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who
are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the
foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways
of the wicked. The Lord reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the Lord.”
Psalm 146:6-10 NIV
“Listen to my cry, for I am in
desperate need; rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for
me. Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous
will gather about me because of your goodness to me.”
Psalm 142:6-7 NIV
“And whatever you do, in word or
deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the
Father through him.”
Colossians 3:17 ESV
“I will give to the Lord the
thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the
Lord, the Most High.”
Psalms 7:17 ESV
If you
want to see more check out the Psalms especially Psalm 140-150. But the short answer is:
“giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ,”
Ephesians 5:20 ESV
Even, or
maybe especially, for the trials in our lives we can be thankful because if we
go to him, submit to him, and ask him for his perspective, we will often find
that it is the trials of our lives that bring us the blessing of knowing him in
new ways. How can we know him as our
Provider, if the cupboard is never bare?
How can we know him as Comforter, if we never grieve? How can we know him as Healer, if we never
ask him for healing? How can we know him
as Teacher, if we never ask a question?
“What if the trials of this life, are his mercies in disguise?”*
So thank
God for everything and in everything. He
is good even when the circumstances shout to us otherwise. He is working out everything for our good and
teaching us Truth to free our mustang heart!
*From the song,
“Blessings” by Laura Story…listen to it here and be blessed.
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Teri