Psalm 9:1 - I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
Psalm 100:4 - Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.
Three years ago we started a thanksgiving blackboard in our flat. When we were regularly writing on it the atmosphere in the house was electric and our spirits were high. I can recall a day when my flatmate came home after a challenging day. I said to her she needed to write something on the blackboard and this would help redirect her focus from her day onto God. Stuck on what to write she sat on the couch for a few minutes before I gave her some suggestions. She then got up and wrote something on the blackboard and sat back down and thanked me for encouraging her to do this. She now had a big smile on her face. Giving thanks can change the atmospheres around us and also within us. When you think you have nothing to give thanks be warned that this is a lie from the enemy and he is holding your weapon of thanksgiving hostage. Don’t allow him to do this.
The act of giving thanks takes our focus off ourselves and our situations and onto God. Something shifts in our mind, heart and spirit when we choose to give thanks to God. We won’t always feel like giving thanks but God is beckoning us to because He knows the power that thanksgiving holds. It gives God the place of sovereignty over our lives and that is so important.
There is always something to give thanks for, no matter how we feel or how hopeless things may look. The story of Job reminds us of this. He lost his family, slaves and livestock. Despite this Job was still was able to put that to one side and give thanks to God. I’m sure this wasn’t easy for Job. But Job had a revelation of the power and weapon of thanksgiving. 1 Thessalonians 16 calls us to give thanks in ALL circumstances, and this is God’s will for our lives! This is what Job did.
We can also give thanks for what is yet to come, declarations of faith and prophecy that encourage us regardless of what our circumstances. We can give thanks for a healing or a particular area of provision we need. Making such statements declares our faith in God and His ability to come through, regardless of what the answer to prayer will actually look like.
Thanksgiving is a weapon of spiritual warfare. For it can shift atmospheres, change our perspective and emotions about situations and smash the enemy out of the park. How sharp is your weapon of thanksgiving?
Psalm 100:4 - Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.
Three years ago we started a thanksgiving blackboard in our flat. When we were regularly writing on it the atmosphere in the house was electric and our spirits were high. I can recall a day when my flatmate came home after a challenging day. I said to her she needed to write something on the blackboard and this would help redirect her focus from her day onto God. Stuck on what to write she sat on the couch for a few minutes before I gave her some suggestions. She then got up and wrote something on the blackboard and sat back down and thanked me for encouraging her to do this. She now had a big smile on her face. Giving thanks can change the atmospheres around us and also within us. When you think you have nothing to give thanks be warned that this is a lie from the enemy and he is holding your weapon of thanksgiving hostage. Don’t allow him to do this.
The act of giving thanks takes our focus off ourselves and our situations and onto God. Something shifts in our mind, heart and spirit when we choose to give thanks to God. We won’t always feel like giving thanks but God is beckoning us to because He knows the power that thanksgiving holds. It gives God the place of sovereignty over our lives and that is so important.
There is always something to give thanks for, no matter how we feel or how hopeless things may look. The story of Job reminds us of this. He lost his family, slaves and livestock. Despite this Job was still was able to put that to one side and give thanks to God. I’m sure this wasn’t easy for Job. But Job had a revelation of the power and weapon of thanksgiving. 1 Thessalonians 16 calls us to give thanks in ALL circumstances, and this is God’s will for our lives! This is what Job did.
We can also give thanks for what is yet to come, declarations of faith and prophecy that encourage us regardless of what our circumstances. We can give thanks for a healing or a particular area of provision we need. Making such statements declares our faith in God and His ability to come through, regardless of what the answer to prayer will actually look like.
Thanksgiving is a weapon of spiritual warfare. For it can shift atmospheres, change our perspective and emotions about situations and smash the enemy out of the park. How sharp is your weapon of thanksgiving?