The Power Of Thanksgiving

The Pulpit Mandate

THANKSGIVING is one of the tools of Christian faith, and indeed an indispensable key in opening up the treasures of heaven. An apt understanding of thanksgiving as unconditional way of life will certainly put the believer in the realm of the miraculous.

Basically, thanksgiving authenticates faith of a Christian especially when expressed in view of things yet unseen. It indicates the Word of God as truth and accepted in our spirit. Above all, when a believer appreciates God over His blessings, including those not yet manifested, it is an in-depth expression and acknowledgement of God’s faithfulness and greatness.

It is imperative to note that thanksgiving is not optional but a divine injunction and obligation. We don’t thank God because the circumstances around us are cheering or soothing, rather, thanksgiving goes to God because He is the almighty and also for His grace. It doesn’t matter if things around you are diametrically upside down on the surface; give thanks to God. In the scripture, Apostle Paul didn’t mince words charging believers to imbibe the tradition of thanksgiving. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 - “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you”.

Conversely, if you belong to the class of believers that subjects thanksgiving to conditionality, the grace of God in our lives has satisfactorily met your condition. By His grace, we are today bold to stand before God relating with Him in prayers as our father irrespective of our weaknesses and transgressions. We are at liberty to key into the promises of God, make critical declarations and even stand in the position of priests after the order of Melchisedec. Perhaps, we may have to individually examine the tasks the priests had to embark upon prior to this regime of grace so as to be able to appreciate God’s love and kindness thoroughly.

When you make thanksgiving a habitual attribute of your life, and praise God sporadically irrespective of circumstances and situations, impliedly, you have largely aligned with the supernatural and will therefore live above board.

One of the fundamentals of thanksgiving is its capacity to invigorate the presence of God in our lives. This ushers in unending consciousness of His divine presence, and as you know, wherever there is presence of God, there is fullness of joy. Another benefit that cannot be overemphasized is that it keeps you in invariable sync with the move of the spirit leading to colossal increases and multiplications. In Psalm 67:5-6 “Let the people praise thee, O God, let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us”, it is emphatic that offering thanksgiving and praises to God is not without benefits.

If you look inwardly, there must be a reason to thank God in your life. This will go a long way in demystifying your challenges. Do not forget that the battle we are into now is of the mind and not physical. Hence, by thanking God ‘recklessly’ or irresistibly in the midst of those huge challenges is analogous to enthroning God.  Simply, this is an excellent strategy to winning the battle in the heart. Our thanksgivings should be anchored more on all the spiritual blessings the Word of God declared as yours. (1 Corinthians 3:21 -Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours). Understanding of this mind-blowing statement in the scripture will even reduce the endless long lists of prayer requests to thanksgivings and prayers of acknowledgement.

No doubt, you may be passing through devastation, bereavement, disappointments, discouragements, depression and other despicable things from the pit of hell, nevertheless, never give up. This is actually the appropriate opportunity to thank God because your thanksgiving at this point is clearly anchored on the Word of God and not on things seen or happening to you. Realistically, it should be a moment of sorrow considering the circumstances confronting you, but just give it to Him as a commandment as it pays on a long run.

Imperatively, do not forget the spiritual controls the physical, hence your thanksgiving to God for bequeathing to us as a Will all spiritual blessings in Christ implies your acceptance to be a competent partaker of His Will covering all things in life including all in your heart desires. Interestingly, the Will is like a blank-cheque and caters for all our dreams and expectations. Now, this is where thanksgiving plays prominent roles. It acts as a tool for taking possessions of the spiritual blessings, and a medium for downloading the spiritual blessings to the physical world in the form of those things in your long list. So always give it to Him as the God of all flesh. Jeremiah 32:27- Behold, I am the God of all flesh; is there anything too hard for me?