Thanksgiving

by Rick Joyner

     One of the most powerful of all spiritual weapons is thanksgiving. Few things can change our lives more than turning our complaining into thanksgiving. As we are told in I Thessalonians 5:16-18, we should: “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.”
 
      Think about it—“in everything give thanks” because it is the will of God. To be able to sincerely do this is one of the ultimate signs of true spiritual maturity. If we believe the Word of God that “God causes all things to work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (see Romans 8:28), then we should give thanks for all things. It’s just not that easy to do, but when we do, we are walking in the faith that pleases Him because it is an ultimate trust in Him.
 
      As Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday, let us also remember to be thankful for our country, for the freedoms we still have, and for all who paid such a high price for us to have them. Let us also resolve that we will not take them for granted, but will do our part to preserve them and not let such a priceless gift be lost on our watch.
 
      As we approach this great holiday, take a minute to consider the promises and declarations about the power of thanksgiving in these few verses:   
 
                “He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; and to him who
                orders his way aright I shall show the salvation of God” (Psalm 50:23).
 
     This is not just the salvation of our souls but our salvation from attacks and troubles. The first generation of Israel that left Egypt died in the wilderness without attaining their Promised Land because of their “grumbling and complaining.” Those who are prone to grumble will likewise spend their lives going in circles and will die in a wasteland because complaining is the opposite of thanksgiving. God wants to lead us to walk in all of the promises, but it takes faith and patience to inherit the promises (see Hebrews 6:12).  So let us resolve to turn our complaining into thankfulness. It can change our destinies.

     Then there is another important reason to be a thankful person. We enter the presence of the Lord with thanksgiving, as we read in these two verses:
 
                "Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving"
                (see Psalm 95:2)
 
                "Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise"
                (Psalm 100:4)
 
        In both of these verses, we see that to enter His presence we must come with thanksgiving. If we will start our day by recounting before the Lord how thankful we are to Him, we can enter His presence first thing. By keeping a thankful heart all day, we can abide in His presence. This is the way to the happiest and most successful life.
 
        Would you like to live a peaceful life without stress? This is the key as we read in
Philippians 4:6-7:

                "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with
                thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  
 
                And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your
                hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

        We must train ourselves that when we start feeling anxiety, it is a call to prayer. Thanksgiving is a link to the peace of God that guards us and keeps us abiding in Christ.
 
        Prayer is likened to incense in Scripture, and thanksgiving is the ingredient that makes our prayer a “sweet savor” to the Lord. We have so much to thank the Lord for that we will be thanking Him forever, and it won’t be long enough. So let’s get started!

Happy Thanksgiving!