Psalm 100:4(MSG)
Enter with the password: “Thank you!” Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank him. Worship him.
Giving thanks and praise to God are not just a spiritual formality but powerful spiritual actions with proven impact and effect. Thanksgiving and praise establish us in the Presence of the Lord. Thanksgiving is the password to God’s Presence and it ushers us into the rest that His Presence brings. So, it is very critical to give thanks and praise to God if we must access His Presence, and when we gain access to God’s Presence, we experience His Goodness. We cannot gain access into His gates without thanksgiving and we cannot access His court without praise. If we don’t want to be locked out of God’s Presence, then we must always remember the password “Thank You”. To enter into God’s Presence, follow Heaven’s protocol.
One great expectation of the Almighty God is that man, whom He created in His image and likeness, will appreciate His good deeds to them. It is written in Isaiah 43:21 “This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.” So we are created to give God praise. However, it is unfortunate that from generation-to-generation man has been ungrateful. When we fail to appreciate God for who He is and for what He continuously does for us, we rob Him of His rightful glory and honor. Revelation 4:11 says “God created all things, including human beings, for His pleasure.” In other words, when we are thankful or praiseful, we give Him pleasure. God does not want His people to give Him thanks because they are told to do so, rather He wants people whose heart would rise joyfully and voluntarily everyday with gratitude to Him whenever they remember His numerous benefits in their lives. If we want God to give us any attention when we pray, then, we must be relaxed and show Him that we are satisfied by thanking Him for all He has done for us. There is so much for us to be grateful for, and we need to focus on them.
Beloved, make up your mind to always thank God in the beauty of holiness and you would see the His Hand in your life. Avoid the lifestyle of complaining and murmuring, rather use that time to thank God for what He has done in your life. Don’t just walk into God’s Presence with your requests, make sure you have with you “thanksgiving and praise”. The most profound gratitude we can show God, for all the things He has done for us, is to accept the Lordship of Jesus Christ and to live by the ideals He brought from His Father. God bless you as you do so today. As you give God thanks, you will encounter the truth that will guarantee your liberty in life in Jesus’ Name. Today, identify the things God has done in your life from the beginning of the year till now and thank Him with a heart of gratitude. Count your blessings and name them one by one before His Throne of Grace. Remember, God will always be the Creator and Sustainer of the universe and our intimately loving Father. He deserves our genuine joy-filled gratitude.
O Lord, thank You for all things, remove from my life every distraction that would hinder my thanksgiving to You in Jesus’ Name.