Wednesday, 6th December 2023
By Pst Israel Olorunfemi
TEXT: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (Psalms 103:2)
I want to begin this morning by saying that thanksgiving is one of the major secrets of life and the cheapest way to live under any circumstance. According to Bishop David Oyedepo, thanksgiving adds colour to our Christian experience. The reason is because with thanksgiving everything around us begins to respond positively.
What is thanksgiving?
As defined yesterday from Bishop David Abioye, thanksgiving is appreciating God for small thing in a big way. Thanksgiving also is recounting the past acts of God in your life. Hear me child of God, there is nothing you have today that is an “achievement”, all you have today is a “receivement.” The meaning is that what you have today is what you have received from God and not what you have achieved by yourself. Let this sink into your heart!
Thanksgiving is attributing what you are and what you have to God and not to your skill, connection, certificate or hard work. As good as these factors are, they are not enough to make you who you are today without God. When you see who you are and what you have as a result of your efforts, you are already taking the glory that due only to God. We are nobody without God. So, when your heart moves to celebrate the acts of God, it is called thanksgiving.
Why we must thank God?
(1) IT IS A GOOD THING.
Psalms 92:1 says: “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:” When you give thanks to God, you’re doing a good thing.
(2) IT IS THE WILL OF GOD.
Apostle Paul pointed out in 1Thes 5:18 that: “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
(3) IT GUARANTEES ACCESS TO THE PROMISES OF GOD.
Heb 10:36 says: “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” There can’t be fulfillment of promises without thanking God for His past deeds.
(4) YOUR PRAYER IS INCOMPLETE WITHOUT THANKSGIVING.
Phil 4:6 says: “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
(5) IT GUARANTEES MULTIPLICATION.
For everything that must increase, God must be gratefully acknowledged. Jesus knew this secret and used it often during His earthly ministry. Anything we do not thank God for never increases. “And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would” (John 6:11). As soon as He gave thanks, food came from wherever it was and twelve baskets were gathered as remnants.
Beloved, put to work what you just read.
PRAYER: As you practice thanksgiving this season and always, you shall return with your testimonies, in Jesus name.
GOOD NEWS:
MTD Intercessors Group, a platform where prayer requests of MTDians are handled is ongoing with dedicated intercessors. It will run till January 2024. Testimonies of Answers to prayer requests sent are already being shared on the platform. If you’ve not sent or still wish to send more prayer requests, send them to: +2348167589854 (WhatsApp) or email us at: morningteaprayerline@gmail.com
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Dec 6 (1John 5; Dan 3-4)
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