Do you know that it is easy to give thanks to God when everything is going as planned?
The bills are sorted, your grades are good, no family drama and you have everything you’ve ever dreamed of and much more.
But when things begin to fall apart, our gratitude to God diminishes as well.
The first question we ask ourselves is ”Does God even love me?” “How could he allow that to happen to me?” We question his capabilities as our father.
Real gratitude to God isn’t reserved for just the good times but also for the difficult seasons in our lives.
The true test of our love and loyalty to God is seen in the hard times.
It’s not enough to sing about his love or post it on our status. It is bad to only stay with those we claim to love during the good times.
God says, “In everything give thanks for this is the will of the water.
If we want to strengthen our spiritual muscles, we must trust God even when we don’t understand how He will resolve the issue. We have to have enough faith in Him to just be calm.
Why Should we give thanks to God in all circumstances?
Giving thanks to God in all circumstances is part of maturing as a child of God. When circumstances beyond our control arise, we must channel our worries into praising God.
Jesus Christ was in a stormy sea but never panicked. He understood that the cross, not the sea, would be where he would die.
That was the reason he slept in the boat while his disciples were afraid.
He didn’t panic, not because he was the son of God, but because Jesus knew that God could never lie.
Our present circumstances do not determine or alter the promises God has spoken to us. It must come to pass.
How can I Be thankful to God?
We can show our gratitude to God in different forms depending on how we decide to praise đź‘Ź Him.
1. Singing praises to God-
“Oh that man should praise the Lord for His goodness and for His wonderful works.”
Singing praises to God from a sincere heart shows our complete trust in God. Singing praises to God is reminding us that God is mighty.
Remember, we were created to worship and for fellowship with God. That is our primary assignment.
2. Speaking about God’s faithfulness –
I will always put my hope in you;
Psalm 71:14-16 GNT
I will praise you more and more.
15 I will tell of your goodness;
all day long I will speak of your salvation,
though it is more than I can understand.
16 I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will proclaim your goodness, yours alone.
Never should we be embarrassed to share what God has done for us. Someone else might be set free thanks to our testimony.
Rarely do people tell others about their salvation experiences.
We should not be reluctant to share instances of God’s kindness with others in order to boost up their faith especially when the Holy Spirit puts it as a burden in our hearts to do so.
3. Seeking God Daily
O God, Thou art my God; early will I seek Thee.
Psalm 63:1a
The more we seek God the more revelation we receive about who God His and how to worship Him.
Worship in this context means serving and doing his will. Loving Him in a way that pleases Him so that we don’t offer a sacrifice of praise that is an abomination to God.
What are the benefits of giving thanks to God?
The benefits of giving thanks to God in all circumstances are inexhaustible.
The air we breathe is a gift from God, to be mentally stable is a blessing and worth celebrating.
When we constantly fix our eyes on everything that isn’t working in our lives, we become ungrateful.
As people created in God’s image, we know that everything is working together for our good. Both the good and bad situations are going to be used by God for his glory.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28 ESV
How to Build A Relationship with God
1. God lightens our burdens when we praise Him.
There is a sense of peace that passes our understanding when we begin to praise đź‘Ź God.
In the jail, the chains were broken as Paul and Silas gave thanks to God. The doors to the prison were also opened.
No one ever praises God and remains the same.
2. Our spiritual eyes are opened to the mysteries of God’s kingdom.
3. The sick get healed
4. The presence of God stays with us.
5. God preserves a grateful heart.
What Does the bible say about giving thanks to God?
Jesus Christ was a perfect example of someone who knew the power of showing gratitude to God.
He was able to feed over 5000 people through gratitude. The Bible records that he raised the basket of five loaves of bread and some fish and gave thanks.
He wasn’t in any doubt about if God was going to answer His prayers or not.
When Jesus was at Lazarus’ tomb he thanked God before commanding Lazarus to come forth from the grave.
Thanksgiving commands the attention of God.
Bible verses about giving thanks to God.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 MSG
Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 MSG
Every time we grumble and refuse to be thankful, we allow the devil a foothold in our lives and open the door for him to attack the other aspects of our lives that are going well.
Every time we break God’s law the serpent will bite. Every instruction God gives to us is for our own good.
Philippians 4:6-7 MSG
Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
Philippians 4:6-7 MSG
Our challenges can make us forget the good things that God had done in the past. We are often caught up with fixing the issues at hand.
God never promised us a smooth sailing in this world but one thing is sure when we bring our petitions before God with faith
Not comparing ourselves to other people, but through believing that God will come through for us in his time.
Psalm 50:14 GNT
Let the giving of thanks be your sacrifice to God,
Psalm 50:14 GNT
and give the Almighty all that you promised.
Our praise to God is a sacrifice which means sometimes it will come from a place of pain. God never forgets our labor of love.
To other people looking in it doesn’t make sense why we decide to give thanks to God when a loved one has cancer.
There is no waste in God because He uses both the good and bad times to bring glory to his name.
Psalm 124:3 GNT
“If the Lord had not been on our side
Psalm 124:3 GNT
when our enemies attacked us,
then they would have swallowed us alive
in their furious anger against us;
Despite all the formulas of success that we know, the truth remains that if God should take his eyes off us we are finished.
If we look at how far we’ve come and all the hurdles we’ve had to overcome, surely it was by the mercy of God that we haven’t lost our minds.
Psalm 103:1-4 GNT
Praise the Lord, my soul!
All my being, praise his holy name!
Praise the Lord, my soul,
and do not forget how kind he is.
He forgives all my sins
and heals all my diseases.
He keeps me from the grave
and blesses me with love and mercy.
Psalm 103:1-4 GNT
God gave us the privilege of sonship. We would have been miserable if Jesus hadn’t died for us.
So every time we are faced with the temptation of speaking evil against God,
We must never forget the scarifies Jesus made just to redeem us.
Luke 19:39-40 AMP
Some of the Pharisees from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples [for shouting these Messianic praises].” 40 Jesus replied, “I tell you, if these [people] keep silent, the stones will cry out [in praise]!”
Luke 19:39-40 AMP
Nobody can starve God of the praises that he deserves that is why he has trillion angels at his disposal to offer praises.
When we refuse to praise God the spirit of God inside of us becomes inactive and we will feel like the weight of the world is on our shoulders.
God can raise worshippers from unlikely places that will praise him if we decide to keep silent.
Colossians 3:15 GNT
The peace that Christ gives is to guide you in the decisions you make; for it is to this peace that God has called you together in the one body. And be thankful.
Colossians 3:15 GNT
One prayer that we should never cease praying is the peace of God to govern our lives.
Without God’s peace, we would always have the spirit of heaviness which is depression and that can shorten our life span.
The more liberty we have at praising God the longer we can live.
Psalm 118:24 ASV
This is the day which Jehovah hath made;
Psalm 118:24
We will rejoice and be glad in it.
I know this might sound like a cliche but every new day is a gift from God.
Instead of cursing the day before it even begins, declare blessings over it.
Even when you haven’t seen the manifestation of the blessings it is like planting a seed.
The more we water it with the word of God it will surely come to pass.
Lamentation 3:22-23 ESV
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
Lamentation 3:22-23
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness
Psalm 100:4 NIV
“Enter his gates with Thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise His name
Psalm 100:4 NIV
