The Power of Thanksgiving

Prayer of thanks: A prayer that offers thanks to God

Giving of thanks: An expression or an act of giving thanks

Public acknowledgement or celebration of divine goodness

Time and space does not permit me to do an in depth teaching on the subject, but I would like to share my most recent observations.

I have been pondering, "The Power of Thanksgiving" for weeks as the date of a long anticipated family reunion inched closer. Thanksgiving has been a matter of choice in between my husband’s ongoing medical treatments and my mother’s nursing home visits.

The Thanksgiving Holiday heralds the beginning of frenetic cleaning, shopping, cooking, and socializing. Excited as you are to prepare, I think it can be very challenging to allow a thankful attitude to remain the focus and prevail as grocery carts are driven over fresh pedicures, or you are driving circles in the parking lot until you are woozy waiting for a parking spot that is closer than the North 40.

Sometimes I think it is not until the day after Thanksgiving do you realize the true meaning. After the last goodbye hugs and kisses when it is time once again to vacuum the large, medium and small footprint memories out of the carpet. Distance, time, and health restraints make the treasured moments more valued….

There are vast numbers of scripture references that refer to thanks or thanksgiving. The Psalms reverberate over and over with the shepherd King’s heart of thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving was the Key to Increase

Mark 8:6 And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people.

Although Jesus was the Son of God, his thankful heart had created an assurance with his Heavenly Father that He would always hear his cry.

John 11:40Jesus said to her, Did I not tell you and [a]promise you that if you would believe and rely on Me, you would see the glory of God? 41So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.

The night that Jesus Christ was betrayed He was in the midst of serving His Disciples their last supper. He was able to give thanks for what was meant for His destruction. He had a secret - He knew the ultimate offense would be used for the salvation of mankind. Jesus was able to give thanks for what He had taught his treasured Disciples. His mission was almost complete, and He was now confident this knowledge would keep them in the trying days to come as well.

Mark 14: 22And while they were eating, He took a loaf [of bread], praised God and gave thanks and asked Him to bless it to their use. [Then] He broke [it] and gave to them and said, Take. Eat. This is My body. 23He also took a cup [of the juice of grapes], and when He had given thanks, He gave [it] to them, and they all drank of it

Ephesians 4: declares how we should be using our mouths and that is possible to give thanks from our prison.

Thanksgiving can be a sacrifice that will produce a harvest.

Hebrews 13:15Through Him, therefore, let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name

It is possible to give thanks at all times.

Ephesians 5:20 At all times and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.

As God’s handiwork we struggle to determine the perfect will of God for our lives. We may never know who we are to marry, where we are supposed to live or work, but scripture states…

It is possible to fulfill the will of God in your life by simply being grateful.

I Thessalonians 5:18Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will].

Thankfulness can be cultivated.

Colossians 3: 15 -17Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

Finally, I believe our heartfelt thanksgiving is the AMEN to every good work that God created in
Genesis 1.

As my heart has processed this previous year, and taken inventory of the past day’s events, I have just one more thing to say...

Philippians 1: A Love That Will Grow 3- 6 Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God. Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer. I find myself praying for you with a glad heart. I am so pleased that you have continued on in this with us, believing and proclaiming God's Message, from the day you heard it right up to the present. There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.

hmmmmm......maybe I will wait one more day to vacuum.

                                            t-t-f-n (ta-ta-for-now)