WHY THANKING GOD?

1. It is a demonstration of our gratitude to God.

Ps.28:5-7

⁵ Because they regard not the works of the Lord, nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up.

⁶ Blessed be the Lord, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications.

⁷ The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him

2. It is a commandment.

Mal.2:1-2.

1 And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you.

² If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the Lord of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.

It is a commandment from God for the preservation of our blessing.

1Thess.5:18

¹⁸ In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Its not an advise but a commandment

Eph.5:20

²⁰ Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

 

3. It is a good thing to do.

1Tim.2:1-3

2 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

² For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

³ For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

Not thanking god is not good

Ps.92:1

92 It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High:

4. God hears Thanksgiving the same way he hears prayers.

Examples:

Feeding 5,000 men with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes.

Jn.6:6-11

⁶ And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.

⁷ Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.

⁸ One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him,

⁹ There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?

¹⁰ And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.

¹¹ 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.

Children of Judah.

2Chron.20:22-25

²² And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.

²³ For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another.

²⁴ And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.

²⁵ And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much.

Lazarus.

 Jn.11:39-45

³⁹ Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.

⁴⁰ Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?

⁴¹ Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.

⁴² And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.

⁴³ And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

⁴⁴ And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

⁴⁵ Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.

People suffer and struggle because they don’t know the power of thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is not just something you do to feel good.

WHAT ARE WE TO EXPECT WHEN WE THANK GOD?

1. God will preserver our Blessings
2. God will multiply our Blessings
3. God will perfect our Blessings

When you slack in thanksgiving, you disconnect yourself from the Blesser and Blessings.

Jos.18:1-3

1 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them.

² And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes, which had not yet received their inheritance.

³ And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the Lord God of your fathers hath given you?