“Rejoice always and delight in your faith; be unceasing and persistent in prayer; in every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (AMP).
The life of the believer is a life of continuous rejoicing, unceasing praying, and consistent thanksgiving. This tri-part activity is one of the key aspects of our walk with God, and its relevance impacts every aspect of our lives as believers, in honor of our God.
Colossians 3:17 says “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him”. Your thanksgiving must flow to God the Father in the name of Jesus. An example of thanksgiving is Hannah, when God blessed her with a son called Samuel (1 Samuel 2:1-10). Thanksgiving is for all circumstances, and should be done in the atmosphere of rejoicing and with an attitude of praying. You give thanks in both challenging times and blessings of life. Over and over again, the Psalms show us what it means to be thankful, even in times of fear, sadness, and grief.
Paul understood this principle; at the start of each of his letters to the churches, he expressed his thanks to God for God’s people. Amid serious persecution, he was always joyful because he knew this was the will of God. Paul writes, “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus” 1 Corinthians 1:4. Thanksgiving perfects and makes whole. An example is the ten lepers that our Lord Jesus healed; only one out of the ten came back to give thanks and he was made whole (Luke 17:11-19). While the other nine received healing, because they did not express thanksgiving for what the Lord Jesus did for them, they did not receive wholeness (i.e. restoration of all they had lost due to the leprosy).
PRAYER / CONFESSION
Dear Father, I take grace to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances, in the name of the Lord Jesus.
WISDOM NUGGET
“Always giving thanks to God the Father for all things, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” Ephesians 5:20 (AMP).