Gratitude For What You Are in Christ

    As we have worked to increase our FEELING of gratitude and EXPRESSING gratitude to God, we have found wonderful words to describe God in our thoughts and prayers, multiple reasons to be continually thankful to God, and today I would like you to take time to truly think on these things:

Through Christ, YOU ARE:

Loved by God (John 3:16)

Called By the Gospel (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14)

Saved By Grace Through Faith (Ephesians 2:1-10)

Delivered From the Power of Darkness (Colossians 1:12-14, 1 Peter 2:9)

Redeemed From the Hands of the Enemy (Psalm 107:2, Titus 2:11-14)

Forgiven (Colossians 1:12-14)

Created in His Image (Genesis 1:29, Romans 8:29)

A Child of God (1 John 3:1-3, John 1:12-13, 2 Corinthians 6:17-18)

A Dear Child (Ephesian 5:1)

A Child of Light (Ephesians 5:2)

An Heir of God and Joint Heir With Christ (Romans 8:17)

A Part of God’s Household of Faith (Galatians 6:10)

Partakers of the Divine Nature (2 Peter 1:4)

Elect of God (Colossians 3:12)

An Imitator of God (Ephesians 5:1)

Being Completed and Complete (Colossians 2:10, Philippians 1:6)

Heard (Psalm 34, Philippians 4:6-7, Hebrews 4:14-16, 1 John 1:9)

Able (2 Corinthians 9:6-11, Ephesians 2:10)

More Than A Conqueror (Romans 8:37)

Will Be Rewarded (Hebrews 11:6, 1 Peter 1:3-9, Romans 8:18, 28)

 “’Sing praise to the LORD, you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name…  O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.” (Psalm 30:4, 12 NKJV)

     Spend time in considering ALL THAT YOUR ARE in Christ, let your heart feel the intensity of these wonderful blessings, let your lips speak praise to God in thankfulness for His generosity! FEEL it, SAY it!! God is worthy!!

From wherever you are right now, BEGIN!

You can do it! So can I!!

Gratitude For God's Blessings

Last week we looked at words that we can use to describe the goodness and majesty of God, this week I would like to begin a list of the things we can be thankful for, so that our eyes are opened to the benefits God gives us daily (Psalm 68:19):

• His lovingkindness (Psalm 92:1-2, Ephesians 2:1-10)
• His faithfulness (Psalm 89:1-2, 2 Thessalonians 3:3)
• His enduring mercy (Psalm 107:1)
• His goodness (Psalm 135:3)
• His generosity that allows us to be generous (2 Corinthians 9:6-11, 1 Timothy 6:17-19)
• For hearing our prayers (Psalm 116:1-2, Psalm 34, 1 John 1:9)

Side Thought: Consider the joy of Abraham’s servant, who, as soon as he realized it, proclaimed God’s goodness in answering his prayer (Genesis 24:12-27, 48). Do you stop and thank God when you realize the same?

• Hope in heaven (Hebrews 6:17-20, 1 Peter 1:3-9)
• Salvation through Christ (John 3:16-17, Romans 5:6-11)
• Protection from the devil (Ephesians 6:16, James 4:7)
• Forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38, 1 John 1:9)
• Help in time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16, Philippians 4:6-7, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
• All God’s wonderful deeds (Psalm 9:1)
• All spiritual blessings in Christ (Ephesians 1:3-14)
• Senses: ability to see, touch, taste, hear, smell (Psalm 139:14, Proverbs 20:12, Psalm 34:8)
• Life, breath, and all things (Acts 17:25)
• Ability to earn money (Deuteronomy 8:18)
• Abilities/talents/stewardship (1 Peter 4:10-11)
• Family/children (Psalm 127:3)
• Husband (Proverbs 31:11-12, 28)
• Church family (Philippians 1:3-5)
• House/Residence (Isaiah 32:18, Proverbs 3:33)
• Daily provision: Food/Drink/Clothing (Matthew 6:8, 25-34)
• Government/All Men (1 Timothy 2:1-4)

“…in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NKJV)

"What if you awoke this morning with only the things you were thankful for yesterday?" Think on that for a moment; it's a good thought to consider and it should motivate us to open our eyes even more to God's wondrous blessings! Let this list - and all that you can add to it - help you to SAY thank you to God, to express your gratitude to Him, for all He has done and continues to do! May our praise and thanksgiving rise up to Him daily as a sweet aroma (Revelation 5:8)!

You can do it! So can I!! 

Learning Gratitude: Words That Describe God

    Have you ever been at a loss for words? Desperately willing your mind to access the file that contains all the best descriptive words in your vocabulary?

    Being left speechless can happen when we are overwhelmed with what we are seeing and/or feeling and I think it goes without saying that the world will be at a complete loss for words when Jesus comes again and we come into God's presence - that will be overwhelmingly overwhelming - but until then we should teach ourselves how to speak to Him, to thank Him, and praise Him.

 

Think on this list of words that describe God:

Alive, Active, Amazing, Almighty, Abundant, Astounding, Absolute, Attentive, Authentic, Awesome, Astonishing, All-Powerful, Able, Alert, Beautiful, Best, Beneficial, Benevolent, Brilliant, Creator, Caring, Compassionate, Comforting, Considerate, Divine, Dignified, Distinguished, Excellent, Everlasting, Extraordinary, Excelling, Essential, Father, Forgiving, Fulfilling, Faultless, Faithful, Forbearing, Flawless, Good, Glorified, Glorious, Generous, Gracious, Genuine, God Most High, God of all comfort, God of peace, Holy, Helpful, Honourable, Incorruptible, Infallible, Important, Impressive, Just, Kind, King, Knowing, Love, Loving, Living, Loyal, Light, Mighty, Master, Mender, Matchless, Merciful, Needed, Noble, Omniscient, Omnipotent, Perfect, Protector, Powerful, Provider, Pure, Proven, Praiseworthy, Righteous, Restorer, Reliable, Real, Remarkable, Revered, Ruling, Ruler, Splendid, Superb, Sacred, Sincere, Shelter, Sheltering, Strong, Superior, Supreme, Sympathetic, Shield, Teacher, Trustworthy, Truthful, True, Upright, Unfailing, Understanding, Unequaled, Victorious, Vigilant, Vindicator, Wholesome, Watchful, Wise, Wonderful, Zealous   

 

"Oh Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise." (Psalm 51:15, ESV)

 

    Go over the list one more time, slowly. Can you use some of these words to express your gratitude to God for what He has done and continues to do in your life?

 

    While these words can help us to declare God's greatness, the most important thing in what you say to God in praise and thanksgiving is that it is sincere and heartfelt. Use words that you understand and simply allow your heart to speak its fullness to our Almighty God!

 

    Magnify God in your heart and mind as you say thank you to Him!

 

You can do it! So can I!!

Learning to Express Gratitude

“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise, be thankful to Him, and bless His name.” (Psalm 100:4 NKJV)

    We have been learning how to FEEL gratitude for the things we have been blessed with, our next step is to SAY thank you and express gratitude to God for His lovingkindness and provision.

    Through Christ we have been granted the opportunity to “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). It makes sense then, that as we proceed to God’s “throne of grace,” that we first “enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise”! Jesus taught His disciples (and us) how to pray in Matthew 6:9-13, showing that prayer should begin (and end) with praise, acknowledging God as holy and awesome.

    I mentioned before in older posts that the word "bless" and "blessed" when used in reference to God and His name means "to speak beautiful words about." So, going back to Psalm 100:4, we are to “be thankful to Him, and [speak beautiful words about] His name.” It’s the perfect beginning point!

    Sit down for a moment today and prepare your heart to approach God’s throne. Imagine yourself entering His gates with thanksgiving (think of at least three things you can thank Him for), now imagine yourself continuing into His courts with praise (think of at least three things you can praise Him for), and now as you approach His throne of grace, be thankful to Him, and speak these beautiful words to Him! Let Him know that you know, that you are aware and appreciative of His provision, and that you are happy to be His child!

    God is worthy of ALL praise and ALL thanksgiving!! The blessings we receive from Him always outweigh our troubles! Tell Him today that you are grateful for His generous gifts of love and care!

From wherever you are right now – BEGIN! 

Photo Credit belongs to Chadwick Brewer. Used with Permission.