If It's Not Faith, It Is Sin (Part III)
Thanksgiving is a day that is set aside every November to pause in gratefulness to God for His many blessings. Thanksgiving actually means an expression of gratitude to God. He is most worthy to be thanked and praised, simply because He is God. …But, also, thanked and praised because He has been so good to us in that He gave His only Son, Jesus that we could be born again. Jesus is worthy of worship and praise in that he laid down His life on the cross for us becoming our sin so that we may become justified by His blood. Certainly, Thanksgiving is not only a day out of the year but an ongoing declaration of thanks to Him from our hearts. “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving” (Col. 4:2). “…be ye thankful” (Col. 3:15). “But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you…” (2 Thes. 2:13). We are commanded to give thanks.
“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (I Thes. 5:18). Are we to give thanks to God even in the difficult times that we may experience? The answer is “yes”. We don’t thank God for our troubles but thank God during the troubles. What does all of this have to do with faith?
We read in Philippians 4:4, 6&7, “Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say, rejoice. …Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God, and the peace of God; which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Please speak these verses aloud until you get it into your heart. These Truths are so powerful. Notice, we are to always rejoice in the Lord. We are not to be worried or anxious about anything but in everything we should come to God in “prayer and supplication with thanksgiving”, presenting our requests. We then have the promise of peace which passes anything that our minds can comprehend. …And notice, all of this will “keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” After we have made our request to God based upon a biblical Truth, we (by faith) believe that we receive it, and then, we enter into thanksgiving, calling it done in Jesus’ name.
I have often entered into a time of prayer when my heart was heavy because of some difficult situation in my life or the life of another. For example, I may be troubled because of a ministry financial need. I ask the Father for what I need in Jesus’ name. I may quote John 16:23. Jesus said, “And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.” I may say, “Father, based on that Promise, I ask you for the monies to meet this need in Jesus’ name. Now, according to Mark 11:24, I believe that I receive this in Jesus’ name. Thank you, Father, for meeting this need, in Jesus’ name. I give you praise and worship. It is mine!” I come to the Lord daily declaring thanks unto the Father, while speaking His Word, for this ministry need being met. As I thank the Father, heaviness of heart is changed to a heart of joy and peace. Wow, church, what a mighty God we serve. Amen!