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Thanksgiving is an act of worship. It revives hope, refreshes our faith, and releases the power of God to meet our needs.

            To Worship is to express reverence, worthiness (Value) and a sense of awe towards God. And thanksgiving is an act of worship because through thanksgiving we acknowledge His existence, His Goodness and our dependence on Him. Failure to give thanks is to refuse to acknowledge God, and this attitude invites God’s anger. “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened” (Romans 1:21-24).

            Through thanksgiving we acknowledge God’s goodness in our lives. “O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endures forever” (Psalm 136:1). Thanksgiving makes us acknowledge God as our provider and protector. Thanksgiving is a way to demonstrate our dependence on God. “If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say; If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us”(Psalm 124:1-5).         King David, one of the greatest worshippers that ever lived knew and understood that thanksgiving is the way to approach God. “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name” (Psalm 100:4). Just as there’s no car without wheels, so there’s no worship without thanksgiving. The Lord Jesus said, God seeks true worshippers, and thanksgiving is the key to true and spiritual worship.

            Thanksgiving revives hope and refreshes one’s faith. When we thank God in advance for what we are asking Him to do, it energizes our hope and confidence in Him. Again, thanking God in advance calms our stressful and disturbing minds. “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” (Philipians 4:6-7).

            Therefore, thanksgiving enables us to see pass our current challenges. Thus, thankful people are less likely to murmur and complain. Instead, they are full of hope and confidence regardless of whatever they go through in life.

            Moreover, thanksgiving brings down the power of God. The Lord Jesus had three loafs of bread, two fishes and over five thousand people to feed at one time. The only thing he did was to give thanks, and then a great miracle took place. All the people were fed, and the surplus were twelve baskets full of bread and fishes (John 6:5-12).

            Again, the Lord Jesus was summoned to the tomb of a person who was dead for three days, and among all the weeping and the mourning of the family and friends of the diseased. The Lord Jesus first gave thanks and then called out the name of Lazarus. And he that was dead came out of the tomb (John 11:40-44). Thanksgiving provoked the miracle of the resurrection of Lazarus. Look, however, dead your situation might be thanksgiving is powerful enough to bring life to it. Obviously, thankful people are often the most lively people you ever come across.

            Resist the daily life’s challenges that seek to drain your thanksgiving. See thanksgiving as central to your worship regardless of your situation. For a thankful heart brings confidence and hope. And thanksgiving is the key to experiencing the supernatural.