THANKING GOD - V

Psalm 107:8 - Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind.

Choosing by faith to thank God in spite of intense feelings of depression, disappointment, anxiety, etc., is deeply spiritual. Do not wait until you feel grateful to thank God.

Gratitude is a “medicine” that promotes your spiritual health, and consequently your mental and physical health. Simply keep saying "Thank you Jesus, Praise you Jesus" as often as you can and see the difference in your life!

The thankful heart will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings.

THANKING GOD - IV

Jonah 2:9 – But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Deliverance belongs to the Lord.

Jonah was in distress... yet, in the anticipation of sure deliverance, fully trusting in the Lord, he offers thanksgiving already. God honors such confidence in Him.. (Jonah 2:10).

Thanksgiving becomes a sacrifice when it proceeds from a heart which truly understands God’s mercies, AND is accompanied by a course of life well-pleasing to God.

Gratitude is an antidote to negative emotions, a neutralizer of envy, hostility, worry, and irritation.

THANKING GOD - III

Psalm 100:4 - Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name.

This verse indicates a command... and God is more pleased with obedience (1Samuel 15:22)... however sad our spirits may be when we look to ourselves, yet we shall have reason to thank the Lord when we look to his goodness and mercy, and to what he has said in his _WORD_ for our comfort. (Read Psalm 27:5-6)

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds yesterday. Did you use one to say - thank you Lord ? What about today ?

THANKING GOD - II

Eph 5: 20 - Give thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Note the words AT ALL TIMES and FOR EVERYTHING...  all our afflictions, as well as God's mercies were designed for our good, and were needful for us. Why then should we not bless God in the furnace as well as in the palace; on a bed of pain as well as on a path of gain ?

Thanksgiving should be a fundamental and invariable element of all Christian prayer. We have much for which to be grateful; and the duty of acknowledging the mercy of God should not be forgotten.

Ingratitude is always a kind of weakness; wise men have never been ungrateful.

THANKING GOD - I

1Thes 5:18 - Give thanks IN all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus FOR YOU.

The verse actually says to be thankful IN all circumstances and that means... “in the middle of” or “during” all situations, good or bad.. In other words, no matter what is happening in your life, you should be thankful... because of the promise in Romans 8: 28.

AND IT IS THE WILL OF GOD FOR YOU.. and that means He requires that you should NOT BE unmindful of this obligation.

Ingratitude is a crime more despicable than revenge, which is only returning evil for evil, while ingratitude returns evil for good.

WHY ARE THE PRAYERS OF SOME PEOPLE NOT ANSWERED?

Why are the prayers of some answered... Read Proverbs 15:29 and James 5:16?

Reason to ponder : UNFORGIVENESS

Mark 11: 25 - Whenever you stand praying, FORGIVE, if you have anything against anyone...
Mathew 5:24 says...  first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.

The prayer even of the most intense faith is not perfect, unless the temper of the worshipper is also that of charity which forgives the offences of others. It reminds us that forgiveness is necessary to the acceptance of all prayers, more so when great things are to be asked and confidently expected.

PRAYER WITH FORGIVENESS IS A BIG PART OF MEDICAL CARE.
Proverbs 15:29 & James 5:16?

Reason to ponder : UNCONFESSED SIN

Psalm 66:18 - If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.

Though we may refrain from the gross practice, Sin, regarded in the heart, will spoil the comfort and success of prayer. The idea is, that in order that prayer may be heard, there must be a purpose to forsake ALL FORMS of sin. This is a great and the most important principle in regard to prayer. All prayers, to be acceptable to God, must be connected with a purpose to forsake all sin.

DAILY PRAYERS ARE THE BEST REMEDY FOR DAILY CARES.

WHY ARE THE PRAYERS OF SOME PEOPLE NOT ANSWERED?
Read Proverbs 15:29 and James 5:16

Reason to ponder :  SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS

Luke 18: 11 - God, I thank you that I am not like other people... (his prayers were not pleasing to God - read the parable).
Luke 16: 15 - You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of others; but God knows your hearts; for what is prized by human beings is an abomination in the sight of God.

Self-righteousness is not just an inflated view of self, but it is coupled with a view of others as inferior.. The self-righteous proclaim that they are righteous and that everything they say and do is right. They will find no fault with themselves and they will reject any suggestion by others that they have faults.. that's why they shout and defend themselves.

SEE THE TRUTH in Romans 2: 5-6 - But by your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath, when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. For he will repay according to each one's deeds.

THE WORST TYPE OF SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS :-  Thinking & claiming to be not self-righteous at all.

False Prophets & Teachers - BEWARE!

2Cor 11:3 - But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by its cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you submit to it readily enough.

Satan only has to put a drop of poison in the stew to ruin the whole batch. He’s not going to pour in enough to alert you with a bad taste or smell.

Col 2:8 - See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ

Sound Biblical doctrine is a pure and precious thing that ought to be handled lovingly and with utmost care so that it is presented in a way that diminishes the speaker and glorifies the God of the Word.