• No matter what you are facing, if you can apply certain mysteries such as thanksgiving, you can come out.
• You can pray for vengeance but you can also praise for vengeance.
• No matter what you are facing, if you decide to be joyful as though you don’t have a problem, you will defeat satan and he will leave you alone.
• Satan will leave you when you are joyful because he doesn’t like that environment.
• Be appreciative of the things God does.
• When we praise God for what He does we mean, what He did, what He is doing and what He will do.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THANKSGIVING BECOMES A LIFESTYLE?
1. YOU HAVE ACCESS INTO GOD’S PRESENCE (Psalm 114:1-7, 100:4, 43:5, 42:5, 22:3)
• The miracles Jesus did were because God was with Him (Acts 10:38)
• The presence of God is the secret to the miraculous.
• It’s not about shouting or saying “in the name of Jesus,” but it is about the backing that follows you when you do so.
• The presence of God is what makes enemies to flee.
• The presence of God removes barriers.
• Thanksgiving is the protocol for entering His presence.
• The presence of God gives you strength which is a function of health and vitality (Psalm 84:7).
• Prayer has a lot of technicalities and you can even pray amiss.
• It is not every prayer that God hears.
• When you praise God, He comes by himself.
• When prayer has failed, try thanksgiving.
2. IT POSITIONS US TO OBTAIN THE PROMISES OF GOD (1 Thess 5:18, Heb 10:36, John 6:11)
• When we appreciate God He will keep on perfecting things for you.
• God is waiting to see how grateful you are for what He has given you before He can take you to where he has destined you to be.
• The thanksgiving that takes you to the top is what will keep you there.
• Thanksgiving is a form of honour and it gives you access.
• Ingratitude is dishonour and causes exits.
• If you can be thankful for what you have, what you have can become better.
• Thanksgivers are not permitted to run dry.
3. IT GRANTS US REVELATION THAT CHANGES OUR LEVELS (Isa 12:3, Gal 2:2, 2 Kings 3:14-15)
• There is a relationship between thanksgiving and joy.
• Revelation causes you to go up.
• Sadness blocks access to revelation.
4. IT FACILIATATES HARVEST (PROFIT) OF OUR LABOUR IN THE KINGDOM (Col 2:7, Prov 12:14, Heb 13:15)
• Many people are labouring in the kingdom but are not seeing results because thanksgiving is missing.
• What we do for God is supposed to bring results.
• Let us not always gather to pray against something, let’s also gather to give thanks.
5. IT GENERATES A FORCE THAT CHANGES SEASONS AND SITUATIONS (Hab 3:17-19, Acts 16:25-26)
HOW IS THANKSGIVING EXPRESSED?
1. PRAYING AND SAYING OF THANKSGIVING (Neh 11:17, Psa26:7, Dan 6:10, Eph 1:16)
•You can know a person is thankful because he says so and prays so.
2. SINGING AND A JOYFUL NOISE (Psa 47:5, 69:30,95:2, 97:12, Ezra 3:11, Isa 51:3)
• People can tell the difference between sounds of sorrow and sounds of joy, what about God?
3. THANKSGIVING OFFERING (Lev 22:29, Psa 107:22, 2 Chr 33:16, 1 Sam 1:24-28, Luke 8:1-3)
• Before you ask God for anything, thank Him for the last thing He did for you.
4. THROUGH DEDICATION AND LOYALTY (Luke 8:3)
• When you say God has done so many things for you but it doesn’t show by your dedication and commitment to Him, what you are saying is a lie.
5. CLAPPING OF HANDS (Psalm 47:5)
6. TESTIMONIES (Psa 92:2)
• To testify is to show appreciation and to not testify is to be ungrateful.
7. DANCING (Exo 15:20, 32:19, Psa 149:3, 150:4, 2 Sam 6:5, 12)
8. SACRIFICE (2 Sam 6:13)
9. SERVICE
10. BOWING BEFORE GOD
11. ROLLING BEFORE GOD