The Power and Benefits of Thanksgiving : Day One

The Power and Benefits of Thanksgiving

By Luann Doman

“It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High.” Psalm 92:1 (NKJV)

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. If you participate in social media, you’ve probably noticed that it’s become popular for many—including myself—to launch the season with a post-per-day of something we’re thankful for.

I’m not sure when or why I started doing this, but it’s become somewhat of a tradition. I enjoy thinking of and sharing fun or funny things to be thankful for. My hope is that it spreads a positive vibe to my friends and family, challenging them to be grateful as well.

And according to Dr. P. Doraiswamy, head of biologic psychology at Duke University Medical Center, giving thanks is also good for my health. “If [thankfulness] were a drug, it would be the world’s best-selling product with a health maintenance indication for every major organ system,” Dr. Doraiswamy says.

Studies on gratitude have shown measurable effects on everything from neurotransmitters (serotonin, norepinephrine), social bonding hormones (oxytocin), cognitive and pleasure related neurotransmitters (dopamine), to inflammatory and immune systems stress hormones (cortisol), cardiac and EEG rhythms, blood pressure, and blood sugar, according to Doraiswamy. Other medical studies have indicated a thankful attitude reduces stress and boosts immunity.

When the Psalmist wrote Psalm 92, I’m not sure if he was aware of the specific health benefits that thankfulness produces. However, he surely knew it is good, right, and appropriate to give thanks to the Lord.

Whatever situation you are in right now, whether it is good or challenging, are you able to give thanks? Can you join the Psalmist in praising the Lord for His lovingkindness in the morning and for His faithfulness in the evening? Can you recount the work God has done in your life? Are you amazed by the depth of the Lord’s thoughts (Psalm 92:2–5)?

I hope you’ll join me this year in counting blessings, in looking on at all God has done, is doing, and will continue to do in, through, and around you . . . in reflecting and praising Him simply for who He is, for His character, for His nature, for His goodness, and His loving kindness. He is worthy. He is worthy of all our thanks and praise!

“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, And to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭92‬:‭1‬ ‭KJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/1/psa.92.1.KJV

The Power of Your Attitude in Thanksgiving: Day Two

By Pastor Jeff Seward

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” Psalm 107:1 (NKJV)

Are you a thankful person?

Often when my car is stopped at a red light, I notice other drivers who want to merge onto the street from a parking lot. I often wave the driver into my lane ahead of me because I am personally grateful when other drivers show me similar kindness.

Sadly, when people are treated with courtesy, sometimes there is no acknowledgement or appreciation. When Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy, he said one of the characteristics of the last days is that people will be unthankful. How very common that is in our present world!

In Luke 17:11-19, we read how Jesus healed ten lepers. However, only one of the nine returned to show appreciation for His miraculous healing. The miracle revealed the attitude of the thankful leper’s heart, as well as the attitudes of those who didn’t express thanks. When Jesus told the thankful man that he was healed, Jesus may have meant a deeper work in this man’s heart. The other lepers had whole bodies but sick hearts.

The late Matthew Henry, a well-known Bible commentator and minister, was once robbed of his wallet. That night he wrote in his diary that he was thankful he’d never been robbed before this incident. Second, he gave thanks that the robbers had not taken his life. Third, Henry noted that although the robbers took all the money in his wallet, it really wasn’t very much. And finally, the minister wisely recognized that he was thankful to be the one being robbed . . . and not the robber.

As God’s people, we have everything with which to be thankful. It is good to reflect on what you have. Every good gift is from God. God has blessed you with life, access to a personal relationship with Him, daily provision, gifts and talents, work, family, friends, the family of God, and a hope of Heaven with Him for eternity.

The more we learn about God, the more we should praise and glorify Him. Our gratitude to Him for all of His goodness is one of the most beautiful ways to offer praise and thanksgiving to Him.

So, to ask the question again, are you a thankful person?

“O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: For his mercy endureth for ever.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭107‬:‭1‬ ‭KJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/1/psa.107.1.KJV

The Power of Friendship in Thanksgiving: Day Three

By Danny Saavedra

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy.” Philippians 1 :3-4 (NKJV)

Have you ever written a thank-you note to someone? If you’re married, you likely wrote thank-you cards to your wedding guests for the gift they gave you and your spouse. Maybe you’re the kind of person who sends hand written thank-you notes to people for birthday gifts, or maybe someone did something really thoughtful for you out of the blue and you just had to write out a heartfelt letter expressing your gratitude. Whatever the case may be, it’s always a beautiful thing to do for someone to express thanksgiving for something they did for you, for their friendship and love, and simply for who they are as a person.

Did you know that the New Testament Book of Philippians is, more than anything else, a thank-you note? It wasn’t primarily written to a church that needed correction or instruction, as most of Paul’s other letters were. This was a letter between friends, a note of gratitude from a proud spiritual papa, and you can really sense that in Paul’s introduction.

Now, here’s an interesting fact: Paul wrote this letter while under house arrest. He was essentially in a dungeon, chained to a guard at all times; his body was torn up and his back was covered in scars. He could have been miserable. But instead of focusing on his chains and allowing his present situation to control his every thought, he gave us an amazing example of what to do in hard seasons. What was that example? Well, instead of turning inward and stewing in self-pity, he turned outward! He put his thoughts not on himself, but on God and others, and was able to recognize God’s love, grace, and mercy at work through the Philippians.

Sometimes, when something bad happens to us, our lives can become consumed by it. Now, I’m not trying to bash anyone for this. We’ve all done it; in many ways, it seems we can’t help it. It’s our human nature. But Paul shows us a different nature, a new nature that all followers of Jesus have access through the Spirit of God in us.

Instead of focusing on the negative, Paul went out of his way to thank the Philippians. And even more astonishing, he told them he constantly prayed for them. So, in the middle of a terrible time, Paul prayed and thanked the Lord for their love and faithfulness, for their generosity, for sharing in the gospel with him! He didn’t just sit there and pray for God to help him or take him out of prison, or ask God why He allowed this to happen—both of which are valid prayers. Instead, Paul prayed and thanked God “upon every remembrance” of his friends and fellow brothers and sisters in the faith. In the midst of intense hardship, Paul remembered what was truly important in this world . . . the people God has placed in our lives.

There’s a great lesson here for us. Paul made it a point to show gratitude for his friends. As we walk through trials, let us not forget those who walk with us. Let us show them appreciation and remember to lift them up in prayer to the Lord. And here’s the best part about this practice: As we focus on thankfulness and the blessings God has placed in our lives, even during hard times, our attitude will change! Our focus will shift from the hardness of our circumstances to the blessings of our brethren and the goodness of our God!

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭KJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/1/php.1.3-4.KJV

The Power of Perspective in Thanksgiving: Day Four

“But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.” Philippians 1: 12–14 (NKJV)

As we noted yesterday, it’s entirely natural for us as humans to lose ourselves in difficulty. We tend to lose our joy, our perspective, and even see our faith shaken. We generally become very self-focused and usually develop extreme tunnel vision, unable to see beyond that which is invading and eroding our joy. But friends, I want to exhort you today with this simple truth: It doesn’t have to be this way.

You see, I believe that with spiritual maturity, as we grow more and more in our relationship with Jesus, as we abide deeper and deeper each day in Him and are changed from the inside out. As the Holy Spirit in us conforms us more closely each day into the image of Christ, our perspective on difficult circumstances and trials begins to shift. As one pastoral commentary on Philippians 1 noted, “One of the surest measures of our spiritual maturity is what it takes to rob us of our Spirit-bestowed joy. Paul’s maturity is evident as he makes it clear that difficult, painful, even life-threatening circumstances did not rob him of joy but rather caused it to increase.”

As we saw yesterday, Paul wasn’t focused on his chains but on his blessings. And what blessings were those? Well, the first is God! And listen . . . the blessing of personally knowing the Father, Son, and Spirit is more than enough to produce joy, satisfaction, and fulfillment. But he doesn’t stop there, because he is also full of thanksgiving for the grace and peace afforded to him through knowing God. And he’s also full of joy and gratitude for the people in his life—in this case the Philippians. And in today’s verse, you actually see Paul, the guy in prison for his faith, reassuring and comforting his friends about his circumstances. Why? Because he understood that all that matters is the gospel.

Paul knew it was an honor and a blessing to be used by God to point others to Jesus, to be used to bring people to salvation; whether on the mountaintop or in the valley, whether in a palace or a prison cell. Similar to Joseph, who was able to say to his brothers in Genesis 50:20 (NKJV), “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive,” Paul was able to see his situation for what it was . . . beautiful ministry in the hands of God.

Like Paul, you and I are also called to be ministers wherever God places us. We are gospel-bearers and gospel-planters. If we can understand this, we can begin to see that God wants to use us, even in the midst of tough situations, to give us the platform to reach the lost. When we begin to recognize that God is always at work and that His plan is always for the good of those who love Him, then our trials are put into perspective and makes it possible for us to walk in thanksgiving, even in the hardest of seasons. This doesn’t mean it won’t still hurt. I had a friend once tell me while his two-year-old daughter was walking through cancer, “You don’t have to be happy to hope; you can be thankful to God, know you are blessed, walk in gratitude, and still hurt.” And maybe, just maybe, as you walk with this perspective, the way you experience your trials can impact the lives of the people around you. Consider that the manner in which Paul endured his chains allowed those around him to see God. Paul’s testimony, the way he lived and treated others, positively impacted the lives of those around him.

Not only that, but his chains also impacted other believers. Essentially, the way Paul lived and honored God, even in prison, inspired other believers to do the same! His influence on “the brethren” caused them to become bolder in sharing their faith. This was another effect of the way Paul lived. It was also more evidence of God’s purposes for Paul’s suffering!

“But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; so that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places; and many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1‬:‭12‬-‭14‬ ‭KJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/1/php.1.12-14.KJV

The Power of Joy in Thanksgiving: Day Five

By Danny Saavedra

“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” Philippians 4:4 (NKJV)

If you remember, in Philippians 3: I, the apostle Paul said, “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe:’ It’s interesting that one chapter later, he reminds them again-actually twice in this verse-to rejoice.

The Greek word used here for rejoice is chairete. This word occurs 11 times in the New Testament and six of those instances were from the apostle Paul to three different churches—Thessalonica, Corinth, Philippi. Seven times, suffering surrounded the context of rejoicing. The word is defined as being glad for grace; to experience God’s grace and favor, to be conscious (glad) for His grace. It’s where we get our word for charity.

Interestingly, chairete was always used in classical Greek greetings and farewells (“Joy be with you!”), much like the Jewish people use “Shalom.” And here, the apostle used this word over and over again, four times in a very brief letter by Paul’s standards—to call attention to its meaning. He wanted the Philippians to immerse themselves in the gladness and gratitude that comes from recognizing the immensity and indescribable nature of God’s grace. He wanted them to be aware of this grace at all times.

You see, the apostle Paul believed with all his heart that joy was a requirement for the believer. Why? Because once you recognize what God’s grace means for your life and destiny, how could you not rejoice and give thanks in everything? How could you not live with a permanent attitude of gratitude? This, of course, does not mean being happy about every circumstance, nor does it mean that you can’t experience grief, pain, or sorrow (see Philippians 2:27). As I’m sure you already know, happiness is circumstantial, whereas joy is a lifestyle . . . it’s an attitude, a way of approaching the world based on the understanding of who Christ is and who you are in Christ.

So, Christ-follower, today, tomorrow, and every day until God calls you home or the Lord Jesus returns, rejoice and be glad! For the big and the little things, for the mundane and the monumental, for the challenging and the rewarding, thank the Lord for His unending and unfailing grace. Remember today and forever, you are a child of God, His heir, a coheir with Christ. You have a rich heavenly inheritance, and even on your worst day, when you’ve lost everything, you are still rich and full because He will never leave you or forsake you! How can we not be filled with joy and gratitude if we live with the gospel of God’s grace through Jesus at the forefront of our minds and hearts?

“Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭4‬ ‭KJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/1/php.4.4.KJV

The Power of Prayer in Thanksgiving

By Danny Saavedra

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV)

In life, there will always be things to worry about, things that cause anxiety. There is no shortage of troubles in this world. And despite the English translation of this verse, Paul did not tell the Philippians that they were prohibited to care about worldly matters, that they couldn’t be concerned with things like providing for their families, preserving their property, or any trial they may be experiencing. Instead, what the Greek word (merimnate) expresses is that we should not be so overly anxious that we fall apart, become utterly consumed by our cares to the point where it becomes sinful.

How does it become sinful? Because this level of anxiety implies a lack of faith and confidence in the Lord and demonstrates a high degree of self-centeredness and self-absorption. Here, Paul is saying that we can be free from the unbelievably heavy burden of worry and anxiety, that we can experience the kind of confidence in God that frees our minds from the clutches of anxiety and develops in us such a level of dependence on Christ that His peace sweeps over us. The key to experiencing this peace and confidence is prayer and thanksgiving! It’s praying with passion and sincerity and then walking in gratitude and faith that God will provide, instruct, care for, and comfort us.

When we immerse ourselves in prayer instead of our cares, when we genuinely pray for God’s sovereign will instead of ours and have a sincere, thankful heart, then His Spirit can work in us to free us from worry. And as we do this, as we pray “in everything.” He will give us a peace that goes beyond comprehension, a peace we cannot find anywhere else, a peace that allows us to have the perspective we talked about a few days ago, a peace that fills us with joy and gratitude. And that peace will sweep over us, it will comfort our hearts and give us a supernatural confidence and steadiness we never thought possible, because it comes through the Spirit of the One who raised Christ from the dead.

As a man who had experienced more troubles than most people can ever fathom, Paul’s words carried serious weight and credibility. There’s no doubt he spoke from experience. And yet, despite everything, the apostle was completely at peace. And it’s a peace even he, a highly educated, logical, intelligent man who had studied the Scriptures his whole life couldn’t comprehend. His prayer life and connection to the Spirit gave him a confidence in God that transcended any and all circumstances. He knew beyond any doubt that God’s plan is perfect and good.

The peace of God through Jesus guarded and guided Paul’s heart. He wasn’t worried because he had the peace of God, which he received through prayer, and we can have the same thing. Today, let’s thank the Lord for this gift of peace!

“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.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭KJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/1/php.4.6-7.KJV

The Power of Peace in Thanksgiving

By Samantha Rodriguez

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:15-17 (NIV)

Yesterday, we discussed the power of prayer as it pertains to peace! Today’s Scripture also talks about the peace of Christ in our hearts. As I read these three verses over again, though, the Spirit opened my eyes to see a common thread regarding our peace in Christ: gratitude! It’s the love of God which unifies and transforms us to live a lifestyle of holiness in Christ Jesus, yet it’s our continual praise and thanksgiving that will keep our hearts humble and abiding in His love! Let’s take a closer look!

● Colossians 3:15: “And be thankful.”
In verse 15, Paul writes about the peace of Christ ruling our hearts, since we’ve been called to peace through salvation in Christ (Romans 5:1). As he talks about that peace, though, he directly calls his audience to be thankful! Why? Because he knows that thanksgiving is both a natural result of us experiencing God’s love and a clear command to those of us who have submitted to that love.

● Colossians 3:16: “with gratitude in your hearts.”
In verse 16, Paul goes on to encourage the Colossian church to put the Word of God at the center of their teaching, worship, and fellowship. Yet again, he doesn’t fail to leave out that their acts of faith must be accompanied by a heart of gratitude for God’s unconditional and undeserved love!

● Colossians 3:17: “giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
In today’s final verse, Paul closes this section of his letter in a clean summary saying that in all we say and do, we should strive to do so in the name of Jesus and for the glory of God. And once again, Paul purposefully finishes his statement with a command to give thanks to God!

Why is it so important to recognize this theme? Because of what Paul writes in Romans 1:21 (NIV), “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

This verse exposes how our evil human nature can turn us away from God—through rejecting His glory and not giving thanks!

However, the gracious love of God made a way for us to not only be reconciled but also transformed from the inside out by His Holy Spirit! In view of this, there’s not a shadow of a doubt that gratitude must fill our hearts and guide our steps alongside the love of Christ because the two inevitably go hand in hand!

Thank You, Jesus!

“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭15‬-‭17‬ ‭KJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/1/col.3.15-17.KJV