Thanks-Living

As I prepared for my class tonight, I wanted to really focus on Thanksgiving and thankfulness. And as I was studying, I was really convicted that we need to do Thanks-living, not just Thanksgiving. God calls us not only to a day of thanksgiving, He calls us to a life of thanks-living! The difference between thanksgiving and thanks-living is between giving thanks on one day and living thanks always. Thanksgiving is a one day event. Thanks living is a way of life.How do we “LIVE” Thanks? We begin to "live thanks” when we learn to have an attitude of gratitude, recognizing that all that we have and all that we are belong to Him alone. We have been blessed to be a blessing. Our continual thankfulness for our blessings will turn into a lifetime of living thanks, of living the blessings and sharing the blessings because we know in the deepest parts of our hearts that God is the giver of it all. Praise is also a huge part of Thanks-living. God deserves our praise and it is hard to be grumpy, angry, sad, mad, depressed or discouraged when we are praising God instead of having a pity party. Praise is simply adoring God. You can praise God by saying, "God, you are _________."

Thankfulness is counting our blessings and being grateful for them.

Phil. 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I Thes. 5:16-18 Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Col. 2:6-7 "As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving."


Often we find it the hardest to praise God and thank Him in the storms of life. But look at the Apostle Paul. He praised God and thanked Him when in prison, in affliction, shipwrecked, and beaten. He said he had learned to be content in all situations. Contentment is a choice. We can CHOOSE to praise and thank God. He is worthy. He deserves it.

A Thanksgiving Prayer “ Oh God, when I have food, help me to remember the hungry; when I have work, help me remember the jobless; when I have a warm home, help me to remember the homeless; When I am without pain, help me remember those who suffer; And remembering, help me destroy my complacency and bestir my compassion. Make me concerned enough to help, by word and deed those who cry out for what we take for granted.” Samuel F. Pugh

Try reading these out loud to God...I read them out loud tonight and wept for He is my everything! Praise you Lord!

AND HE SHALL BE CALLED...
ADVOCATE *LAMB OF GOD*
THE RESURRECTION & THE LIFE*
SHEPHERD & BISHOP OF SOULS*
JUDGE*LORD OF LORDS*
MAN OF SORROWS*HEAD OF THE CHURCH*
MASTER*FAITHFUL & TRUE WITNESS*
ROCK*HIGH PRIEST*THE DOOR*
LIVING WATER*BREAD OF LIFE*
ROSE OF SHARON*ALPHA & OMEGA*
TRUE VINE *MESSIAH*TEACHER*
HOLY ONE*MEDIATOR*THE BELOVED*
BRANCH*CARPENTER*GOOD SHEPHERD*
LIGHT OF THE WORLD*
CHIEF CORNERSTONE*SAVIOR*SERVANT*
AUTHOR & FINISHER OF OUR FAITH*
THE ALMIGHTY EVERLASTING FATHER*
SHILOH*LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH*
I AM*KING OF KINGS *PRINCE OF PEACE*
BRIDEGROOM*ONLY BEGOTTEN SON*
WONDERFUL COUNSELOR*IMMANUEL*
SON OF MAN*DAYSPRING*THE AMEN*
KING OF THE JEWS*PROPHET*
REDEEMER*ANCHOR*
BRIGHT MORNING STAR*
THE WAY, THE TRUTH & THE LIFE*
 
JESUS CHRIST