DOMINION MANDATE DAILY DEVOTIONAL

MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 2020

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

BIBLE READING: PSALM 138:1-2

"Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Ephesians 5:20 KJV.

Prayer is earthly invitation for heavenly intervention on the affairs of humanity. The Lord Jesus, who is the creator of man in our manual stated that, men ought always to pray and not faint (Luke 18:1). Put differently, for man to function in his full capacity, he has to pray and be connected to God who is our Source and Sustainer. The disciples of Jesus in order to be effective went to Jesus while He was praying - "...as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. Luke 11:1b KJV. Their request to be taught about prayer signifies that there are types and dimensions of prayers.

We have discussed several kinds of prayers and today we will discuss the Prayer of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is the act of giving thanks to God for who He is, for what He has done and for what He will do for us. We are admonished to make thanksgiving a lifestyle. Thanksgiving is so fundamental in prayer that it is the password that is required to access the gates or courts of heaven - Enter with the password: “Thank you!” Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank him. Worship him. Psalm 100:4 MSG.

We are admonished to give thanks because that is the will of God - "In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thess 5:18 KJV. The prayer of thanksgiving is a commandment as stated in various passages of scripture - Col 1: 12 ; Eph 5:4b. Therefore, we have every reason to give Him thanks because we know that He is working everything for our good.

Thanksgiving also makes it possible to receive further blessings from the hands of God. Nothing ever finishes in the hands of a thanks giver. But if we have an attitude of ingratitude however, it seals up the windows of heaven against us and the outflow of blessings to us stops.

Not giving thanks to God or giving thanks only when things are right is a symptom of ingratitude. We are to thank God in the good and bad times because we know that all things work for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. Rom 8:28 KJV. Sometimes, circumstances come to us so that we can exercise our faith and to test our love for God whether it is dependent on happenstance.

It is pertinent that on a daily basis, you take time out of your schedule to intentionally give God thanks for who He is; thank Him specifically for what He has done, and most importantly, for the unanswered prayers and conditions we cannot explain knowing that all things work together for good to us who love the Lord.

PRAYER:
Go to God in repentance and ask for forgiveness for any ingratitude and commit to make Thanksgiving a lifestyle. Now count your blessings, name them one by one and endeavour to thank Him for the yet unseen answers to your prayers.
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