Giving Thanks and Praise to the Lord

Hi everyone, hope you’ve all been having a lovely and productive time in what ever you have been up to, of course provided that what you’ve been up to is positive. “Giving thanks and praise to the Lord”, that’s the heading of this post. I guess its quiet self explanatory so I will be ending the post here and leaving the rest to you guys and your imagination, Just kidding though. Now seriously, giving thanks and praise to our Lord Jesus Christ or just taking ones time to sit back and reminisce on what we have been blessed with over the year, is something wonderful, joyous, astonishing. I don’t know about you but I always marvel when I think about all the stuff that I have been blessed with.

First of all lets get some facts right. I believe that blessings do not just include miracles and stuff which makes everyone go Wow!!!!!!. To really be able to appreciate Gods blessings and even see a reason to be giving thanks and praise to God every second of our lives, we’ll need to start small and take notice of, maybe the not so important stuff. Like the fact that you’ve got food on the table, you’re healthy, blessed with God fearing people around you to guide you, are joyful etc. In fact I could go on with this list forever and never stop writing because there are so many reasons for one to go down on ones knees and thank God, every second and minute of ones life even if nothing special seems to be happening around you.

I’m of the Opinion that thanking God and being appreciative of our Lord Jesus Christ shouldn’t be something that’s forced or seen as a task that has to be done. Its should come naturally, in fact being a Christian, accepting that Jesus Christ is our Lord and savior, the son of God who died for us, for the forgiveness of sin, on the Cross of Calvary, should come form the heart. It shouldn’t be seen as tedious, neither is it profitable to call oneself a christian, to keep appearances or because its the norm or because one wants to belong to the community.

My heavenly Father the King of Kings, the Alpha and Omega, the bright morning star, the lion of the tribes of Judea isn’t a man made illusion, in search for answers for that which can’t be comprehended and neither is the Bible a History Book as some would say. Isaiah chapter 43 verse 8-11:

8 ¶ Bring forth the blind people

that have eyes, and the deaf that

have ears.

9 Let all the nations be gathered

together, and let the people be assembled:

who among them can declare

this, and shew us former

things? let them bring forth their

witnesses, that they may be justified:

or let them hear, and say, It is

truth.

10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the

LORD, and my servant whom I have

chosen: that ye may know and believe

me, and understand that I am

he: before me there was no God

formed, neither shall there be after

me.

11 I, even I, am the LORD; and

beside me there i s no saviour.

Do not be deceived for the End time is at hand, Our Father in heaven is real and Jesus Christ is the son of God and is coming to Judge the earth in righteousness and in truth. We are not going to be Judged in Groups or communities neither is one going to be grouped into Catholics or Pentecostals and so on, but it’s going to be every man for himself. That’s why it’s said that Salvation is a personal thing. Our father in Heaven isn’t also a God that pays attention to our faces but a God that looks at the Heart. Samuel chapter 16 verse 7:

7 But the LORD said unto Samuel,

Look not on his countenance, or on

the height of his stature; because I

have refused him: for the LORD seeth

not as man seeth; for man looketh

on the outward appearance, but the

LORD looketh on the heart.

That’s why I believe that Givings Thanks and every other thing that comes with Christianity should come from the heart, because if it doesn’t, then it is not profitable in Christ. So how does one, then make sure that ones hearth is thoroughly inclined to our father in heaven? Well it’s simple just like every other thing in Our Lord Jesus Christ. First of all, one has to be able to humble ones self and admit that there is something wrong somewhere, then Genuinely seek, in truth and in spirit for renewal in Christ Jesus. For our heavenly father is the fountain of life which is open to all who are tasty. Here are some Bible verses which help me buttress my point. Jeremiah chapter 24 verse 7:

7 And I will give them an heart to

know me, that I am the LORD: and

they shall be my people, and I will

be their God: for they shall return

unto me with their whole heart.

Also Ezekiel chapter 36 verse 26:

26 A new heart also will I give you,

and a new spirit will I put within

you: and I will take away the stony

heart out of your flesh, and I will

give you an heart of flesh.

Now then, giving thanks to God in all situations is necessary, especially in difficult situations because then it acts as a seed of faith. Giving thanks and praising God is also one of the fastest ways with which one can key in to the the presence of God. For our God does not need money from us neither will the donation you gave to the church be spent in heaven but it is the hearth, while giving, that counts. Our God looks at the Hearth of man and not how grand the gesture is, That’s why in the book of Genesis chapter 4. When Cain and Abel the sons of Adam and Eve both made a offerings onto God. Abels offering although it was not grander than Cains was acceptable unto God but Cains offering wasn’t. Also in the Book of Mark chapter 12 verse 41-44:

41 And Jesus sat over against the

treasury, and beheld how the people

cast money into the treasury: and

many that were rich cast in much.

42 And there came a certain poor

widow, and she threw in two mites,

which make a farthing.

43 And he called unto him his disciples,

and saith unto them, Verily I

say unto you, That this poor widow

hath cast more in, than all they

which have cast into the treasury:

44 For all they did cast in of their

abundance; but she of her want did

cast in all that she had, even all her

living.

So what am I trying to say? It’s a good thing to give thanks and praise to our Lord Jesus Christ, especially when it comes from the hearth. For it is a faith based action which provokes the Miraculous for there is so much Joy, happiness, celebration, dexterity in heaven and giving thanks and praise is the easiest and best way to rid our selves of our sadness, frustration, disperse etc. For by giving thanks and praise we are keying into the Joy and dexterity in heaven which in turn strengthens us. For the Joy of the lord is our strength. Nehemiah chapter 8 verse 10:

10 Then he said unto them, Go

your way, eat the fat, and drink the

sweet, and send portions unto them

for whom nothing is prepared: for

this day is holy unto our Lord: neither

be ye sorry; for the joy of the

LORD is your strength.

Stay blessed and joyful

Nonso B-Anyeji